The Free Church Assembly has come to an end, London FC minister, Dave Strain, my old pal and perennially pessimillennialist (at least as far as the FCS goes) has a good -- and `strain'gely optimistic analysis of the week on his blog: www.lifetowardsgod.co.uk The big event was the Moderator's plea...

A friend brought the following article to my attention. It's from Britain's Guardian (or `Grauniad') http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2080361,00.html It's rather reminiscent of an article in a British broadsheet a few years ago which painted David Peterson, Principal of Oak Hill...

A friend brought the following article to my attention. It's from Britain's Guardian (or `Grauniad') http://education.guardian.co.uk/higher/news/story/0,,2080361,00.html It's rather reminiscent of an article in a British broadsheet a few years ago which painted David Peterson, Principal of Oak Hill...

Having spent all Saturday with a Free Church of Scotland minister watching that great opera Quadrophenia Live (won't identify this man of the cloth; suffice it to say that he's the North American FCS minister who doesn't listen to Shania Twain and Michael Jackson), I was delighted to get a note...

For those interested, there is a very thoughtful and perceptive response to my little piece on Francis Beckwith from Catholic philosopher, Dr Michael Liccione, which can be found at http://mliccione.blogspot.com /2007/05/why-beckwith-matters .html

For those interested, there is a very thoughtful and perceptive response to my little piece on Francis Beckwith from Catholic philosopher, Dr Michael Liccione, which can be found at http://mliccione.blogspot.com /2007/05/why-beckwith-matters .html

Still the emails come in on patristics. Look, I'm temporarily a pen-pushing bureaucrat, more interested in balance sheets and wielding power over subordinates like some petty Napoleon on speed than in doing something constructive and theological. But, for those interested in exploring the link...

I have been really encouraged by the positive response to the postings about the importance of reading the early church fathers. Two further comments on this.

I have been really encouraged by the positive response to the postings about the importance of reading the early church fathers. Two further comments on this.

I'vve had some requests to give more info on what to read/where to go to start learning about the early church fathers. Below I have appended a basic resource guide. Hope it helps.

The paper on the ETS to which I allude in my Beckwith piece can be found on Ray's website at http://www.uu.edu/personal/rvannest/Professional/ets.htm

The paper on the ETS to which I allude in my Beckwith piece can be found on Ray's website at http://www.uu.edu/personal/rvannest/Professional/ets.htm

Del, Seems that the last few paras of my reflection on Beckwith are missing. No -- I don't announce my own conversion to Rome in them; but the article currently ends in mid air. Just can't get the staff these days. CT CT heading for Rome; too painful to contemplate. Sorry, sermon prep got the...

Phil's blog got me thinking about the whole issue of women in Reformed and conservative evangelical circles in general. On the whole, I don't think the church provides the kind of environment that helps. Two examples: in Britain, certain denominations don't pay their ministers a proper living wage...

Phil's blog got me thinking about the whole issue of women in Reformed and conservative evangelical circles in general. On the whole, I don't think the church provides the kind of environment that helps. Two examples: in Britain, certain denominations don't pay their ministers a proper living wage...

My friend, the modest, quiet, peaceable master of understatement, Rev David Robertson, has posted an interesting article on the dire situation of ministry in modern Scotland, particularly from a Free Church of Scotland pespective. Not all will agree with every comment he makes, but it gives an...

What profit? Here's a few ideas:

What profit? Here's a few ideas:

A noteworthy book that's just come out in English translation: Regis Debray's Praised Be Our Lords: The Autobiography (Verso). Debray, a student of Althusser, a companion of Che Guevara in Bolivia, and an advisor to the Mitterand government, is an interesting character. Why should Ref21 readers...

With the great demographic shift to the southern hemisphere in terms of evangelical Christianity, the issue of listening to the voices of brothers and sisters from these newly significant areas is a pressing one. But I want to raise some concerns.

With the great demographic shift to the southern hemisphere in terms of evangelical Christianity, the issue of listening to the voices of brothers and sisters from these newly significant areas is a pressing one. But I want to raise some concerns.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article1600686.ece History is important; but the current distaste for history doesn't fill one with much confidence that this kind of thing can be reversed.

Having spent a jolly couple of days reading through pages and pages and pages of web-based Holocaust Denial while simultaneously gagging and preparing a chapter for a book on historical method, I confess to being totally depressed by the number of such sites which connect to the `Christian' world...

Having spent a jolly couple of days reading through pages and pages and pages of web-based Holocaust Denial while simultaneously gagging and preparing a chapter for a book on historical method, I confess to being totally depressed by the number of such sites which connect to the `Christian' world...