parables of a prodigal world

I really didn't want to shift the conversation toward one topic so soon, but because I'm such an ardent proponent of the biblical vision heralded by N.T. Wright, and because of the dust that is being stirred up by Piper's latest book, The Future of Justification , and because that is the book I just happen to be reading right now, I guess that's where my head is right now. So, anyways, in my last post about the book , I discussed something that struck me as I was reading the first few pages. Today, as I tried to get in a bigger chunk, I again got stuck after just a few pages. I guess given the amount of Wright I've digested over the last few years and how familiar I've become with his theological vision, I simply can't ignore the passages in Piper that keep coming up every page that scream to someone like me, "This guy simply doesn't grasp the subject of his own book!" I guess this book is gonna take me quite some time to finish, if this keeps ...

As a follow up (more of a case study, actually) to my last post, I read an interview recently with John MacArthur, an American Reformed evangelical writer and minister, most noted for his radio program entitled Grace to You. MacArthur is a fifth-generation pastor, a popular author and conference speaker, and has served as pastor-teacher of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California since 1969, and as President of The Master's College in Santa Clarita, California. During the interview, MacArthur says this regarding the role of the Church: "I believe the church has one function, and that is to guard the truth, to proclaim the truth and to live the truth. So you take the Word of God, you teach it, you proclaim it, you protect it, you defend it, and you live it, and that’s a church. The Word of God rightly divided, rightly understood." This is a perfect example of a modernist perspective of Christianity, and a somewhat easy target for the postmodern critique thereof. A...

Someone who had stumbled upon this blog today asked me what I meant by a "post-postmodern" world. It's a fair question, especially since no established answer exists yet, and that is because "post-postmodernism" does not as much denote a cultural perspective, as did "modern" and "postmodern," but is much more a tagline to indicate that we are now, as a culture, moving away from postmodernism and toward something new, something not yet defined. Or maybe it has been defined, and we as a culture only need to remember. But as a more direct response to my inquirer, in greatly shorthanded form, the "modernist" perspective was one that dominated Western culture since the Enlightenment. The "project" of modernity was that humankind would progress by the exercise of logic and reason, by the search for that which was objectively true. Postmodernism, which blossomed at a cultural level during the latter half of the 20th century, was ...

I just got my hands on John Piper's new book, The Future of Justification: A Response to N.T. Wright . I was so tired last night that I only got through the first 7-8 pages. I anticipate commenting in much more detail about the book once I get through it, perhaps even a series. But in my groggy reading of those first few pages last night, a passage caught my eye that may give some perspective to those reading or who will read the book. The passage reads as follows: "As critical as this book is of Wright's understanding of the gospel and justification, the seriousness and scope of the book is a testimony to the stature of his scholarship and the extent of his influence. I am thankful for his strong commitment to Scripture as his final authority, his defense and celebration of the resurrection of the Son of God, his vindication of the Deity of Christ, his belief in the virgin birth of Jesus...and the consistent way he presses us to see the big picture of God's universal ...

As we enter the chaotic and stressful world of the official Christmas/holiday/winter shopping season, I feel compelled to stop and ponder the true meaning of Christmas. And whenever I feel compelled to ponder the "true meaning" of any Christian topic, I find myself turning to one person who seems to understand the "big picture" better than most, and is therefore able to explain the details within that big picture in a way that makes holistic, worldview-level sense: Bishop N.T. Wright. Bishop Wright has spoken and written extensively on the meaning of Christmas. But the following article that appeared in Christianity Today is a beautifully condensed summary of what Christmas is all about, from to point of view of John, the Disciple that Jesus Loved. Give it a read, and I pray that it will stay with you as you spend the next month looking for the perfect gift basket for Uncle Joe. N.T. Wright and the Meaning of Christmas Grace and Peace, Raffi GeekySpeaky: Submit You...