Mon - November 12, 2007
What is Christianity?
One of the more striking things I heard at the
National
Conference on Christian Apologetics last weekend came from Chuck
Colson. It was his question, "What is Christianity?" and the answer he
gave.
Posted at 09:29 AM Read More |
Tue - October 16, 2007
Thinking Christianity, For the Rest of Us: Worldview Sources
Last time in this series for Christians who want to
develop their Christian thinking--their discipleship of mind--I recommended
getting a general overview of thought, from an historical and from a topical
perspective. Ideally, I suppose, one would take this in a very linear fashion.
That's how you would do it in an apologetics, theology, or philosophy degree
program. But this series is for those of us who aren't taking that kind of
program. The main thing is for you to stay involved and interested (and of
course not to forget this other main
thing). Some variety along the way can't hurt. One great way to get
that is to look at some of the good books on worldview.
Posted at 04:57 PM Read More |
Mon - October 8, 2007
Thinking Christianity, For the Rest of Us: Overviews and Helps
About 18 years ago, at a course of communications I
was taking, J. P. Moreland gave a talk in which he encouraged us all to be more
serious and intentional about developing in our thinking. I asked him a question
then that I'm trying now to answer myself, with the benefit of some years of
experience in between: other than going back to grad school, how can we do this?
His answer was both sensible and surprising:
Cliff's
Notes.
Well, that was only part of his answer. The main thing he had to say was this: you can learn, if you're motivated. The resources are there. But where should one begin? Moreland emphasized the importance of philosophy. Again--where to begin?
Well, that was only part of his answer. The main thing he had to say was this: you can learn, if you're motivated. The resources are there. But where should one begin? Moreland emphasized the importance of philosophy. Again--where to begin?
Posted at 03:52 PM Read More |
Thu - October 4, 2007
Thinking Christianity, For the Rest Of Us: Purpose
"Knowledge
puffs up, but love
edifies."
Why try to develop a thinking Christianity? Aren't there higher priorities for Christians? What are we seeking in it? Before proceeding in how "the rest of us" can grow in thinking Christianly, we had better be sure we know why we would want to do that.
Why try to develop a thinking Christianity? Aren't there higher priorities for Christians? What are we seeking in it? Before proceeding in how "the rest of us" can grow in thinking Christianly, we had better be sure we know why we would want to do that.
Posted at 10:10 PM Read More |
Wed - October 3, 2007
Thinking Christianity, For the Rest Of Us: Foundation
Books about thinking Christianly are easy to
find--J.P.
Moreland, Dallas Willard, Os
Guinness, Mark
Noll, and others have all written on it. One about all these
authors--they're all pros. That's the great thing about them--they know what
they're talking about, and they are excellent models of what they're encouraging
us to be. But their credentials can also be intimidating. Who can match up to
them? It could almost seem that what it takes to qualify as a genuine thinking
Christian is beyond most people's
reach.
Still, I've found these books very helpful, and if it's your goal to "love your God with all your mind," I highly recommend them. I would also include James Emery White on the same list, and though I haven't read his book on this specific topic, James Sire is always excellent.
None of these authors would want their readers to put them on a pedestal. Still the question remains, do we have to try to become theologians or philosophers to grow as thinking Christians? Obviously not. Then how should the rest of us proceed?
I was a music major as an undergrad, and in graduate school I took up industrial and organizational psychology. I'm an amateur in Christian thinking. I have a long way to go; but I think I've made some progress, and maybe there will be something in the path I followed that will help someone else make some progress too.
Still, I've found these books very helpful, and if it's your goal to "love your God with all your mind," I highly recommend them. I would also include James Emery White on the same list, and though I haven't read his book on this specific topic, James Sire is always excellent.
None of these authors would want their readers to put them on a pedestal. Still the question remains, do we have to try to become theologians or philosophers to grow as thinking Christians? Obviously not. Then how should the rest of us proceed?
I was a music major as an undergrad, and in graduate school I took up industrial and organizational psychology. I'm an amateur in Christian thinking. I have a long way to go; but I think I've made some progress, and maybe there will be something in the path I followed that will help someone else make some progress too.
Posted at 04:43 PM Read More |
Thu - September 20, 2007
Global Suffering and Thinking Christians
I've just been listening to two Veritas Forum talks
on global suffering: Structuring Relief for
Global Suffering and The Role of the Arts in Healing
Individuals and
Communities.
There's a danger in representing this blog as "Thinking Christian." There is far more to be aware of and to reflect on than I could ever keep up with. I've focused on a few topics over time, but there's a whole world out there.
There's a danger in representing this blog as "Thinking Christian." There is far more to be aware of and to reflect on than I could ever keep up with. I've focused on a few topics over time, but there's a whole world out there.
Posted at 09:38 AM Read More |
Sun - September 16, 2007
What Has God Done For You?
John Piper, one of our top Christian thinkers,
explains it in six minutes:
Posted at 04:55 PM Read More |
Mon - September 3, 2007
Some Things I Don't Understand
I started writing this blog entry on August 28,
long before my sister's accident
yesterday. I lay awake in bed last night thinking that I have a lot more to say
about this now. The part I had written originally is between the rows of
asterisks. I had already alluded to differences between brothers' and sisters'
lives, and it was Kathy that I had in mind.
I knew I could extent this list indefinitely, so I was saving it for more to be added. Now I think I'll add just a couple more things and go ahead and post it.
I knew I could extent this list indefinitely, so I was saving it for more to be added. Now I think I'll add just a couple more things and go ahead and post it.
Posted at 08:57 AM Read More |
Thu - August 2, 2007
Evidences for the Soul?
My post, "P.Z.
Myers's Neurons Give Talk," has generated controversy
and questions regarding the existence of the human soul. How do we
know whether it exists? How could we possibly come to an
answer?
I don't propose to give a complete accounting of the matter, but only to outline some responses. As I look over the previous discussion I'm impressed with two almost contradictory observations: the complexity of the question, and its simplicity. Regarding the complexity, there are a few book recommendations there--always a reminder of how much I haven't read and haven't learned yet. I think I've approached a piece of what can be known, but there is always so much more! Regarding simplicity, I think nevertheless that some of the most important parts of the answer to this question are both more complex and more simple (in different sense, of course) than some people have thought.
I don't propose to give a complete accounting of the matter, but only to outline some responses. As I look over the previous discussion I'm impressed with two almost contradictory observations: the complexity of the question, and its simplicity. Regarding the complexity, there are a few book recommendations there--always a reminder of how much I haven't read and haven't learned yet. I think I've approached a piece of what can be known, but there is always so much more! Regarding simplicity, I think nevertheless that some of the most important parts of the answer to this question are both more complex and more simple (in different sense, of course) than some people have thought.
Posted at 04:02 PM Read More |
Tue - July 10, 2007
Where Have All the Artists Gone?
Yesterday Anthony Esolen was wondering
where the artists are. Performing a bit of mental math on the
population differences between the Renaissance and today, he concluded we ought
to have a lot more Michelangelos, Leonardos, and Raphaels painting and sculpting
than we have these days. Where are they? T. M. Moore also
asked a similar question this week.
Posted at 11:27 AM Read More |
Mon - July 9, 2007
Gladio Mentis: A New Blog to Watch
He has only posted half a dozen entries so far, but
he's off to a great start, with a knack for metaphor that reminds me of Doug Wilson: Jeff Laird, at Gladio Mentis (The Sword of the
Mind).
Posted at 06:50 PM Read More |
Tue - June 26, 2007
Kingdom Triangle: Recover the Christian Mind, Renovate the Soul, Restore the Spirit's Power; by J. P. Moreland
Book
Review
(Update June 27: Hear J. P. Moreland discuss this book on Converse With Scholars.)
I had to read twice through J. P. Moreland's newest book, Kingdom Triangle, before I could even begin writing this review. This is not my usual experience with reviews. This book, though, is so packed with rich thought that knowing where to begin has proved to be a challenge. I've decided to jump straight to the easy part, which is my overall evaluation:
(Update June 27: Hear J. P. Moreland discuss this book on Converse With Scholars.)
I had to read twice through J. P. Moreland's newest book, Kingdom Triangle, before I could even begin writing this review. This is not my usual experience with reviews. This book, though, is so packed with rich thought that knowing where to begin has proved to be a challenge. I've decided to jump straight to the easy part, which is my overall evaluation:
Get yourself a copy and read it, then read
it again. Get your friends to read it. The legs
of Moreland's "Kingdom Triangle" may--or may not--be the three most important
things Western Christians must do to make a difference in our world. Two of
them, however, are very likely the things we have been most severely
lacking.
Posted at 04:40 PM Read More |
Mon - June 25, 2007
Why Your Beliefs Matter
Last Friday I opened a discussion on "Why
Not Just Believe in Belief?" A related question could be raised:
what's the big deal about belief, anyway? Specifically, why does the Christian
message put such emphasis on believing in Jesus? It seems so simple, really
almost too magical: if you believe in Jesus, everything changes. That's what the
good news of Christ actually says. But doesn't it seem like there ought to be
more to it, that there ought to be some requirement to clean up your act, to do
right things? And shouldn't there be some credit given to people who don't
believe in Christ, but live moral lives?
Posted at 02:09 PM Read More |
Fri - June 22, 2007
Why Not Just Believe in Belief?
My last
post, in which I agreed with Richard Dawkins that truth matters,
raised a couple of good questions: What is
wrong with "belief in belief?" and,
Did I really mean to say "that morality
only has value if it is based in something that is empirically
true"? (See here
and here,
and the conversation between those two comments.)
Posted at 11:20 AM Read More |
Fri - June 8, 2007
Christianity: Top Ten Misconceptions
With a title like this one you might expect this to
be a post on the top misconceptions non-Christians have about Christianity.
That's next week. It seems fitting to look inward first, at the major mistakes
we Christians make in thinking about our
faith.
This list is constructed from a scientific sampling of exactly one person's opinions--mine. I would include my own misconceptions on this list if I could see them for what they are, for I'm sure I have my share of them. My hope for some objectivity on this comes from reading widely and from being open to discussion here. I am unabashedly claiming historic Biblical Christianity--what C.S. Lewis called mere Christianity--as my basis for observations.
These are not listed in order of importance--I don't think I could sort it that finely.
This list is constructed from a scientific sampling of exactly one person's opinions--mine. I would include my own misconceptions on this list if I could see them for what they are, for I'm sure I have my share of them. My hope for some objectivity on this comes from reading widely and from being open to discussion here. I am unabashedly claiming historic Biblical Christianity--what C.S. Lewis called mere Christianity--as my basis for observations.
These are not listed in order of importance--I don't think I could sort it that finely.
Posted at 11:00 AM Read More |
Quick Links
Categories
"Do Christians believe we hold the truth? No, it holds us; we submit to it and to the One who gives it. We seek the truth to know it and follow it, that it may grip us tighter yet."
Personal Profile
Guest Speaking
Articles Published Elsewhere
Frequently Discussed Topics
My Other Blog
Email this link to a friend
XML/RSS Feed: Blog Entries
Feedburner Feed
XML/RSS Feed: Comments
Guest Speaking
Articles Published Elsewhere
Frequently Discussed Topics
My Other Blog
Email this link to a friend
XML/RSS Feed: Blog Entries
Feedburner Feed
XML/RSS Feed: Comments
Archives
Knowing God
Blogroll
Statistics
Total entries in this blog:
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Dec 06, 2007 01:05 PM
Total entries in this category:
Published On: Dec 06, 2007 01:05 PM