tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-235315072024-03-13T07:23:39.427-05:00The Monroe DoctrineStanding athwart those who would save Christianity by abandoning it.
Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.comBlogger257125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-23880511681581448772024-01-02T14:35:00.001-06:002024-01-02T14:35:20.140-06:00Christian Nationalism Without Christ<p> For decades Christians with whom I share many sympathies have warned about the emergence of a Christless Christianity among American evangelicals. In the last decade the reality of an advocacy of Christianity without Christ has seemed to increase as Christians have seemed willing to desire the restoration of Christendom even if it involves the abandonment of the Son of God. Consider the following:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>In the last year or so Christians have invested significant time and treasure in a campaign to sell to the American public a version of Jesus that resembles the heresy of Socianism more than it looks like Jesus Christ as described in the New Testament. Stripped of any message of his divinity or his saving mission, Americans are supposed to be impressed that "he gets us," though it remains unclear why it should matter.to anyone.</li><li>A nationally known Christian talking head was recently heard by this correspondent to say that the Bible actually has "little to say" about salvation, though it provides a lot of information relevant to the development of a "Christian worldview." Evidently, the core affirmation of the Christian religion that God saves sinners, a notion that suffuses the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, is in fact remarkably absent after all and not important to whatever worldview that requires developing.</li><li>In a lecture on Christian nationalism before an academic evangelical audience, listeners were assured that Abraham Lincoln was certainly a "Christian nationalist" even though it was admitted that it is unclear whether the 16th president would affirm a single phrase from the Apostle's Creed. Seemingly, Christian nationalism doesn't require any clear doctrinal confession -- not even the opening phrase of belief in "God the Father almighty."</li><li>Recently, a woman who had been victimized as a girl by radical versions of Islam before embracing atheism has now announced her conversion to Christianity. I need to state that I hope she truly has come to faith in Christ, as her story is a striking one of great courage. What is unclear from her written statements, however, is whether her conversion involves faith in the saving work of Christ. She seems more concerned about the capacity of Christian ethics and perhaps theism to provide a foundation for a humanitarian societal ethic. Many evangelicals seem enthused.</li></ul><div>These types of examples seem to point toward the embrace of Christendom and Christianity without Christ, of evangelicalism without the evangel. Advocates seem to want to point to legal structures embracing moralistic commitments as a foundation for "taking America back," though it is unclear what they are taking it back for. Somehow, no one talking about a Christian nation is advocating replacing the Star Spangled Banner with the Nicene Creed or the vague "In God We Trust" with a pronouncement that justification is by faith alone.</div><div><br /></div><div>None of this is to deny that there are negative trends taking place in culture, but the culture cannot be reclaimed by a church that has lost track of the Gospel. The real need of the day is not the reclamation of the culture as much as the reformation of the church. The former is unlikely apart from the realization of the latter.</div><p></p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-64693386425402665432024-01-01T19:05:00.001-06:002024-01-01T19:05:45.038-06:00Books Read 2023<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><u>Fiction</u> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->William
F. Buckley, Jr., See you Later, Alligator<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Alexandre
Dumas, The Count of Monte Cristo *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">Mikhail Bulgakov, The Master and the
Margarita *</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">William F. Buckley, Jr., High Jinx</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">Scott Turow, Suspect</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;">Anthony Trollope, Phineas Finn *</span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111;"><u>Nonfiction</u></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Michael
P. Winship, Hot Protestants: a History of Puritanism in England and America<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->David
D. Hall, The Puritans: a Transatlantic History *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Thomas
S. Kidd, Who Is an Evangelical?<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Charles
Malcolm Wingard, Help for the New Pastor<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cailin
O’Connor and James Owen Weatherall, The Misinformation Age<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Millard
J. Erickson, ed., Readings in Christian Theology, Vol. 1: The Living God<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Shelby
Foote, The Civil War (Volume 2) *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Keith
A. Mathison, The Lord’s Supper<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Richard
Ganz, Psychobabble<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->David
VanDrunen, God’s Glory Alone *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kim
Riddlebarger, The Man of Sin *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Scott
David Allen, Why Social Justice Is not Biblical Justice<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Grant
Macaskill, Autism and the Church<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Gene
Edwards Veith, Jr., God at Work<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->D.G.
Hart, Sean Michael Lucas, and Stephen J. Nichols, eds. The Legacy of Jonathan
Edwards *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Anthony
A. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Kenneth
L. Gentry, Jr., Before Jerusalem Fell<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->W.
Andrew Hoffecker, Charles Hodge: the Pride of Princeton<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Stephen
J. Nichols, R.C. Sproul: a Life *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->John
Stott, The Cross of Christ *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->William
R. Edwards, John C.A. Ferguson, and Chad Van Dixhorn, eds., Theology for
Ministry<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Geoffrey
Robertson, The Tyrannicide Brief *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Carl
Bridenbaugh, Mitre and Sceptre<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->J.
Gresham Machen, Christianity and Liberalism *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Shelby
Foote, The Civil War (Volume 3) *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">32.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->R.J.
Rushdoony, The Sermon on the Mount<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Roosevelt
Montas, Rescuing Socrates<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Iain
Murray, The Puritan Hope<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->J.V.
Fesko, Adam and the Covenant of Works *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Michael
Horton, Recovering our Sanity *<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Edward
Taylor, Upon the Types of the Old Testament (Vol. 1)<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">38.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Edward
Taylor, Upon the Types of the Old Testament (Vol. 1I)<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><br /></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">* -- highly recommended</p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-9746351172731064092023-03-16T14:21:00.002-05:002023-03-16T14:21:35.880-05:00Movie Review: "Jesus Revolution"<p> Back during my student days, I attempted to invite a co-worker to church. In response, he told me about a time in the past when he and some friends, then teenagers, occasionally visited a church. They seemed always to hear the preacher opine against young men wearing long hair. Looking around and seeing no other males with long hair, they figured that the sermon must be directed at them. Whether correct or incorrect, they soon quit going and did not seem to hear any message other than the criticisms of the length of their locks.</p><p>That story came to mind while watching the recent movie sensation, "Jesus Revolution." My own reactions to the movie were rather complex, finding more of value in the diagnosis than in the cure presented over the course of the film. The strength in the film lay in its exposure of knee jerk reactions against those in need of the Gospel. Yet, the film also, sometimes unintentionally, exposes weaknesses in the Jesus Freak movement that require correction, rather than emulation.</p><p>Though the movie takes the sort of cinematic short cuts that must be taken to reduce real life events to a 2-hour film, it attempts to recount the story of the Jesus movement of the late 1960's, as it occurred at Calvary Chapel. Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammar) had no interest in or sympathy for the hippies until he actually met one, Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie). When Frisbee convinced Smith that hippies were looking for truth about life's meaning, and some were learning to prefer the message of Jesus over Timothy Leary, Smith's attitude changed, and hippies began showing up at Smith's church, much to the chagrin of some of the church's leadership. </p><p>In the face of opposition to outreach to the unkempt, unshod hippies, Smith showed admirable courage and earnestness. At what I found to be the movie's most poignant scene, church leaders complained that the dirty bare feet of the new visitors would destroy the church's carpet. Those leaders arrived at the church on Sunday to see a long line at the entrance, as Pastor Smith, on hands and knees with basin and towel beside him, washed the feet of each young person before they entered.</p><p>How could one not be moved at that?</p><p>The movie has been called a fluff piece on the Jesus movement. While that is partially true, it does expose weaknesses that were largely responsible for the implosion of the movement after about 5 years. As mentioned above, Smith had earnest concern for the spiritual condition of these hippies, but once they arrived in mass he actually seemed at a loss as to what to tell them, and in the movie, at least, he basically turned everything over to others who themselves were novices in the faith. Frisbee focused on evangelical concerns at the start of the movie, but soon gave in to extravagant and sensational claims of Spirit prompted healings. In the movie's version of events, immature leadership eventually led to a fracturing of relationships among leaders, as well as a tendency toward abusive leadership models based on charismatic qualities. The movement as such ran its course in about 5 years, though it has had numerous long term impacts on the larger church. The various imitative "calvary chapels," as well as Vineyard churches spread over the country are the most obvious examples, and many of the changes in church music and focus on charismatic leadership in the last 50 years have their origin in the movement. Such changes have tended to attempt to retain attendance and evangelism at the expense of reducing biblical content. These changes have also tended to produce unhealthy authoritarian leadership structures in churches.</p><p>Those thoughts regarding impacts notwithstanding, I have attempted to focus this review on the contents of the movie itself. I am aware that there are others giving more attention to whether events portrayed in the movie cohere with reality. Not having the time or inclination to perform that research, I will leave that task for others.</p><p>Nonetheless, I will say that efforts to develop all sorts of extracurricular materials designed to use this movie to foster a revival movement would seem to reflect the unhealthy tendency within evangelicalism to use history as prologue by reducing spontaneous movements into techniques. The Spirit blows where He wills, and we would do better to engage in faithful practices related to the proclamation of Word and sacrament while asking the Spirit to use the means that He has commanded.</p><p><br /></p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-10297716541796055702023-02-16T15:37:00.001-06:002023-02-17T09:57:23.091-06:00Book Review Article: "Who Is an Evangelical: a Movement in Crisis," by Thomas S. Kidd<p> In 1963, Columbia University historian Richard Hofstadter published "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Anti-Intellectualism-American-Life-Richard-Hofstadter/dp/0394703170/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2YS2LVH1TY2E2&keywords=anti-intellectualism+in+american+life+by+richard+hofstadter&qid=1676582701&sprefix=hofstadter+anti%2Caps%2C116&sr=8-1">Anti-Intellectualism in American Life</a>," a work for which he won a Pulitzer Prize the following year. The book received high praise on the left from academics who agreed with the author's jeremiad of a spreading anti-intellectualism in the United States. Perhaps unexpectedly, the work has also been applauded by reformed evangelicals who appreciate Hofstadter's praise of Puritan New England as the intellectual high point of American history. Noting that the agrarian colonists prioritized the building of colleges and built a culture featuring high literacy rates, Hofstadter complained that American religionists had since contributed to the downward spiral of intellectual life in this country.</p><p>While Hofstadter's book is a well written and argued survey, it can be read as a work of his times. In some important ways, the highly regarded book was simply an extended rant against a culture so lacking in sophistication that it had elected the philistine Dwight David Eisenhower instead of the poster boy of socially elite enlightenment, Adlai Stevenson. Subsequent investigation demonstrates that neither Eisenhower nor Stevenson deserved their reputation, but, nevertheless, Hofstadter was hardly the only academic elitist who held to this view of the two men.</p><p>All of this brings us to the more recent work by Thomas Kidd, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Who-Evangelical-History-Movement-Crisis/dp/0300241410">Who Is an Evangelical</a>, surveying the evangelical landscape. Kidd, a highly regarded evangelical historian who teaches at Baylor University, would seem well positioned to write such a survey. While the stated purpose of the book is to "introduce readers to evangelicals' experiences, practices, and beliefs, and to examine the reasons for our crisis today," he acknowledges that the work is not primarily intended to address the interests of scholars. Rather, he is writing for "journalists, pastors, people who work in politics...." to explain to them "what has happened to evangelicals." Nonetheless, he seems particularly exercised about reports that 81% of evangelicals supported Donald Trump in the 2016 election (the book was written prior to 2020, which spared Kidd the necessity of adding more anxiety inducing details). Nonetheless, Kidd wants to clear evangelicals from the calumny that they are an extension of the Republican Party. He also doesn't want evangelicals to be thought of as white, though he finds it necessary to admit that blacks have sometimes not been included in the movement.</p><p>Every writer on evangelicalism struggles to find a definition for the movement, and Kidd is no exception. As is common with contemporary writers and pollsters, Kidd uses the characteristics suggested by David Bebbington (conversionism, emphasis on biblical authority, centrality of the cross, and evangelistic activism) to develop his parameters. Nonetheless, Kidd runs into trouble by lumping Pentecostals (but not prosperity gospel advocates) into the movement. Ignoring the fact that mainstream evangelicals either in the pre or post WWII era did not consider Pentecostals to be part of their movement helps Kidd improve his demographics, but it forces him to ignore many of the aspects of contemporary evangelicalism contributing to the movement being in crisis. He is able to include everyone from Aimee Semple McPherson to John Gerstner as an evangelical, a feat requiring an extraordinary bungee cord. In short, including Pentecostals undermines any ability to focus on a unified and defined movement (Bebbington's criteria notwithstanding) while masking the doctrinal decline that this blogger would find at the center of the crisis. Having defined those issues to the periphery, Kidd is left to focus on political and social concerns.</p><p>Kidd contends that political interest has always played a role in evangelical activism, arguing that evangelicals have done best when advocating in behalf of the marginalized. Notions of the church having a spiritual mission are readily dismissed as opportunistic when groups don't want the church to weigh in against their interests. Kidd is no political leftist -- no one should think that his criticisms of the religious right mirror those of evangelical leftists such as Ron Sider or Jim Wallis. Nonetheless, Kidd takes an increasingly dim view of evangelical politics since the rise of the Moral Majority. Leaders of the movements leading up to the present have damaged the reputation of the church, bringing it to the point of crisis.</p><p>While one should take care not to criticize a survey unfairly for what it has left out, a couple of obvious matters deserved attention in a work of this sort. First, many of us believe that the crisis of American evangelicalism may have a political component, but the more fundamental issues relate to a decline in doctrine and piety. Second, if Kidd is going to insist on evangelical politics, the work of Carl F.H. Henry deserved greater attention as providing an example of a road not travelled. Kidd discusses Henry's critique beginning with his publication of The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism in the post-war years. However, he gives no attention to Henry's post 1980's critique of Christian political engagement as lacking in an overall political philosophy including the goals and limits of political engagement.</p><p>Finally, Kidd fails to address the potential benefits of the church not seeking a seat at the political table. The late conservative journalist Robert Novak, when asked whether the rise of the religious right had been beneficial, responded that it had been great for the Republican Party, to which it provided foot soldiers, and a disaster for the church.</p><p>Had Novak lived longer, he might have even argued that the disaster contributed to a movement in crisis.</p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-36832274258777121532023-02-10T09:29:00.004-06:002023-02-10T09:43:13.431-06:00Yes, He Gets us, but we Crucified the Lord of Glory<p> Christian media outlets a<a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/february/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercial-billion-jesus-christian.html" target="_blank">re awash with the news</a> that Jesus will have a Super Bowl ad this year. The ad furthers a campaign designed to let America know that Jesus "gets us." In order to get across that message, its designers created a modified version of qualities emphasizing those aspects of Jesus' life that most of our secular neighbors would find agreeable. He was a migrant who suffered poverty and other forms of privation while also enduring racism. That he bore such griefs means that he empathizes with all of us who carry similar loads. Thus, he gets us. There is no mention of allegedly controversial notions that he was the Son of God or died bearing the punishment of people's sins.</p><p>Reports indicate that those bankrolling this cause have committed $1 billion over 3 years. When people whom I would on many things agree with have shown their sincerity by giving so benevolently of their treasure, one can have no pleasure in disagreeing with them, but here goes:</p><p>It won't work. And, if it does work, it will be a bad thing.</p><p>Promoters of the campaign, particularly as it regards placement of an ad during America's seminal religious event (the Super Bowl), embrace hope in the presentation of a likable Jesus to a culture that is sprinting away from organized religious belief. It would seem relevant that in the New Testament the apostles faced a similarly hostile crowd and presented Christ's claims in an entirely different fashion. Peter announced in the temple precinct in Jerusalem that God raised the One whom they had crucified. Paul told the Corinthian Christians that their leaders had "crucified the Lord of glory," and the author of Hebrews, addressing a crisis resulting from a generation of Christians looking to abandon the faith, asserted that God had spoken by the Son, who had created, sustains, and been appointed the heir of all things. Thus, the biblical preachers and writers responded to unbelief by boldly proclaiming the claims of the one being rejected.</p><p>Modern evangelicals are riding down a well worn historic path of soft selling a Socinian Savior who can supposedly be believed in by modern Americans. Christians of varying stripes have attempted this over the course of history. That it has never worked doesn't seem to have occurred to current evangelicals, most of whom haven't given much thought to the history of their own movement. In fact, today's evangelical apple has not fallen far from the liberal tree of a century ago, when "modernists," certain that no one in their day could be expected to believe in historic Christian claims, advanced updated "interpretations" of biblical doctrines designed to make God relevant to anti-supernatural men. Thus, those committed to making the church relevant capitulated in a way that ultimately emptied it out. Socinianism as a half way house to committed Christianity has never been an effective approach.</p><p>Thus, if one wants to spend $1 billion on a campaign -- and I am not saying that they should -- he might want instead to deploy a strategy that has actually worked, particularly when empowered by the Spirit of God. Such an approach would involve confronting men with the historic and eternal claims of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, someone might claim that this is what the church has been trying. If one wants to make that claim, I would ask when? Not during the last generation.</p><p>Over the last 50 years, the evangelical churches have largely taken one of two reactive approaches to the secularization of American society. One has involved a "seeker sensitive" mentality that emphasized the use of marketing techniques to present a vision of church that would be palatable to the felt needs of our unchurched neighbors. While for decades those promoting these church growth techniques claimed that only the methods, not the message, changed, almost anyone surveying the course of this history can see that they modified the message itself in significant ways, too often creating the result of a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Christless-Christianity-Alternative-Gospel-American/dp/0801072212/ref=sr_1_1?crid=36VAKOZU9GZ3I&keywords=christless+christianity+by+michael+horton&qid=1676042831&sprefix=christless%2Caps%2C124&sr=8-1">"Christless Christianity."</a></p><p>The other evangelical approach was a more politically oriented one making a strange case for "taking back America." Again, one might look through history to the New Testament to see that this might have some history behind it post-Constantine, but that history would not include the teaching of the Apostles. After all, Peter did not stand in Jerusalem and announce that the resurrection meant that they were going to bring Jerusalem back to God. He didn't tell them either to brandish swords or register to vote. Instead, he told all of his listeners to believe and be baptized, thus introducing them to a different kind of kingdom.</p><p>Evangelicals today know that they stand at a threshold, but they may not recognize what awaits behind the door where they stand. In his book <a href="https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/february/he-gets-us-super-bowl-commercial-billion-jesus-christian.html" target="_blank">"The Kingdom of God in America,"</a> the highly regarded neo-orthodox theologian Richard Niebuhr famously castigated the religious left for their drift away from Christian coherence, saying that they were now preaching that "<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A God without wrath brought men without sin into a Kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a Cross.”</span></p><p>Niebuhr's liberal castigation strikes eerily close to much contemporary conservative preaching. Evangelicals would do better to follow a more faithful path, praying that God would use the proclamation of a full Christian message announcing the whole Christ for the renewal of his church and the salvation of the lost.</p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-77853803064725079792022-06-23T14:03:00.001-05:002022-06-23T14:03:51.212-05:00How Does a Conservative Southern Baptist Pastor Become a Presbyterian?<p> I can't speak for others, but here is my story.</p><p>As I graduated from college and prepared to head off for seminary in Memphis, Tennessee, my college pastor offered a bit of advice: don't waste your time debating other students about Calvinism, he said. It will only prove confusing and will distract you from "soul winning." </p><p>While I intended to follow advice from a mentor I admired, it was partly undermined by another commitment of my upbringing, the belief that the Bible was the inerrant Word of God and required my study and allegiance. That the Bible addressed the Gospel in a more God planned, God centered way than I had previously thought required modifying my understanding of God's saving grace. I remained concerned that a belief in election and predestination would cause a loss of enthusiasm for evangelism, but I was assisted in that regard by a short book by James I. Packer called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Evangelism-Sovereignty-God-J-Packer/dp/083083799X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=29OYNBTQ8XUYL&keywords=evangelism+and+the+sovereignty+of+god+by+j.i.+packer&qid=1656010249&sprefix=evangelism+and+the+%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1">Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God</a>. Packer argued persuasively that not only was divine sovereignty consistent with the evangelistic enterprise, but in fact it provides the only sound foundation for confident evangelism.</p><p>Because Packer was helpful to me in that book, I next read his best known work, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0830816518/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=0830816518&pd_rd_w=Nbvkh&content-id=amzn1.sym.3be1c5b9-5b41-4830-a902-fa8556c19eb5&pf_rd_p=3be1c5b9-5b41-4830-a902-fa8556c19eb5&pf_rd_r=MXD45JDBAFHKYME9T5P8&pd_rd_wg=0A3pg&pd_rd_r=728d93f3-bbee-444c-917f-61b2b15cfae4&s=books&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUExTlYwUVEwTU1OVjFQJmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDU2NjQwMUQ3NjEyQUpERDQzWSZlbmNyeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwODM5NzExRkFFVVhTQkpSSTVRJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfZGV0YWlsJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ==">Knowing God</a>. That book does not deal with Calvinism as a predominant theme, but I found in Packer something I had not experienced before: a writer of serious theology that is also devotionally rich. Because I found that combination in his writing at a formative stage of my theological development, he became a key influence for me.</p><p>In addition, a Baptist committed to biblical inerrancy can't help but encounter the work of B.B. Warfield and J. Gresham Machen, two scholarly and Presbyterian advocates of biblical authority that have shaped modern evangelicalism's understanding of the Bible.</p><p>As a result of all of these influences, my doctrinal commitments began to move. While I didn't really know the doctrinal categories prior to seminary, in retrospect I can say I was moving away from prior commitments to a kind of Arminianism that bordered on semi-pelagianism toward a soteriological Calvinism. I was not there yet, but that was the direction at the time I completed my M.Div.</p><p>Some of the professors at my alma mater also held to reformed Baptist commitments, though the president of the school and many of the trustees were firmly against those ideas. Because of this, a professor who published a book on the history of the doctrines of grace in Baptist life was ultimately forced out of his job, reportedly as a result of the book's criticisms of "the invitation system." Although at that time I had not yet fully committed to a Calvinistic understanding, the professor in question was an excellent scholar and popular lecturer. I thought his views were certainly within the bounds of evangelical Baptist theology. As such, I was shocked that he had been let go. I only had a semester left before graduation -- if it had happened sooner, I likely would have transferred.</p><p>Nonetheless, this event had a profound impact on me in that it cut my sense of belonging to my alma mater. After graduation, I took a position working as a mission pastor in Pennsylvania. During that time I read a book by George Marsden, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/0195300475/ref=sspa_dk_detail_1?psc=1&pd_rd_i=0195300475&pd_rd_w=I0OB1&content-id=amzn1.sym.c201ea52-e52a-4b28-967b-9c2cae823bd5&pf_rd_p=c201ea52-e52a-4b28-967b-9c2cae823bd5&pf_rd_r=W80CD7Q5AFN9CVZEDD74&pd_rd_wg=OKKM4&pd_rd_r=429e7102-d5a8-4c68-a56d-cd7cb70bff5a">Fundamentalism and American Culture</a>. Marsden is a first rate historian. His historical account of the rise of fundamentalism in the years 1859 through 1925 provided a grid through which I could evaluate various historical influences on my own Christian understanding. Marsden's history helped me understand that I was attempting to hold on to views that in some respects were contradictory. Working though that, I came to a better understanding of where I fit into American ecclesiastical culture. </p><p>Subsequent events in Baptist life furthered my sense of disconnectedness with my roots. As Southern Baptists increasingly became aware of a rising Calvinistic movement in their midst, numbers of them began letting us know that we were not welcome -- I actually wrote a letter to the editor of one of the state Baptist papers around 1990 complaining about the uncharitable rhetoric and later talked to a Baptist college president who expressed appreciation for my call for more constructive dialogue. That said, while I can be pretty stubborn in some ways, I have never been one to hang around when told I am not wanted. </p><p>As a result, when I left the pastorate for reasons unrelated to this topic, I decided to begin attending a confessional Presbyterian church. At the time, I still believed in believer's baptism only and was ambivalent about connectionalism, but I wanted to attend church where my growing commitments to Calvinism would not be controversial and where I could learn more about worship, a subject I felt I did not adequately understand.</p><p>My pastor at my new church, through dialogue and written materials, helped me work through questions regarding baptism, as well as a fuller understanding of covenant theology. Even so, it would not be until 2013 I would feel again called and prepared to begin the process of pursuing credentials in a Presbyterian communion (first, the PCA, then the OPC). Nonetheless, here I am, and I am thrilled with where God has brought me.</p><p>One benefit of my path is that, living in the south, with its heavy influence from Baptist and Bible churches, I have a good understanding of the beliefs and questions of those who are seeking. I enjoy working through those with anyone who wants to learn.</p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-25407174352011545402022-01-02T20:47:00.000-06:002022-01-02T20:47:04.302-06:00Books Read 2021<p> Competing priorities slowed down my reading this year, but I managed to consume a wide variety of interesting material:</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Books Read 2021<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p><span style="text-decoration: none;"> </span></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">William
F. Buckley, Jr., Saving the Queen. Buckley’s fiction was not really that good,
but it serves as a nice diversion from more serious reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Jonathan
Swift, Gulliver’s Travels. The interactions with the Lilliputians made for more
interesting reading than the land of the giants.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Neil
Munro, Doom Castle. Recommended by a friend. It was ok.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">William
F. Buckley, Jr., Stained Glass<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Non-Fiction<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">R.C.
Sproul, What we Believe: Understanding and Confessing the Apostle’s Creed. This
is a nice summary.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Geerhardus
Vos, Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 1 – Theology Proper. Vos’s writing can be a slog
at times but is worth the effort.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">James
E. McGoldrick, Presbyterian and Reformed Churches: a Global History. The spread
of Reformed Christianity is an engaging story, even if all too frequent apostacies
are depressing.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Camden
Bucey, et al, No Uncertain Sound<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Edwin
H. Rian, The Presbyterian Conflict. A great account of the founding of the OPC.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Geerhardus
Vos, Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 4 – Soteriology. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Herman
Ridderbos, Paul: an Outline of his Theology<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Bill
Broward, Red Notice. This should be read by everyone who would want to
understand the tyranny of the Putin regime.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">J.
I. Packer, Affirming the Apostle’s Creed. Packer is almost always worth
reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">John
Bolton, The Room Where it Happened. Bolton doesn’t like the former President
for many good reasons, but got himself into the messes he laments.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Geerhardus
Vos, Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 5 –Ecclesiology, the Means of Grace, Eschatology<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Ronald
H. Nash, The Gospel and the Greeks. This is a good basic survey of these
issues.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Julian
Jackson, Charles de Gaulle. I learned a lot about de Gaulle, yet do not feel
like I understand him. That is because de Gaulle himself defies explanation,
though this author made a valiant try.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">George
M. Marsden, The Evangelical Mind and the New School Presbyterian Experience. An
early work by Marsden. It is good, but not his best work.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">R.
Kent Hughes and Douglas Sean O’Donnell, The Pastor’s Book. I found this very
helpful.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David
McCullough, The Path Between the Seas. McCullough always is worth reading. He
covers the French failure and the ultimate American success.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Costi
Hinn, God, Greed, and the (Prosperity) Gospel. This is a fascinating story about
the conversion of the nephew of Benni.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Michael
J. Behe, Darwin Devolves<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers. Almost anyone will find things to
disagree with in this book, but it is a challenging and fruitful read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Joel
Richard Paul, Without Precedent: Chief Justice John Marshall and his Times. The
subject deserves a better biography.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David
Berlinski, The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and its Scientific Pretensions. A
sometimes interesting take by a non-Christian.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David
McCullough, The Wright Brothers. This is an amazing story well told.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">A.
Scott Berg, Wilson. Wilson is generally sanctimonious and unlikable, though the
biographer tries hard to make him otherwise.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David
McCollough, The Great Bridge. I always like McCullough and enjoyed this story
of the building of this engineering marvel more than I expected.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Rachel
Green Miller, Beyond Authority and Submission. Overall, this is a helpful read.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Antonin
Scalia, The Essential Scalia. Scalia is a great writer. The editing of these
documents was somewhat frustrating.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Saikrishna
Bangalore Prakash, The Living Presidency. This was highly recommended political
philosophy that I found mediocre.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">32.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">David
McCullough, The Johnstown Flood. A fascinating re-telling of one of the great
natural disasters of American history.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Harvey
C. Mansfield, Jr., Taming the Prince. Better than #31 above.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Doris
Kearns Goodwin, The Bully Pulpit. Contrasts Roosevelt and Taft. It is an
interesting take on these 2 men.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Cornelis P. Venema, Children at the Lord’s
Table. Helpful in addressing this issue in dispute among many of the Reformed.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Aristotle, Rhetoric. Not what most would call
scintillating reading, but many would benefit from an approach that gives significant
focus to the listener.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nigel Yates, Eighteenth-Century Britain:
Religion and Politics, 1714-1815. I don’t generally enjoy reading surveys. This
was a survey.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">38.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Hurricane’s Eye.
The American Revolution was won by nature and the French navy in large degree,
so argues this well-written tome.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">39.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Lynne Cheney, James Madison: a Life
Reconsidered. I learned a lot about Madison, but thought the writing was
mediocre.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">40.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Thomas Oden, Pastoral Theology. I picked this
up because Oden’s life story fascinates me. This particular work, though, was
disappointing.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-89355200867537651562021-04-17T06:18:00.002-05:002021-04-17T06:18:51.408-05:00From Atheism and Marxism to Christian Faith<p> Marvin Olasky's story of his own conversion is not typical, but it is a compelling read. Find it <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/while-i-was-still-a-marxist">here</a>.</p><p>Mr. Olasky has been for many years the Editor-in-Chief of <a href="http://www.worldmag.com">World Magazine</a>.</p><p>Hat Tip: <a href="https://www.theaquilareport.com/while-i-was-still-a-marxist-how-christ-rescued-me/">The Aquila Report</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-19276633274383520142021-04-16T15:33:00.000-05:002021-04-16T15:33:07.430-05:00Answering the anti-life argument of the anti-vaxxers on the use of aborted tissue<p>This issue is raising its head with regard to the coronavirus vaccine, but in reality it is a claim that impacts more or less all vaccines. Because of that, a response is important to all of us that find it anti-life to make arguments that would reinvigorate the measles and polio and a host of other nearly extinct diseases that once maimed and killed thousands.</p><p>In that vein, I am posting<a href="https://zdoggmd.com/fetal-tissue-covid/"> this video </a>by the performer/physician currently known as ZDoggMD. He makes this case as well as anyone I have heard.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-6821433756238439412021-01-01T10:57:00.000-06:002021-01-01T10:57:24.313-06:00Books Read 2020<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Books
Read 2020<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Aleksandr
Solzhenitsyn, March 1917: Node III, Book 2. I enjoyed most of Solzhenitsyn's earlier work, but have not cared for his historical novels set during the Russian Revolution.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Charles
Dickens, Martin Chuzzlewit. This was enjoyable reading. Dickens shows s certain amount of disdain for America, though.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Brian
Holsinger, The Gifted School. Though not exactly on point with the recent college admissions scandals, the novel is poignant in light of them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thomas
Hardy, Jude the Obscure. Thomas Hardy's view toward marriage was shockingly negative for his day.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Evelyn
Waugh, Brideshead Revisited. Based on what I had heard from others, I thought I would like Waugh. I will probably try another work, but I found this one only ok.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Charles
Dickens, Our Mutual Friend.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Scott
Turow, The Last Witness. A novel about facing one's mortality and diminishing capacities, primarilty through the lens of Sandy Stern. All of Turow's novels (legal thrillers) are worth reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Charles
Dickens, Little Dorrit. Mostly concerns the misery of debtors prison.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Charles
Dickens, Barnaby Rudge. Dickens places this story in the historical backdrop of riots that occurred in London around 1780. This may be the most unique of his novels.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Charles
Dickens, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16px;">Dickens died before finishing this novel, which means we don't know how it would have ended, though there have been no shortage of guesses.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alan
Jacobs, The Year of our Lord 1943. Centers around the work of several Christian writers from the era that focused on education as the mechanism for redeeming society. I found the selection of subjects for the book eccentric.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thomas
C. Oden, A Change of Heart. Oden's story is arguably the most remarkable biography -- certainly of a theologian -- of the last century. He was a remarkable man who accomplished an unfathomable amount of work.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Michael
Horton, Justification: Volume 1. This may be Horton's best academic work. It covers the history of the doctrine from the patristic era up to the Reformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nathaniel
Philbrick, Bunker Hill. Philbrick tells the story well.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Michael
Horton, Justification: Volume 2. The second volume addresses contemporary debates. It is well worth the read, though I enjoyed volume 1 more.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Robert
L. Guyer, How to Get and Keep your First Lobbying Job. Good for someone starting out. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Matthew
Barrett, None Greater: the Undomesticated Attributes of God. Highly recommended.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Robert
L. Guyer, Guide to State Legislative Lobbying<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Steven
D. Smith, Pagans and Christians in the City. An excellent comparison of current debates and those that occurred in the time of the late Roman Empire.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">D.G.
Hart, That Old-Time Religion in Modern America. Everything that Hart has written is worth reading.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Elaine
Pagels, Why Religion? A Personal Story. I disagree with Pagels on most things, but enjoyed reading this because she is thoughtful and creative.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">David
McCullough, The Pioneers. This is a fantastic work, with McCullough chronicling the founding of a town along the Ohio River in southeast Ohio.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Aleksandr
Solzhenitsyn, Between Two Millstones. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">F.A.
Hayek, The Road to Serfdom<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Mark
A. Noll, The New Shape of World Christianity<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Emile
Durkheim, The Division of Labor in Society<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Adam
Smith, The Wealth of Nations<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Kevin
DeYoung and Ted Kluck, Why we Love the Church<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">H.W.
Brands, Heirs of the Founders<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Russell
Kirk, The Conservative Mind<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Cornelius
Van Til, Christianity and Idealism<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">32.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thomas
S. Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions. My wife and I have spent many hours discussing Kuhn's use of paradigms and how it applies to various areas of knowledge, including history of religion. She wrote her undergraduate thesis largely around the application of Kuhn to understanding the Protestant Reformation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Jaroslav
Pelikan, </span><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The Christian Tradition: A History of the Development
of Doctrine, Vol. 1: </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The Emergence of the Catholic Tradition
(100-600)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Alvin
Plantinga, Knowledge and Christian Belief<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">35.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Louis
Berkhof, The History of Christian Doctrines<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Jaroslav Pelikan, The
Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vol. 3: The
Growth of Medieval Theology (600-1300)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Robert W. Merry,
President McKinley: Architect of the American Century. I learned a lot about McKinley. This is well written.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">38.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Jaroslav Pelikan, The
Christian Tradition: A History of the Development of Doctrine, Vol. 4:
Reformation of Church and Dogma (1300=1700)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">39.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">John H. Walton, The
Lost World of Genesis One. I frequently disagree with Walton, but he is an engaging writer.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">40.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">W. Robert Godfrey,
Saving the Reformation: the Pastoral Theology of the Canons of Dort<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">41.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Tremper Longman and
John H. Walton, The Lost World of the Flood<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">42.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Richard A. Muller,
Divine Will and Human Choice: Freedom, Contingency, and Necessity in Early
Modern Reformed Thought<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">43.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Ross Douthat, The
Decadent Society<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">44.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">James Davison Hunter
and Paul Nedelisky, Science and the Good: the Tragic Quest for the Foundations
of Morality<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">45.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">J. V. Fesko, Reforming
Apologetics. Fesko defends classical apologetics and attacks Van Til, among others.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">46.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">John V. Fesko, Word,
Water and Spirit: a Reformed Perspective on Baptism<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">47.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Henry Bullinger, The
Decades of Henry Bullinger, Vol. 1<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">48.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Ned B. Stonehouse, J.
Gresham Machen: a Biographical Memoir. Those interested in Machen might look to Darrly Hart's work instead.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">49.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">J.I. Packer, Engaging
the Written Word of God. Most of the essays in this volume are good.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">50.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Doris Kearns Goodwin,
Lyndon Johnson and the American Dream. I always like reading her. I disagree on Johnson about nearly everything, but there are aspects of that era that are better than our own.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">51.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">George F. Will, The Conservative
Sensibility. Will's book argues for a variety of conservatism among many (none of which, by the way, resemble whatever one wants to call Trumpism). The most interesting chapters was the one on religion. Notably, I agreed with almost everything Will had to say about the role of religion (or lack thereof) in America's founding, though I of course disagreed with his atheism. Will advocates a version of natural rights that goes along with atheism, even as he acknowledges that the record on whether it can actually work in the real world is not favorable to date. He is fascinating to read on this subject.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">52.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Michael F. Bird and
Scott Harrower, eds., Trinity without Hierarchy. Almost all of the essays are really good, though the one by Leithat seems weak and out of place.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">53.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Bob Woodward, Rage<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">54.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Richrd B. Gaffin, Jr.,
Resurrection and Redemption. All of the books from here to the end I have read while preparing for an ordination exam in theology. I hope I pass.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">55.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">John Murray, Collected
Writings: Volume two – Select Lectures in Systematic Theology<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">56.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Cornelius Van Til, The
Defense of Christianity & My Credo<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">57.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Richard B. Gaffin,
Jr., Perspectives on Pentecost<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">58.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">James E. Dolezal, All
that Is in God<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">59.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">John Murray,
Redemption Accomplished and Applied<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">60.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Geerhardus Vos, The
Pauline Eschatology<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">61.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Geerhardus Vos, Reformed
Dogmatics: Vol. 3, Christology<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">62.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">J. Gresham Machen,
Things Unseen<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="background: white; line-height: normal; text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">63.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="color: #111111; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Geerhardus Vos,
Reformed Dogmatics: Vol. 2, Anthropology<o:p></o:p></span></p><p></p></blockquote><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
</p><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><p></p>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-9679709513087364032020-08-28T17:16:00.001-05:002020-09-03T10:32:41.345-05:00In the World, but Not of the WorldI thought about headlining my post, "It's the Uncertainty, Stupid," but in the present environment I worried that such might be considered uncharitable, even though I am only using the final word rhetorically. Those old enough to remember old political slogans will realize my play on one if they choose to do so.<br />
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Nonetheless, this lament continues my writing on the way that the church, at least as I witness its pronouncements by online representatives, focuses on the wrong things. I see lots of attention being given to whether or not to wear masks (mostly decided one way or the other based on poor reasoning), social distancing, and when and how to re-open services.<br />
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It is hard to find much attention being given to various uncertainties general to life but magnified during this crisis such as illness, the loss of loved ones, isolation from friends, fear of economic privation due to job loss, and hopelessness about the future -- and where is a sovereign God in all of this.<br />
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I am not saying that the first set of subjects are unimportant -- quite the contrary -- but those are subjects driven mostly by forces outside the church -- by the world. The second set of subjects are priorities of Scripture, which is full of texts to be expounded and applied. Each furnishes the opportunity to provide contextualized hope as it is found only in the Gospel. In so doing, the church would be providing a unique perspective, rather than one parroted with Bible verses.<br />
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So, why are so many Christian leaders obsessed with masks and distancing while virtually ignoring death, sickness, and hopelessness? The provocative answer is that the present crisis has opened the curtain to show an unseemly worldliness that dominates the church. The crisis sheds light on a great need for repentance and reform among God's people.<br />
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The term "worldliness" is biblical, yet in cultural terms hopelessly old fashioned. Many of us will associate the word with a past age of complaints about card playing and dancing and liquor. Be that as it may, this present worldliness is far more deep seated yet easily ignored and therefore pernicious. Our worldliness means that churches and Christians that claim allegiance to biblical authority set priorities based on agendas from outside of Scripture based on social and political concerns tangential to the biblical witness, though we have the capacity to find creative ways to pretend that they are biblical. Rather than recognizing that Scripture should drive our concerns, we instead use it to rubber stamp whatever social and political views we happen to hold.<br />
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The result is a failure to minister to the great needs of the day to which Scripture speaks -- needs related to the discipleship of our church members and to the evangelization of our communities and that recognize that by His death Christ put death to death. While I have focused on the COVID crisis, similar laments could be stated regarding the present dilemma regarding racial issues, about which many Christians have much to say about "cultural Marxism" ind "critical race theory," subjects about which frankly they don't seem to know much beyond sloganeering, and relatively little to say about the imago dei in man, which could form the basis for deep Christian reflection for how to move forward. The present crises have provided an opportunity for the church to bring the Gospel to bear on deep human concerns. To date, the church has largely failed in that endeavor. We need to repent.<br />
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Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-66580529822013792952020-08-25T17:19:00.000-05:002020-08-25T17:19:07.762-05:00"As a Dying Man to Dying Men"Some readers will be old enough to remember when it was said that a community or national crisis would bring people back to church. Eventually, levels of attendance would revert to the mean, but at least for a while those who attended only sporadically if at all attend church looking for answers to address their deepest fears.<br />
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Of course, that could not happen during the present pandemic because churches, along with other entities that hold mass gatherings, either have been required to close their doors or restrict attendance. However, the financial crisis of a decade ago also did not result in an upswing in church attendance, and it may be that old maxims no longer hold true. If that is the case, one might wonder why. It would seem that most of those who do not already attend church in the United States no longer think of the church as a place to find answers to life's deepest problems. If that is the case, it might be said that the present crisis has served to verify that they are right.<br />
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Rightly understood, a pandemic might seem like just the sort of crisis into which the church could speak with comfort, authority, and deep value. It has been said that the purpose of a minister -- and of a church -- is to prepare people to die, but accepting that as true, one must also recognize that the subject is one that most Americans would just as soon avoid. In fact, churches on the vanguard of what passes for relevance in our day are more interested in offering advice for improving life than they are in addressing the more ultimate concerns of sin and death.<br />
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The spread of a disease without a known cure but with unpredictable morbidity and vast levels of mortality has forced people to think about that which during normal times they prefer to ignore. Add to illness and death the other disruptions created by the present crisis -- social isolation, financial uncertainty, and so on -- and one sees that it is no wonder that many are filled with fear. Things that once seemed stable and predictable are now wobbly. <br />
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Thus, people have been brought to the place where the church could help, if only it would.<br />
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I have not surveyed churches on how they have responded, but what I have witnessed online -- to the extent that provides a window into the soul of American Christianity -- has not been encouraging. It is understandable that churches have lamented the loss of the ability to gather, but we have seen too little creative activity in terms of finding ways to minister to both Christians and non Christians in our communities. Thus, many church communities have experienced only subtraction -- the loss of gathered worship but without any effort at offering temporary ways to connect people and needs during this time. <br />
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Even worse, many churches have ignored the crisis as an opportunity to show love toward the fearful and hurting and have addressed the crisis primarily in the sorts of political categories that are tangential to Christian faith. While conclusions regarding wearing masks at worship are matters where Christians may differ, it is rather disheartening to see moral reasoning that devolves into navel gazing fixated on personal autonomy and unconcerned with either the Great Commission or the Great Commandment -- or even the Good Samaritan. Now, I see that some ministers are desperately pleading for people to return, when even church members might find themselves conflicted about rejoining a congregation where the leadership has demonstrated that they do not care for the wellbeing of the most vulnerable -- the elderly, the cancer patient, the diabetic, or the overweight. It is correct that every believer has the obligation of church attendance, but it is sad to see the obstacle of having realized that the local congregation doesn't care enough to help one feel safe, particularly given the slight nature of the needed sacrifice in the big scheme of things.<br />
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The church had an opportunity to urge upon congregants to ignore the predictable political categories and find ways to care for people. In many ways, the church has failed. May God drive us to repentance, that we might speak to our communities, in the words of Baxter, "as a dying man to dying men.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-35017811227984920582020-08-14T15:21:00.000-05:002020-08-14T15:21:28.185-05:00What is conservatism? What is science?This is a different sort of post than the ones that I generally compose for this site. Typically, I avoid political topics, or topics that may be regarded as political. This is not because I am uninterested in politics -- the job that pays my bills requires that I be interested -- but it is because for the church, both those segments of it that lean to the right and that lean to the left, I regard politics as a temptation drawing their attention away from matters of first importance about the inbreaking of a kingdom not of this world to secondary matters about which they frequently opine without any real knowledge, expertise, or ability to influence.
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Nonetheless, I see many religious leaders, in the name of their religious convictions, promoting what they refer to as a sort of political conservatism. I am going to take the risk here of adding to my criticism of pulpit politics an accompanying criticism that what many call conservatism is not particularly conservative.
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Of course, there are many streams of conservatism that have flowed through the course of history. I have waded in varieties of those streams over the course of my life before ultimately landing in that which seems to have the best pedigree, which is the understanding that conservatism, as <a href="https://kirkcenter.org/" target="_blank">Russell Kirk</a> put it, is not an ideology so much as it is a sentiment, a sentiment that there are things about the past that are worth preserving, that human nature is not ultimately malleable, and that improvement in some area is likely to have mal effects elsewhere. This sort of conservatism differs from progressivism, various forms of liberalism, and conservative libertarianism in various ways. For one thing, those views make their beginning point their ideologies and tend toward various forms of utopianism that typically end in disappointment, sometimes tragically. Conservatism, rightly understood, does not begin with ideology, but with the real world. Conservatism is not utopian because it views human nature as incapable of attaining it in this world (or ever, for those who do not believe in an after life). Conservatism is not opposed to change, but tends toward skepticism and concerns about unintended consequences. <br />
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This sort of conservatism stands in sharp contrast to family values (a hopelessly relativistic term) conservatives or social conservatives, who tend toward utopianism, even positing spiritual revival, based on using political power to achieve desired results. It is odd to see self-described conservatives advocating centralized power in ends justifying means arguments.
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How does this relate to the other part of my title: science?
Like many of the ministers who feel free to comment on and advocate regarding scientific matters, I have no expertise in this field. Nonetheless, I make some effort at reading widely and make my living working around people with strong scientific interests.
The conservative British historian Paul Johnson began his history of the 20th century,<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Times-Revised-Twenties-Nineties-ebook/dp/B003JBI3AG/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=paul+johnson+modern+times&qid=1597435529&sr=8-2" target="_blank"> Modern Times</a>, with an account of Albert Einstein's statements surrounding findings he expected regarding red light shift during a solar eclipse. In advance of an eclipse, Einstein made the extraordinary statement that if the red light shift phenomenon was not observed that his theory of general relativity "would have to be abandoned." That, to his credit, was falsifiability on steroids.
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What if those with ideological commitments nowadays would put themselves on the line in the same way? You may recall that back in early and mid July, after states had begun the effort at reopening their economies, that the number of COVID infections had begun to increase, but the number of deaths had remained low. I had multiple conversations about this with skeptical friends. I am no Einstein, but I hope I have learned from history. I told many people the following:
Death is lagging indicator. It takes a couple of weeks after changes to see the impact on cases. Additional time is needed before seeing the impact on hospitalization and ICU usage. After that, we start to see an uptick in deaths. I told many people that we would see an increase in deaths (raw number, not rate because many of those infected were younger and healthier) by the first of August.
If that did not happen, my concerns could be dismissed.
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How I wish I were wrong, but I was not!
But I haven't found that my conversation partners have been in any rush to acknowledge that they needed to change their minds about how to respond.<br />
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Reasonable people do not use racial terms to refer to this as a Chinese infection, but there may be some merit in thinking of the American response as a form of Chinese water torture. Instead of acting decisively in the face of unusual but real circumstances, Americans have responded based on ideology and political predilection. The result has been the ongoing, insanity inducing drip of social and economic tragedy.<br />
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In the face of this, many well meaning people have declared beliefs and made statements about this pandemic without having any knowledge or expertise in pandemics, infectious disease, or even economics. Ok, we know what opinions are like. However, in an age where social media platforms give anyone with sufficient hubris the delusion of expertise, how about putting yourself on the line. Make a clear prediction without wiggle room. If you are wrong, own it.<br />
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I realize such thoughts are subversive of modernity. So be it, says this conservative.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-41757520611128260042020-06-22T14:12:00.000-05:002020-06-22T16:31:03.772-05:00Because the 9th Commandment is Actually in the Bible....Lest I be accused of Biblicism, I will note it is also in reformed confessions of faith! Nonetheless, I am thankful to see a group of Orthodox Presbyterian Church officers <a href="https://aimeebyrd.com/2020/06/22/an-open-letter-from-concerned-ministers-and-elders-in-the-opc/" target="_blank">taking a stand</a> that ministers who engage in public debate have a duty to do so honestly and charitably. I<a href="https://monroedoctrine.blogspot.com/2020/05/promoting-good-name-of-our-neighbor.html" target="_blank"> wrote about this subject</a> recently more broadly. Those who fail to disagree in that way are conducting themselves in a manner that violates their ordination vows.<br />
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For those who perhaps do not keep up with the debates of current American reformed and evangelical Christianity, this dust up involves<a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TF3TC2J/?coliid=IJYJZQ73XWPU2&colid=1KWFKUV9JC79V&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank"> a book recently published by Aimee Byrd</a>, a member of an OPC church and until recently a participant in a podcast of some prominence in the reformed world. Her book addresses issues of discipleship of women in conservative and confessional churches. In so doing, it expresses disagreement with some aspects of what is known as complementarianism, which is a rather broad term related to the way women and men relate to one another. I say broad because complementarianism is claimed by a variety of people who find themselves occupying the area between egalitarianism on the left and patriarchy on the right. Ms. Byrd would not for herself use the term "complementarian," but she is accused of being a "thin complementarian" and she is criticized by those who dislike that she interacts, sometimes favorably, with egalitarians.<br />
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I will now remove myself from the weeds.<br />
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I have not read Ms. Byrd's book, so any knowledge I have is second hand. As such, it is not my place either to defend or disagree with it, at least not in any detail. My wife has read the book and, in fact, wrote 4,000(!) words of notes that provided a basis for discussion of the book among leaders of a FB group that she participates with. My wife found aspects of the book helpful and disagreed with others. She along with others engaged in debate that I would consider healthy.<br />
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That is a reminder that discussions on controversial subjects can be vigorous and ought to be healthy and charitable. What has been shocking has been the reaction of some ministers and officers of churches that have been dishonest, vicious, and sometimes misogynist. One might expect certain types of language from profane unbelievers, but not from officers of the church. Some of this has taken place in online groups deemed to be "private." I have wondered what it would be like to have to sit under the ministry of a pastor that conducts himself in this way when he erroneously supposes himself to be in secret. <br />
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I am not an officer of the OPC, so I cannot sign this letter, but I would urge those who are eligible to do so. Those who do so are not expressing wholesale agreement with Ms. Byrd's book, but they are opposing conduct by ministers that is not becoming of a follower of Christ. Does that even require a "courageous" stand? One would hope not. Nonetheless, it is perhaps of interest that some ministers have expressed outrage at Ms. Byrd's employment of "feminist imagery" in the form of yellow wallpaper on the book's cover. If one will forgive me, I am more concerned about ministers displaying a yellow streak. If you can't take a stand on this, what are you going to do in the face of real persecution?<br />
<br />Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-78313228090952145712020-05-19T08:04:00.000-05:002020-05-19T08:04:02.184-05:00Wisdom and the CoronavirusI don't recall having read Alistair Roberts prior to <a href="https://alastairadversaria.com/2020/05/02/wisdom-and-folly-in-christian-responses-to-coronavirus/" target="_blank">this post</a>, but he provides an excellent summary of the nature of wisdom based on the biblical wisdom literature along with some worthy applications. I highly commend it.<div><br /></div><div>It was hard to pick a single snippet to highlight when so much in the post is good, but here is one:</div><div><br /></div><div>"<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;">One of the dismaying features of too many Christian contexts is their narrow fortress mentality, their failure to interact receptively with and learn from insightful non-Christians, and the way that their thinking is so driven by political and ideological antagonism and entrenchment."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;">Read the <a href="https://alastairadversaria.com/2020/05/02/wisdom-and-folly-in-christian-responses-to-coronavirus/" target="_blank">whole thing</a>.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, "Bitstream Charter", serif; font-size: 16px;">Hat Tip: <a href="https://www.theaquilareport.com/wisdom-and-folly-in-christian-responses-to-coronavirus/">The Aquila Report</a></span></div>Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-64403361840173553312020-05-18T11:23:00.003-05:002020-05-18T11:23:44.794-05:00"Promoting ... the Good Name of our Neighbor"Ask most Christians about immorality on the internet and discussion will likely turn immediately to the prevalence of sexually explicit material. This is not an entirely wrong response, as internet pornography is reported to be big business, and sexual obsessiveness damages both individuals and relationships. However, the response also results from an unfortunate reduction of morality to matters involving sex in the minds of many religious conservatives. In fact, one might suggest that among Christians one finds more promiscuous -- and casually indifferent -- violations of the 9th Commandment (bearing false witness) than of the 7th (adultery).<div>
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People seem naturally to get their backs up at accusations of violating the 9th Commandment, as no one likes being called a liar (even when it happens to be true). In fact, during an earlier era of American history, a man who called another a liar might find himself shortly thereafter squaring off at 10 paces. Nonetheless, the <a href="https://opc.org/lc.html" target="_blank">Westminster Larger Catechism</a> (question 144) explains our duty with regard to the 9th Commandment rather expansively:</div>
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"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The duties required in the ninth commandment are, the preserving and promoting of truth between man and man, and the good name of our neighbor, as well as our own; appearing and standing for the truth; and from the heart, sincerely, freely, clearly, and fully, speaking the truth, and only the truth, in matters of judgment and justice, and in all other things whatsoever; a charitable esteem of our neighbors; loving, desiring, and rejoicing in their good name; sorrowing for and covering of their infirmities; freely acknowledging of their gifts and graces, defending their innocency; a ready receiving of a good report, and unwillingness to admit of an evil report, concerning them; discouraging talebearers, flatterers, and slanderers; love and care of our own good name, and defending it when need requireth; keeping of lawful promises; studying and practicing of whatsoever things are true, honest, lovely, and of good report."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">The same catechism proceeds with the next question to summarize forbidden sins, but just the list of positive duties would seem to provide enough to shut down much of what happens on social media.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">My wife and I were discussing this last night, and in the course of that discussion she brought up a valid and disturbing point: how can we expect church members to acknowledge the 9th commandment in the way that they engage social media when they are being discipled under the authority of ministers who routinely commit the same sins?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Now, I should hasten to add that we were not discussing matters related to anyone in our congregation -- or even the presbytery of which our church is a part. Nonetheless, the fact that we are Presbyterians means that we are in a denomination and tradition that holds to governing structures and processes we believe to be grounded in Scripture and adapted in our Book of Church Order. Yet, I see things written by ministers of our denomination (and similar ones) that are brazenly false. That is to say, I am not talking about matters that are open to varying interpretations; I am talking about clear falsehood. Because it is on the internet, the spreading of falsehood is public sin.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">Whether the falsehood results from mental incompetence, a failure to make simple investigation, or willful moral deficiency, it is still false. Sadly, in many instances, sessions and presbyteries do not seem to care about counselling and, if necessary, disciplining their ministers who are guilty of this sort of sin. The practical result of this is that men stand in the pulpits of churches to preach the good news of Christ when some among their listeners know about their public sins against the truth. This is a matter of disgrace for the church.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica; font-size: 14px;">it has been said that the American Constitution's First Amendment was not needed to protect speech about cute puppies. Protection of speech is required to protect the right to controversial speech. Similarly, we rarely violate the 9th Commandment regarding those we like: we fail in our duty more often when we disagree with someone or have some other reason for wanting to tear them down. The conversation that my wife and I were having concerned the reaction of others to <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Recovering-Biblical-Manhood-Womanhood-Rediscover-ebook/dp/B07TF3TC2J/ref=sr_1_1?crid=13P9H4458FPGD&dchild=1&keywords=recovering+from+biblical+manhood+and+womanhood&qid=1589818599&sprefix=recovering+from+%2Caps%2C167&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Aimee Byrd's recent book</a>. I have not read it: Lanette has read it and provided 4,000 words of notes about its contents to a Facebook group. Thus, she knows the book pretty well.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: OpenSans, sans-serif, Helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Of course, Ms. Byrd's book is controversial, and there is plenty of room for discussion and disagreement with her conclusions and applications. I am not here to defend Ms. Byrd, in part because I have not read the book and am not therefore competent to do so, and in part because I am sure she was prepared for controversy given the subject matter and is more than capable of defending herself. However, much of the discussion on the internet features more heat than light, and by heat I mean illegitimate name calling, ad hominem attacks, and false and misconstrued information about Ms. Byrd's arguments and character. These are serious sins, and when ministers routinely commit them they should be counselled appropriately and brought to repentance.</span></span></div>
Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-352918050279262172020-05-08T14:30:00.000-05:002020-05-08T14:39:33.092-05:00It's not the differing conclusions; it's the reasoningHow should Christians talk about the Coronavirus? I am not sure we have been doing a terribly good job at it.<br />
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Last weekend, many states began the partial re-opening of economic activity. In many instances, that resulted in little change to the way people have been going about their business. While activists on left and right argue loudly about what should or should not be done, the mushy middle seems to have found consensus that caution remains in order. While that disappoints the activists on either side, in this instance it seems wise. Those in the middle who apparently have no leader nowadays seem to be acting in a way that fails to comport with the political disintegration that afflicts the country.<br />
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The small church that I attend opened its doors with spread out seating and continued streaming the service. For reasons I will describe momentarily, I watched on a computer. When I attend again personally will be based on my best understanding of the level of risk living in an area where the infection rate has been relatively modest but continues to increase, albeit slowly at present.<br />
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Anyone entering this fray should be aware of their own biases, and I believe I have an understanding of my own, which are affected by political predilections and interactions based on my employment, but most of all by health status. By most measures, I am actually currently in better health than I have been in for many years, going back to when I was younger but not as physically active. However, a health condition requires me to take medication that keeps me in remission while compromising my immune system. Thus, if I got this, it probably would not be a good time.<br />
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I am not paranoid about this -- my dog is enjoying daily walks in the nearby park, and I make frequent quick trips to the grocery store. I just stay away from anyplace I would expect to find crowds or gathered groups. In terms of the hot button questions of opening the economy or not, my views tend toward the more cautious side, but it does not bother me that others disagree -- my wife and I do not fully agree (though she is of course respectful of my personal situation) -- and our marriage has somehow remained happy even though she has to tolerate my nearly constant presence while I have worked from home these last two months. So, it remains possible in America to have differing opinions and still walk together.<br />
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Thus, I do not worry about differing conclusions. What strikes me as shocking is the reasoning with which people get there. It is one thing to weigh the relative merits of public health impacts versus economic damage (though I will note in passing that very few making these arguments possess either the skill or the effort needed to assess the economic impact of more widespread morbidity and death: what would it mean to the economy if what has happened to the meat processing industry was occurring in many more industries had they not shut down). What strikes me most is an increasingly dismissive attitude toward the lives that could be lost. I most note those who take pro-life positions on other issues that quickly dismiss concerns for the sick and the elderly as mere collateral damage that should not be bothered with.<br />
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It is not that the sick should imagine the world revolves around them. But, are Christians regarding their plight in a way that shows brotherly love toward fellow believers, as well as kindness toward those outside the household of faith? <br />
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The questions facing the nation are not easy, and Christians should expect that among us there will be a spectrum of understandings. I have my own views, but they are leavened with a considerable amount of uncertainty -- perhaps I am learning humility in middle age. The novelty of our situation finds wisdom in admitting that there is much that we do not know about the ramifications of our decisions. All of that said, while circumstances may require hard, even unpopular, decisions, they never permit us to leave the Second Great Commandment at the church house door.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-80605564812527809262020-04-24T16:58:00.000-05:002020-04-25T19:09:38.896-05:00Will We See a Transition toward Small Churches? I don't know the answer to the question in the title. I am not a prophet, and given that very few foresaw two months ago what we are experiencing now, there perhaps should be a healthy skepticism of anyone who pretends to know what or when the next state of normalcy looks like. However, it appears that big crowds may remain a big problem for some time. This <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/bob-costas-pitfalls-baseball-returning-amid-coronavirus-pandemic" target="_blank">fascinating interview with Bob Costas</a> (the portion relevant to this discussion starts several minutes in) for the prospects of the return of professional and collegiate sports any time this calendar year could be described as pessimistic but not obviously wrong, and many national trade organizations who have relied as a staple of personal identity, not to mention revenue, on large national and statewide meetings also now find those at significant risk. Many churches obviously pack in large numbers of people in relatively small spaces on a regular basis, and those may be deemed risky beyond the time when most businesses that are less crowded begin to open their doors again.<br />
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It is important to note that the worst of the COVID-19 outbreaks in the U.S. and elsewhere have been in places where people can't spread out: large cities such as New York where transit and other aspects of life place people in close proximity, nursing homes (recognizing age and health condition also to be relevant), cruise ships, sporting events, weddings and funerals, church services, and so forth. If much of economic life attempts a comeback, but crowded places remain suspect farther into the future, those types of gathering places will require evaluations (hopefully self-evaluation rather than government mandate, but we have seen instances of irresponsibility that will encourage the government to act).<br />
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Church growth experts have long warned that church sanctuaries that are 80% full are for all practical purposes maxed out and churches that reach that level of saturation will begin to decline. Will churches need to rethink that percentage to a lower number in the future? Will seating need to be altered to allow smaller crowds in the same size of sanctuaries? Will more churches go to multiple Sunday morning services to reduce crowding? What about classroom space? Will more churches limit growth beyond a medium size by starting additional congregations to disperse Christians geographically? Are churches truly welcoming if older persons or those with comorbidities are put at risk by attending a crowded facility?<br />
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I don't know the answer to any of those questions, but I hope that they are being asked. Worshipping with a congregation for a month or two via videoconferencing is difficult; it will be more challenging for churches if they have to extend that for a much longer time -- or if they don't make changes and have an outbreak of sickness and mortality within their congregations.<br />
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I attend a small church, but our seating is extremely tight. That is a reminder that large churches may experience the biggest impact, but medium and small size churches will have questions to answer as well.<br />
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And, this post doesn't pretend to know the answers. Perhaps three months from now this whole thing will be in the rear view mirror and life will go back to what it was like the first of the year. Perhaps. However, secular organizations are busily preparing contingency plans for all sorts of possibilities. Churches would be foolish to fail to do the same.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-32316210223967227922020-04-20T13:37:00.002-05:002020-04-20T13:37:29.269-05:00The Tempting of the Church in AmericaThirty years ago, Robert Bork published his account of the rejection of his nomination to the U.S. Supreme Court under the title "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tempting-America-Robert-H-Bork-ebook/dp/B003JTHWUU/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=tempting+of+america&qid=1587406931&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Tempting of America</a>." Given the direction evident at the time, it hardly took a prophet to realize that Mr. Bork's jeremiad over the politicization of the court would come to pass. Nonetheless, one should not be stingy, and regardless of his other virtues or defects, Judge Bork was right about this: the court, at the hands of both liberals and Trump supporters, is today more widely regarded as a political than a legal institution. Such accrues to the nation's detriment.<br />
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These admittedlly old thoughts come to mind afresh upon reading about <a href="https://capstonereport.com/2020/04/15/never-trumper-albert-mohler-endorses-donald-trump-in-2020/34293/" target="_blank">Albert Mohler's public declaration </a>of his intent to vote for the aforementioned Trump in the upcoming election. Rev. Mohler, in fact, has declaimed the possibility that he will ever vote for a Democrat. For those who do not know, Dr. Mohler is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, long considered the flagship of Southern Baptist institutions, and it seems that he may be elected president at the next session of the Southern Baptist Convention. Dr. Mohler also is associated with a parachurch group of some influence, <a href="https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/" target="_blank">The Gospel Coalition</a>, among those commonly referred to as being "young, restless, and reformed."<br />
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Mohler's ringing endorsement will undoubtedly <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBuck/status/1250199905974587393" target="_blank">tickle the ears of those who support the president</a>, and<a href="https://frenchpress.thedispatch.com/p/evangelicals-have-abandoned-the-character" target="_blank"> others will say</a> he made a bad choice. While this blogger has his own views of that -- of note to what follows, those views are not being written here or elsewhere -- the debate over whether Mohler made the right choice veers away from a far more interesting discussion that merits attention, though it rarely receives it. That discussion centers around this:<br />
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Why would Albert Mohler, who is widely regarded as a representative of the church, need to express an electoral political preference at all?<br />
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Those responsible for politicizing the federal courts have viewed it as a matter of relevance, and those that continue to drag the church into American electoral politics do the same. However, it is not noted frequently enough that church ministers are ambassadors, not of any temporal earthly kingdom, but representing the inbreaking of the age that is coming. God's ambassadors announce the inbreaking of another, eternal kingdom as a pronouncement of judgment on earthly kingdoms which are necessarily time limited. While the inbreaking kingdom has things to say about judgment and mercy to the time limited ones, in fact, the inbreaking kingdom moves among its citizens across geographic borders and includes persons of every people and tribe and nation. The ultimate message is that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself and is followed by a command: be reconciled to God.<br />
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Again, in the course of declaring God's word regarding justice and mercy in the present age, there are things to be said addressing political matters. That said, the church is most relevant when it understands it belongs neither to the left or the right, but to the age that is coming, the one that is both here and not yet here in its fullness. The interest in relevance through temporal political power is a temptation, and those ministers who embrace it are guilty of dereliction of duty before the King whose glory shall have no end.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-91689577379020206662020-02-22T20:39:00.001-06:002020-02-22T20:39:04.063-06:00The God We WorshipMy pastor was ill last weekend and in a pinch asked me if I could fill the pulpit on Sunday. It was the first time I had preached since allowing my PCA licensure to lapse 2 and a half years ago.<br />
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The advantage of preaching on rare occasions is being able to focus on grand subjects. I spoke on "The God we worship." For anyone who is interested, <a href="https://www.mcopc.org/podcast/episode/324096a2/the-god-we-worship-genesis-11-5-john-11-5" target="_blank">you can listen to the sermone at this link</a>.<br />
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<br />Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-39787948543174999652020-01-04T08:40:00.000-06:002020-06-12T16:50:36.321-05:00Books Read 2019I am pleased with my reading list for last year. I had set a goal to read 20% fiction. I didn't quite make it, but came closer than in previous years. I will make the same goal for the coming year.<br />
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This year I am adding occasional annotations.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alexsandr
Solzhenitsyn, November 1916 -- I have read many novels by Solzhenitsyn I like -- One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Cancer Ward, In the Inner Circle. The Russian Revolution historical novels are not his best work. I am continuing to read them, but only because I have gotten so far in I want to try to finish.</span></div>
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Turow, Limitations -- there is no better modern writer of legal fiction than Scott Turow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Aleksandr
Solzhnitsyn, The Red Wheel, March 1917 Node III Book 1</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Robert
Penn Warren, All the King’s Men -- it took me about 50 pages to get into it, but this was a great read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Charles
Dickens, The Old Curiosity Shop</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Thomas
Hardy, The Return of the Native</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Charles
Dickens, The Pickwick Papers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Samuel
Shem, The House of God: the Classic Novel of Life and Death in an American
Hospital -- this seems to be intended as a sort of Catch-22 for medical residents. It was funny at times, but it is not Catch-22, which is by far the best of the genre.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">9.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Charles
Dickens, Dombey and Son -- I have read most of Dickens' novels. I love reading Dickens. I hated this book. All of the bad things people say about Dickens characterize this novel. Read David Copperfield. Read Tale of Two Cities. Trust me: skip Dombey and Son.</span></div>
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<u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Nonfiction</span></u></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">10.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Martin
Luther, The Bondage of the Will. Luther's writing style translates well -- into English and across generations.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">11.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, Ethics. It is impossible not to admire Bonhoeffer's courage. As a theologian and Christian writer, he is given more credit than he really deserves. Note to American evangelicals: he is not really one of you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">12.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Charles
Hodge, Systematic Theology: Vol. III (Soteriology). I read the earlier 2 volumes the previous year. I like Hodge. He is brilliant at times. Like all of us, he at times is the prisoner of his age. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">13.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Committee
on Home Missions and Church Extension, Planting an Orthodox Presbyterian Church</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">14.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">G.K.
Beale, Handbook on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Beale is always worth reading. If you are interested in biblical theology, read Beale.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">15.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">G.K.
Beale, The Erosion of Inerrancy in Evangelicalism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">16.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Sinclair
Ferguson, In the Year of our Lord. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">17.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jonathan
Haidt, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion. This was an interesting read, though I disagreed with most of its reasoning. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">18.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Meredith
G. Kline, Images of the Spirit</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">19.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">D.G.
Hart, From Billy Graham to Sarah Palin: Evangelicals and the Betrayal of
American Conservatism. Hart's book length efforts, whether in his major field of American Christianity or on contemporary concerns, are always worth reading.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">20.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Danny
Olinger and Geerhardus Vos, The Teaching of Jesus Concerning the Kingdom of God
and the Church. For the record, I talked to Olinger and he doesn't like the cover to the book. The book itself -- intro by Olinger, rest by Vos, is excellent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">21.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">J.
Daniel Hays, The Tabernacle and the Temple: a Study of God’s Dwelling Places
from Genesis to Revelation. This has really good information on the furnishings and on Herod's renovations. I disagreed with some of Hays' conclusions, particularly his harsh treatment of Solomon's temple.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">22.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Richard
C. Barcellos, Getting the Garden Right. I found this really helpful while preparing my study of the temple. Read Beale's book first, though.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">23.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Darryl
Hart, A Secular Faith</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">24.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
L. Girardeau, Calvinism and Evangelical Arminianism</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">25.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Hannah
Arendt, Eichmann in Jerusalem: a Report on the Banality of Evil. This should be read by nearly everyone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">26.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Darryl
Hart, Recovering Mother Kirk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">27.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Donald
Rumsfeld, When the Center Held. This is an apologia for the Ford administration. I am not really a fan of Ford's political vision, though he seems to have been a decent man.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">28.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Michael
J. McVicar, Christian Reconstruction. This was a very good biography of RJ Rushdoony. It helped me understand a movement that has had an unfortunate influence on American reformed churches.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">29.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">D.G.
Hart, John Williamson Nevin: High-Church Calvinist</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">30.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Paul
Hendrickson, Hemingway’s Boat: Everything he Loved and Lost. This was an interesting take on an unfortunate man -- and family.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">31.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">George
M. Marsden, Religion & American Culture. I have read a lot of Marsden. This would be a good text book for a course in American church history, but is too general for those of us wanting a deeper dive. If that is you, check out Marsden's other works.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">32.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
Murray, Redemption Accomplished and Applied</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">33.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
R. Muether and Danny E. Olinger, eds., Confident of Better Things: Essays
Commemorating 75 Years of the OPC</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">34.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ron
Chernow, Titan: the Life of John D. Rockefeller. All of Chernow's biographies are outstanding. This is no exception.</span></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Walter
Stahr, Seward: Lincoln’s Indispensable Man. Begins slowly, but is worth the read. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">36.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
Gray, Seven Types of Atheism. I really enjoyed and benefited from this. Gray is a British philosopher and atheist. He gets the origins of Christianity completely wrong, but his breakdown of different varieties of atheism is interesting and helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">37.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">RC
Sproul, John Gerstner, and Arthur Lindsley, Classical Apologetics. These writers don't like John Frame. While I have disagreements with their own apologetic approach, I overall enjoyed reading this.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">38.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">D.G.
Hart, Still Protesting: Why the Reformation Matters</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">39.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Richard
Baxter, The Reformed Pastor. For decades I have heard what a great book this is for pastors. Now that I have finally read it, I have no idea why others praise it. Bleh!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">40.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Edmund
P Clowney, Called to the Ministry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">41.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">C.
John Miller, Powerful Evangelism for the Powerless</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">42.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">D.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Spiritual Depression: its Causes and Cure. As a series of sermons, it is sometimes repetitive and uneven, but I still found it good and helpful.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">43.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">David
F. Wells, The Courage to Be Protestant. Wells has an integrated theological approach rare among evangelicals. He is always a good read.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">44.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">John
Pollock, Wilberforce. I enjoyed this biography. Skip the monstrosity produced by Metaxas and read this instead.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">45.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">J.
Gresham Machen, God Transcendent. Machen preached these sermons in the '20's. They are excellent.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">46.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> K. Scott Oliphint, G</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">od with Us. Oliphant has been charged with teaching views outside confessional standards, though the charges have been ultimately withdrawn following a complex procedural history. Whether other charges will be filed remains at present uncertain. Anyway, this book is the reason for the charges. Frankly, Oliphant's book is awful for its deviations from historic orthodoxy.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">47.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">David
F. Wells, Above all Earthly Pow’rs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">48.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jim
Mattis and Bing West, Call Sign Chaos. Mattis is a fascinating person.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">49.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Bryan
Caplan, The Case Against Education. I expected to like this book and found it disappointing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">50.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alister
McGrath, Heresy: a History of Defending the Truth. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">51.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Jordan
B. Peterson, 12 Rules for Life. I read this after reading and hearing about all of the fascination among evangelicals with Peterson. I understand that they like many of his conclusions, but his reasoning is eccentric and generally not consistent with historic Christianity. Evangelicals should find someone else to be fascinated with.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">52.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Chad
Van Dixhoorn, God’s Ambassadors. I read this after hearing the author at a conference. This presented aspects of the Westminster assembly I wasn't previously aware of.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">53.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alister
McGrath, The Twilight of Atheism. <span style="background-color: white; color: black; display: inline; float: none; font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: left; text-decoration: none; text-indent: -24px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Part 1 of the book is interesting; The last half generally is not terribly helpful.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">54.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Mortimer
J. Adler and Charles van Doren, How to Read a Book. This book is beneficial. I would especially recommend it to serious students and young adults.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">55.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Justin
S. Holcomb, Know the Creeds and Councils</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">56.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Alf
J. Mapp, Jr., The Faith of our Fathers. Mapp is happy that the founders mostly believed in morality and an afterlife. Whatever. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">57.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Raymond
C. Ortlund, Jr., Whoredom: God’s Unfaithful Wife in Biblical Theology. I think the publisher later changed the provocative but offensive title. The book is actually interesting and well-done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">58.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">C.S.
Lewis, God in the Dock. Lewis is brilliant at times, maddening at others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">59.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Doris
Kearns Goodwin, Leadership in Turbulent Times. This is a good read, though if you have not read Goodwin, check out her work on Lincoln, Team of Rivals, first.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">60.<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt;">Michael
S. Lundy and J.I. Packer, Depression, Anxiety, and the Christian Life:
Practical Wisdom from Richard Baxter. Baxter was a terrible theologian, but this work on pastoral care for the mentally ill is actually helpful.</span></div>
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Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-49916325977258915472019-12-14T20:45:00.002-06:002019-12-14T20:48:38.366-06:00Churches Offering Mud Pies Instead of Ocean VacationsAt my home we sometimes receive direct mail advertisements from large area churches. One received last week promoted a new "teaching series" that will start in January. Asking about the possibility that we could make choices from which we "would still be benefitting from 5 or even 10 years from now," the ad promised a "new teaching series on what it means to build a life that lasts."<br />
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Lasts. Even as much as 10 years from now. This is the message that this church has to offer?<br />
<br />
Reading the mailer, I could not help being reminded of C.S. Lewis remarks in his address, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Weight-Glory-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060653205/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=weight+of+glory&qid=1576377650&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Weight of Glory</a>." Lewis was contrasting the Christian hope with secular alternatives that proved human longing to often be too short sighted, but his message nowadays would seem to strike even some Christian ministries between the eyes. Lewis said:<br />
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“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”</h1>
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There is something horribly sad about a church offering a 10 year benefit when Christ in fact offers eternal life. We are in the midst of a cultural celebration of the incarnation, when the God of glory who created all of the universe took on humanity and lived and died and rose in order to bring about forgiveness of sin, victory over death, and eternal life.</div>
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Eternal life. That is far better than a 5 or 10 year return. I think I will pass on the mud pies.</div>
Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-18908661755789688272019-11-26T17:33:00.003-06:002019-11-26T17:33:48.578-06:00Boring WorshipRecently, I heard an acquaintance -- someone I like, if he happens to come across this -- say that he had recently started attending a new church. Smiling broadly, he said that the church's worship was boring -- and that he loved it.<br />
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I am not completely without sympathy for the thought. It is unfortunate that many Christians seem to value enthusiasm more than orthodoxy, and boredom seems to be regarded as a far greater sin than unsound teaching or practices to the many. Those of us with concerns about doctrinal lapses are accused of nitpicking, but lulls in the worship experience are inexcusable.<br />
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Thus, admiring worship practices that value biblical standards more than energy levels is an understandable reaction. Christian worship is an expression of fealty to God, not to the values of our entertainment culture.<br />
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Yet, our reactions may take us too far, and they deserve challenge. We should not forget that the church, in worshiping, is proclaiming the most momentous news known to man. We do not have to work to generate excitement over mundane matters; rather, our proclamation addresses the God of creation and redemption, the reality of sin, justice, mercy, and forgiveness, life and death, heaven and hell. Nothing can be of greater importance.<br />
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That the Triune God who created all things planned and accomplished my eternal redemption through the death of the Son is mind boggling truth that cannot bore anyone that understands it. If our proclamation of such news makes the glorious mundane, perhaps we are doing it wrong.<br />
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Further, while we do have an account of a worshiper falling asleep in worship in the Book of Acts, one nevertheless cannot say that the preaching of the New Testament is boring. In fact, it addressed lives so vigorously that it was used of God to spark dramatic conversions while also resulting in vehement denunciations. Both believers and unbelievers responded vigorously to Christian proclamation.<br />
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I am thankful to be part of a tradition that rightly upholds faith in a sovereign God -- sovereign over all things. Belief in divine sovereignty does not justify a seeming fear to be interesting, nor does the over wrought emotionalism of some rightly result in a stoic response. The Bible is a gripping book that confronts us with momentous realities, both joyful and painful. Our worship should reflect that.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-51357402576561034912019-09-03T17:02:00.001-05:002019-09-03T17:02:31.353-05:00Compartmentalizing SinI am in the midst of reading <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Life-John-Rockefeller-Sr/dp/0679438084/ref=sr_1_2?keywords=chernow+titan&qid=1567547596&s=gateway&sr=8-2" target="_blank">Ron Chernow's biography of John D. Rockefeller</a>. Like many other readers, I first became acquainted with Chernow's writing through his spectacular biography of Alexander Hamilton. I have since read his works on U.S. Grant and the house of Morgan. All of his writings reflect thorough research and solid writing and are well worth reading.<br />
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Rockefeller's religion plays a significant role in Chernow's understanding of the titan, as the place of religion in Rockefeller's understanding of the world and his place in it provides valuable insight into the thinking and actions of the man. From childhood and throughout his adult life, Rockefeller was a devout Baptist, attending services regularly both when at home and while traveling. His choices of houses of worship reflected religious conviction, rather than social status, and his understanding of religion seems to have shaped the values that prioritized his personal life. Unlike many of the other robber barons of that age, Rockefeller doted on his wife and children. While his lifestyle certainly was that of someone of wealth, he disliked ostentation and lived below his means. His children had no idea of how wealthy they were, and he engaged in numerous exercises intended to teach them the value of hard work and generosity. <br />
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For the most part, Rockefeller also treated his employees well. While he was anti-union, for the most part he had good relationships with those who worked for him. His philanthropy, particularly over the final three decades of his life, was remarkable.<br />
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For all of that, Rockefeller is known to history for his ruthlessness and questionable ethics with regard to his competitive business practices. Rather than seeing this as an inconsistency, Chernow sees this outcome as an outgrowth of his "Baptist" religious sentiments that permitted this kind of compartmentalization. I put "Baptist" in quotes, for I think that Chernow emphasizes the Baptist nature of Rockefeller's religion, when in fact he could have spoken more broadly of it as "revivalistic" religion that is in view. Rockefeller had religious commitments that focused mostly on pragmatic concerns and behavioral change. As such, he had no use for doctrines such as original sin or detailed understandings of the atonement. Thus, it was easy for him to see that God had a plan for his life -- which involved making lots of money through doing good by bringing oil to the world. If God's plan for your life is to build your business, then your enemies -- business competitors -- are God's enemies. This leads to a sort of Manichaeism that becomes the justification for ruthless dealings with those enemies.<br />
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Of course, Rockefeller was neither the first nor the last to compartmentalize religion for his own gratification or to ignore sin where one doesn't wish to find it. All of us are probably guilty of this to one degree or another, and we see it in the public sphere on a regular basis. It is sometimes noted that Christians who are political conservatives tend to focus on individual sins, especially sexual ones, while those who are political liberals give more attention to social evils. Neither side really displays an effort to develop a robust understanding of sin that will lead to the sort of self-examination and social criticism engaged in by Augustine of Hippo, as but one example. In fact, our understanding of sin tends to be self-justifying while condemning those with whom we disagree.<br />
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A recent pop culture flare up puts this on display. I don't watch reality television, so I would ask reader indulgence if I get some details wrong, but it seems, according to media accounts, that in this year's season of one of the dating reality shows there was a flare up between a young man committed to sexual purity prior to marriage and the female lead whose tilting at windmills involved sexual positions. While critics of the man pointed out his arrogance and lack of consideration, one might also have asked why a vocal Christian would even be involved with a television program with premises that entail dehumanizing people by reducing their real lives to entertainment, arguably a violation of the sixth commandment. Meanwhile, the young woman declared that her self-expression and commitment to loving were consistent with her own commitments as a Christian, but her understanding of Christianity seems to have confused Jesus with D.H. Lawrence. In spite of that, she seems to have won the media argument, which is not surprising given that our culture wishes for Jesus to be more like D.H. Lawrence, and no one on either side wanted to hear that enjoyment of reality salaciousness might be dehumanizing.<br />
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What all of these people lack is a full orbed understanding of sin that does not reduce the Law of God to a set of check boxes for affirming our own goodness. In reality, the Law is a devastating reflection of the character of God, devastating because it relentlessly exposes the vast chasm between God's character and ours. Fortunately, Christianity also points to a Christ who by His death and resurrection justifies the wicked, thus offering hope for those who see behind the banal efforts at compartmentalization and minimizing and instead turn to Christ who comes in grace to the ungodly who believe. Freed from condemnation, the Law can then become our friend, as its revelations point us to ways that we can root out sin and learn to live as God would call us. <br />
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That is the message of hope that the church should offer. Not one that papers over feelings by a lack of forthrightness regarding sin, but one that sees the dark, gritty realities of the human hope and proclaims hope in the merciful work of Jesus Christ.Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23531507.post-50724136069126099692019-04-20T08:39:00.000-05:002019-04-20T08:39:03.757-05:00"The Heart of the Thing""Where some see the cross as superstitious foolery or a stumbling block,
others see grace and sublime love. For us, the glory and joy of Easter
Sunday is only made possible by the anguish of Good Friday."<br />
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-- Peter Wehner, in an excellent opinion piece in the New York Times under the headline, "<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/19/opinion/god-good-friday.html?action=click&module=Opinion&pgtype=Homepage" target="_blank">What it Means to Worship a Man Crucified as a Criminal</a>"Harry J. Monroe, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11039515577271910190noreply@blogger.com0