An Evangelical Perspective
Theology, Science, Ethics,
plus a little woodworking and photography just for the fun of it
Announcements
Book Release: “The Myth of Scientific Certainty”
The Myth of Scientific Certainty REVIEW COPIES ARE AVAILABLE A book for the Christian working in the natural sciences but faces some conflicts with the issue of naturalism. A book for the Christian apologist who wants to answer some of the difficult questions on...
The Marketplace is Open!
Ok, so there's just one item listed for sale. Don't worry -- there will be more. They'll come in my favorite categories: Books, woodworking, and photography. So go ahead and look. Things will add up quickly. Just click on Marketplace in the top menu and you are...
Book Review
John Gray’s “Seven Types of Atheism” and the Problem of Ideas
The Problem of Ideas John Gray's "Seven Type of Atheism" My first reading of John Gray was his book "Black Mass, Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia." It's a good and useful piece, outlining the historic theological structure of the liberal/progressive...
Book Review: Science Unlimited? The Challenges of Scientism
This book should be read as a conversation. While they all agree that scientism has a place the dialogue is constructed around what the place is and the reach it has into areas outside the natural sciences.
Christianity & Society
Reflections on Jonah Goldberg’s “Suicide of the West”
Conservatism has become as pessimistic as liberalism. While both were founded in the context of postmillennial optimism with is dream of a better world and improved human condition. The wish was to build God's Kingdom, or at least something that closely resembles it....
Whence Thanos?
In Avengers: Infinity War, Thanos states his goals plainly. He wishes to reduce the population of the universe in order to create prosperity, reduce war, and so give peace and happiness to the whole universe. He sits back after battling the Avengers, satisfied that...
Ethics
Book Review: How to be a Stoic, Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
How to be a Stoic, Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, Massimo Pigliucci, Basic Books (NY) 2017. Introduction In the 20th century the “west” succumbed to the infiltration of skepticism to the masses. In past centuries it was generally limited to academic...
Can Artificial Intelligence Be Held Morally Responsible?
It seems at first that morality is always being coded. The idea that a vehicle should stop and avoid an impact describes the computer’s duty.
Crafts
One Reason to Have and Use a Block Plane
Some people think of woodworking as an either-or proposition. Either everything is done with power tools or everything is done with hand tools. Hand tools give your work a character that can't be replicated. There are so many things that one can do manually that power...
A WordPress CSS image sizing trick NOT
Here's a simple goal: Resize the Wordpress post feature image WITHOUT having to go to the bother of creating a child theme OR modifying functions.php. It can be done. You'll want to do this to control the size of the feature image when it shows at the top of your...
Theology
Can Bad Theology be a False Flag?
First, what is a "false flag?" Wikipedia (twiw) says The contemporary term false flag describes covert operations that are designed to deceive in such a way that activities appear as though they are being carried out by individual entities, groups, or nations other...
When you think your prayers are hitting the ceiling
We’ve forgotten the core principle of maturity in the New Testament church. It’s really simple: To be found faithful.
Calendar
Athanatos Festival, August 2-4, 2018
I'll be there discussing the concerns of Christians in science and apologetics. See you there!
Events
I plan on being at the EMNR conference 2017. "Apologetics: Handmaiden to Evangelism and Discipleship" At the New Hope Community Church in Palatine, IL on April 28-29, 2017. See you there!
Apologetics
A Picture of Apologetics
The first title I thought of was “Make Apologetics Great Again” but that really didn’t seem appropriate. The topic of apologetics has been on the upswing for the past two centuries. While apologetics has always been a part of theology the past few decades has seen a...
John Gray’s “Seven Types of Atheism” and the Problem of Ideas
The Problem of Ideas John Gray's "Seven Type of Atheism" My first reading of John Gray was his book "Black Mass, Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia." It's a good and useful piece, outlining the historic theological structure of the liberal/progressive...
Education
Recommended Reading List
There are books and there are books. For the Christian who wishes to understand the world around him/her it is important to get a handle on both the history and the philosophy of the past that has contributed to where we are at. Then the Christian can respond to the...
Let’s Study Historical Theology
Just two hundred years of church history says a great deal about who we are. The more history we read the more we understand ourselves. With the proper attitude, the more this understand can help us correct ourselves and fix our errors.
Ministry
Maybe Dispensationalists Should Take Their Convenant Relationship Seriously
The New Covenant is driven by the Great Commission. That commission means a lot of work. The commission drives the covenant.
An Introduction
This effort is about apologetics that makes a difference in daily living. The emphasis is on science and ethics and the venue for teaching these is the local church. The science discussion is geared toward students (secondary & later), teachers, and scientists. The ethics discussion is for everyone. Read also for my doctrinal statement and other matters of importance.
Politics
Reflections on Jonah Goldberg’s “Suicide of the West”
Conservatism has become as pessimistic as liberalism. While both were founded in the context of postmillennial optimism with is dream of a better world and improved human condition. The wish was to build God's Kingdom, or at least something that closely resembles it....
How a “Fake News” Item Fits a Narrative-Driven Scenario
What if the narrative of the echo chamber is wrong? What if there is another narrative which explains the facts better? Education is the challenge of conservative media. The apocalyptic message of some will distract us from the goal of preparing the people. Conservatism is best when it takes the offensive. A defensive posture will always lose.
Science
Will Science Its Find Limits? Christian Ethics & the Question of Scientism
Is there a place for interaction between science and theology? I try to take a different direction here and pursue an approach different from the common arguments. The idea of non-overlapping magestieria is too simplistic and subject theology to science or science to theology is too provincial. There are other options and I’ll explore one of them.
The Systematic, Evangelical Mind
This is standard for all orthodoxies. No naturalismist constructs an apologetic for YEC, OEC, or TE. They just don’t. These are called “belief systems.” It seems silly to have to say that, but it seems Mr. Enns missed something really basic.
Essay
UNATHEISM – An Apologetic Applied to the Street Epistemologists
Introduction Peter Boghossian’s recent book A Manual for Creating Atheists has caused a bit of a stir. This new atheist-type has proposed combination of arguments and strategies for motivating people to leave religious belief behind. He does not care of it is...
The Christian Mind in a Contrary Culture
Some History of the Ideas That Affect Our View of the World and of God’s Workings Introduction This is my perspective regarding the place and implementation of clarified discernment in my own Christian life and in my field of ministry. It encompasses my motivations...