By now you’ve likely heard the news … John Piper plans to take an eight-month leave of absence to “reexamine his soul”. The story hit the blogosphere following Piper’s announcement at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday.
By now you’ve likely heard the news … John Piper plans to take an eight-month leave of absence to “reexamine his soul”. The story hit the blogosphere following Piper’s announcement at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Sunday.
We kick off this new feature in which we will answer and/or discuss difficult questions about the Bible. We are most interested in our readers’ input.
The George Burroughs incident proves that the Salem Witch Trials were not just about superstition.
“Ignorance of God and of ourselves is the great principle and cause of all our disquietments; and, this ariseth mostly not from want of light and instruction, but for want of consideration and application.”
I ( Dee) have been surprised by the interest that has been generated by our look at the Puritans. I grew up in Salem, Massachusetts, and thanks to the Puritans, my hometown is known as “The Witch City”. Imagine your high school football team being known as “The Salem High School Witches”… Incredibly, when I was growing up the little black emblem of a witch riding on a broom was ubiquitous from gas stations to fabric stores. This emblem was “tongue in cheek” because if the truth be told, the supposed “witches” of Salem’s history were not purveyors of that black trade — not even close! Grievously, they were, as Curly of the Three Stooges might say, “victims of circumstance (which he pronounced soy kum stance).”
THEY’RE BACK! The 21st Century Puritans are taking over the blogosphere in case you haven’t noticed. Puritanism is the lastest and greatest craze among those who label themselves as New Calvinists. Take a look…
No investigation of the Puritans would be complete without focusing on J.I. Packer, who is fondly referred to as “The Last Puritan”. Even though he is advanced in age, Dr. Packer is a Professor of Theology at Regent College in Vancouver, British Columbia. He earned the nickname because of his Puritan-focused scholarship, teaching, and writing over many decades. Packer’s influence has been important in Reformed circles, and he has inspired a new generation of Puritan-minded Christians.
After almost half a millenium, the Puritans are now “hip”. It’s incredible how the New Calvinists have embraced Puritanism in recent years. Who were the Puritans? What did they believe? And how did the Puritans worship God? We will attempt to answer these questions in today’s post. It’s important to note that this article is not intended to be a treatise on Puritanism. We’re just skimming the surface of a topic about which volumes and volumes have been written. Please feel free to chime in with your personal knowledge of the Puritans.
It should come as no surprise that the “New Calvinists”, who are attempting to build their 21st century “City Upon a Hill”, have been greatly inspired by another group of Christians who attempted such a feat in a new land around 400 years ago – the Puritans. Of course, the Puritans were inspired by their hero John Calvin, whose goal was to build a city upon a hill (inspired by St. Augustine’s City of God) in Geneva, Switzerland.
This post was first published on December 11, 2009, as we wrapped up our series on Tullian Tchividjian and Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church. After extensive research, we are convinced that Tullian “played it close to the vest”, withholding from the Pastor Search Committee and leadership his future plans for Coral Ridge, which are becoming more and more evident. In our opinion, this was not only deceptive but dishonest. Please be sure to read our concluding comments, which have been “penned” today.
Synopsis: This was first posted on December 7, 2009. It continues with TT’s interview with Christianity Today and ends with our assessment on how TT could have handled this situation differently, and perhaps, more thoughtfully.
Synopsis: We first posted this on December 3, 2009. It describes the rapid development of serious conflicts between Tullian Tchvidjian and the congregation and the staff at Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church.
“This year, or this month, or, more likely, this very day, we have failed to practise ourselves the kind of behaviour we expect from other people.” CS Lewis
A commenter who goes by the moniker “info” graced us with her presence at TWW this morning. Here’s what she wrote on Dee’s Hank Hanegraaff post:
This issue is an emotional one for me. I became a Christian during an episode of Star Trek at the age of 17. This rather unorthodox conversion was followed by a period of intensive reading as well as active involvement in excellent churches. I learned about how to share my faith, the history of the faith, basic apologetics, missions, quiet times, etc. I actively participated in Bible studies. Due to my interest in history, I became well versed on the issues of the Reformation and the church in the Middle Ages. My former pastor, Pete Briscoe, asked me to teach a course on the Reformation while I was a member of his church.
Are Christian conferences just an American phenomenon? Across the pond in jolly old England, Christian leaders can attend a conference that involves “teaching” and “worship”. This annual event held in Brighton is designed primarily for Christian leaders, but welcomes students and twenty-somethings. Incredibly, 5,000 delegates from 50 nations attend this annual conference.