The Scriptorium Daily

Category: Theology

  • Happy Birthday, William Cowper

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in ,

    Today (November 26) is the birthday of English hymn writer William Cowper (1731 – 1800), who collaborated with John Newton on the collection called Olney Hymns. The most famous of the Olney Hymns is of course Newton’s Amazing Grace. Newton also wrote the lion’s share of the hymns in the collection. Newton could out-produce, out-promote,…

  • Going Deeper with the Trinity Book

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    Here’s another set of reviews, responses, and reactions to my recent book The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. Aaron Armstrong at Blogging Theologically says in his review that “we don’t have to settle for a shallow picture of God,” because God “wants us to experience all of Him—Father, Son and Spirit.”…

  • Unperplexed About the Church

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    There’s a series of books called Guides for the Perplexed, which is a Rambammish series title that promises to help you sort out your confusion. I don’t know how all the other books in the series are, but here’s one that really delivers on the promise: The Church: A Guide for the Perplexed, by Scriptorium’s…

  • Atlanta Crabapple Baptist Trinity!

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    This Thursday I’ll be talking about Why the Trinity Matters at a special event at Crabapple Baptist Church in Atlanta. I’m down south for the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society, and am thrilled that I get to escape for a while to a local church to talk Trinity. The event is free, starting…

  • Hit 'em With the Rock of Ages

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    “Rock of Ages” is a great hymn, one of the best. Here is the bad news: It was written out of spite, by a bitter and narrow-minded young man who couldn’t keep his personal hatred from over-flowing into his prayers and songs. Here is the good news: God rescued the hymn from the defects of…

  • The Trinitarian Theology of Billy Graham

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in ,

    Today (November 7) is the birthday of Billy Graham, born in 1918. When you look back over the turbulent twentieth century, the ministry of Billy Graham stands out as remarkably steady and consistent. Compared to the fates of other prominent evangelists who stood in the spotlight through these long and perplexing decades, it’s tempting to…

  • Happy Birthday, B.B. Warfield

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in ,

    Today (Nov. 5) is the day when Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield (1851 – 1921) was born. The title of “America’s Greatest Theologian” is pretty universally ceded to Jonathan Edwards, and after him there is a tight race for “Second Greatest.” In my opinion, Warfield is a contender for that second slot. He even edges out fellow…

  • Happy Birthday, Augustus Toplady

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in ,

    Today (November 4) is the birthday of Augustus Montague Toplady (1740-1778), the Anglican clergyman who wrote “Rock of Ages,” one of the greatest English hymns ever. The hymn was first published in March 1776 in the magazine of which Toplady was editor, the Gospel Magazine. It was appended to an article about that most unedifying…

  • "We want, above all, to know what it felt like to be an early Protestant"

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    C.S. Lewis’ biggest book, English Literature in the Sixteenth Century, runs to nearly 700 pages. It has one 45-page chapter with the title (I am not joking here) “Drab and Transitional Prose,” full of quotations and learned discussions of authors nobody has ever heard of (Harpsfield, Starkey, Bullein, Peacham, Tilney… who?). It’s a hard book…

  • Evangelicals and the Deep Things

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    It’s time for another report on the ongoing discussion prompted by my new book, The Deep Things of God: How the Trinity Changes Everything. There have been several developments in the past few days, as the book is finding readers hither and yon. Doug Wilson at Blog & Mablog gives Seven Reasons Why “The Deep…

  • The Trinitarianism of the Fundamentals

    —

    by

    Fred Sanders
    in

    One of the most important ventures in religious publishing and theological education in the twentieth century was The Fundamentals, an interdenominational publication that marked the conservative evangelical revolt against modernism in the early years of the century. Published serially in twelve volumes over the course of five years, they were sent free of charge to…

  • Workin’ for the Weekend

    —

    by

    Greg Peters
    in ,

    No matter your taste, Canada has given us some good music over the years. If you want to make a political statement you listen to Bruce Cockburn. Wanna rock like it’s the summer of ’69? Then there’s Bryan Adams. Riding in an elevator? Listen to Céline Dion. If you’re feeling ironic, turn to Alannis Morissette.…