It seems to me that a couple of decades ago, you rarely heard the word “dogmatics” used in polite company. “Systematic Theology” had more or less taken over the usage field. You might hear this sort of statement: “You know my favorite systematic theology? Barth’s

I have a brief article in the Criswell Theological Review‘s Fall 2015 theme issue on christology. The article is “Biblical Grounding for the Christology of the Councils,” CTR 13/1 (Fall 2015) 93-104. The main thing I argue in the article is that the most effective way

This week I got to discuss 1 and 2 Kings with Torrey students. Our sessions were full of surprises (at least for me), and I’m just going to jot down a couple of things I noticed in the course of our conversations. Manasseh was a

There’s a 5-page essay on “The Fatherhood of God” in the 1952 book The Faith: A Symposium of Bible Doctrine. The book, though it never clearly says so, is a collection of essays by Plymouth Brethren writers, and includes among its 25 chapters nice work

Richard Sibbes’ (1577–1635) book The Bruised Reed is an extended meditation on discouragement. Sibbes has penetrating insight into how grace and disgrace are always mingled in the life of the Christian. Following his wise counsel can deliver you from unrealistic optimism on the one hand

Here is video of a sermon I preached a few days ago at my home church, Grace Evangelical Free Church in La Mirada. It’s got all the usual stuff in it: medieval images, cartoon word balloons, Conan the Barbarian quotes, WWII stories, a Star Wars

Why does David say to God, “against you only have I sinned,” when the occasion of his saying so (Psalm 51) is  the time “when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba”? Perhaps David’s awareness of his sin against God

Theologian Karl Barth was teaching Christian doctrine in the University of Bonn in 1934 when the word went out that all civil servants had to take an oath of loyalty to Hitler. That is, not a pledge of allegiance to the flag; not a promise