The Lazy Pastor
At the outset of a difficult topic – pastoral laziness – I want to be clear that my purpose is to encourage both pastors and their congregations. Where conflict arises over the minister’s work ethic, I believe most of the…
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The Whole and the Parts
This is the second part of James Renihan’s essay on the scope of theology. To read part one, click here. The Scope of the Whole We have already cited the common language of the great English Protestant Confessions, Presbyterian, Independent…
Mercy for Migrants
I was once struck by a brief radio address given by a Jewish Rabbi on the morning of Yom Kippur. She spent the whole time allotted to her talking about Isaiah 58 and how it links to the deliverance of…
How Should We Distinguish God’s Attributes?
There are many ways to think about God’s attributes. They can be divided between those that affirm something about God and those that deny something about God, those that are communicable to creatures (i.e. can exist in or be communicated…
Reformed Ethics Could Save Your Life
Herman Bavinck’s Reformed Ethics Could Save Your Life Reformed Ethics: Created, Fallen, and Converted Humanity (Vol. 1), John Bolt, ed. et al. Baker Academic, 2019. HC, 608 pp. I was preparing a student paper on Bavinck for ETS when the economy collapsed…
Theology on Target
Theology on Target The Scope of the Whole (Which Is to Give All Glory to God) Part 1 On October 16, 1845, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote these familiar lines in a poem titled “The Arrow and the Song”: I shot…
Discussing God’s Attributes
Is the conversation about God’s attributes “old fashioned” and “western”? Regarding systematic theology, one often encounters the critique that the logical ordering of various topics is “western” or “Greek” or “academic”–all of which are really meant as synonyms for “bad”…
The Road Not Taken
As we remember the Reformation this week, those who stop to think about the anniversary (too few of us, no doubt) will probably either celebrate it as the birthday of the Protestant churches, or lament it as the beginning of…
Worship and the Christian’s True Identity
The whole of the Christian life can be summed up in these two little words (favorites of the Apostle Paul): “in Him.” Our union with Christ is the definitive aspect of our salvation and our status before God and others,…
Is It Only About Trust?
Recently, my friend Adam Parker wrote a helpful article reminding us that a pastor is not an hourly employee. In his article, Adam describes how the work of pastoral ministry is difficult to quantify and more time in the office…