… for the 1st Sunday in Advent is wonderful and encouraging. Here’s hoping he rolls out some more.
Posted in theology
What Would the Jews Do? Matt Colvin discusses the potential uses of this arguement in regards to icons and credobaptism. Not that this reasoning is water tight, but it when people propose apostolic teaching on issues that would have struck the contemporary Jews as errors, yet there is no record of a Jewish outrage, perhaps you should question it.
Posted in theology
Tolle Lege Press has just released an updated version of the original Geneva Bible. The language, commentary, and cross-reference notes remain the same, but the spelling has been updated. You can compare the 1599 edition of Matthew 1 with the 2006. They have also made the book of Romans available as a free pdf download. While I don’t like breaking the text into verses, the type looks nice.
An interesting post on the power structures within the PCA by Jon Barlow. If you’re in the PCA, you may consider giving it a read.
I know that the ESV isn’t the perfect bible, but I like how ESV is trying to use technology to help Christians in their devotional life. Through the ESV website, you can get the readings for most popular bible reading plans in a fairly manageable format.
They are now making the BCP readings available online. You can go to their website or subscribe via RSS, web page designers can integrate it into church websites, etc…
Anyhow, if this is up your alley, read ahead …
MLS
Posted in technology, theology
In anticipation of the upcoming movie, “The Nativity Story”, Taylor Marshall brings up the question of whether or not Mary suffered in her labor. Marshall, quoting Thomas Aquinas, writes that Catholic tradition teaches that Mary “did NOT experience birth pains when giving birth to Christ our Savior.” (emphasis his) Apparently the movie, which will premiere at the Vatican, shows Mary suffering through child birth.
Has anyone read anything about this from a Reformed perspective? My first thought is to lean in the other direction. The writer of Hebrews seems to go at length to show how Christ was ‘just like us’ in our humanity. God did not deliver Christ from the natural suffering coming from crucification, why would we suppose that he spared Mary from the natural suffering that accompanies child birth? Taylor makes the point that Mary could have been delivered from the curse of Eve as was being used to bring the new Adam into the world.
What do you think?
In Henri de Lubac’s eulogy of Hans Urs von Balthasar, he writes that Balthasar “is perhaps the most cultivated of his time. Classical antiquity, the great European literatures, the metaphysical tradition … ”
What is meant by the ‘metaphysical tradition’. I suspect that this refers to a specific corpus of work, but which in particular?
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, dear Kristen!
Happy birthday, to you!
Love,
-Mike,
-Kate, and
-Lexi too!
Posted in family life, in the news
The point to glean here is that our doctrinal orthodoxy does not save us. Certainly, Scripture puts great emphasis on right doctrine. As a theologian, in the doctrine business, so to speak, I have no interest in depreciating the importance of right belief. But doctrine, even orthodox doctrine, is not the final test of Christian faith. One might be most rigorous in biblical and creedal orthodoxy but spiritually dead. Theological acumen and doctrinal knowledge are no measure of godliness. And as with Abraham, God’s choosing and saving us does not require us to have first attained complete theological proficiency. (Michael D. Williams, Far As the Curse is Found)
For the past two weeks my drive home usually coincides with NPR news, which has been dominated with coverage from the Middle East. What has struck me is that the growing threat of radical Islam in the Middle East is not going to go away easily. Dealing with Iran is going to be like dealing with USSR, and I think they see themselves in that light. Continue reading
The Church of England is considering a proposal to dethrone St. George as its official patron on the grounds that he is too warlike and offensive to Muslims. (HT: CrunchyCon blog)
St. Alban is proffered as a replacement.
Posted in culture, in the news
