Theology Central
Theology Central exists as a place of conversation and information for faculty and friends of Central Baptist Theological Seminary. Posts include seminary news, information, and opinion pieces about ministry, theology, and scholarship.Versifications of “Be Thou My Vision”
Scott Aniol of Southwestern Baptist Seminary discusses how the hymn should be sung in view of the original Old Irish text. He explains why Religious Affections Ministries has chosen a different versification than the one you may be used to for its forthcoming hymnal, Hymns to the Living God.
Colloquial, Casual, and Crafted
David DeBruyn contrasts the three at Churches without Chests.
In my own life, I have experienced the difference it has made to recognise and practice these two tones. During the day, I cannot pray as succinctly or concisely as I might like, so my prayer is made up of momentary phrases, short observations, even unarticulated sentiments – a lot more conversational and colloquial, without, I hope, being irreverent. But in times of private devotion, I have found that a short, carefully worded, ‘prayer of address’ is far more helpful to thoughtful worship, than a lot of rambling conversational prayer and consequent wandering of mind. Like a letter, such a prayer cannot be long, for most of us cannot sustain that kind of precision for very long. But the clarity, reverence, and, ironically, sincerity it brings has been very helpful to me. This also explains why Christians have often written down some of their prayers, because they are artfully-composed addresses to God. No one writes down his conversational impromptu prayers, nor have the sermons of ramblers been recorded for posterity.
Doctrine and Practice
Protestantism is not simply a set of theological doctrines. Those doctrines stand in direct relation to practice. If the Reformation understanding of grace is taken seriously, then the reading and especially the preaching of the word of God will stand at the center of Protestant practice.
Trueman, Carl R.. Grace Alone—Salvation as a Gift of God: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series) (p. 174). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Thousands of Religious Leaders Oppose Repeal of Johnson Amendment
Some 4,000 religious leaders, operating under the name “Faith Voices,” have sent a letter asking United States Senate to refuse to repeal the so-called “Johnson Amendment.” This is the law that keeps 501(c)(3) organizations from endorsing political candidates. You can download the letter and the list of signatories here.
A quick glance at the signatures reveals that most signers are left of center theologically, politically, or both. They represent the communities that have been most inclined to speak directly to political issues and office-holders through the years. There is no reason to suppose that they intend to end that practice.
Churches on the Right have, for the most part, been scrupulous about not endorsing specific candidates. As they have watched the Left, however, some on the Right have become impatient with the imbalance in the system. A very few have event flouted the Johnson Amendment. Most, however, remain careful in this matter.
The only sense I can make of this is that the religious and political Left wants to keep the Johnson Amendment as a club to beat the Right. On my view, there is more than a little hypocrisy here.
For what it’s worth, I don’t think pastors or churches ought to be endorsing political candidates. But I also don’t think that should be a matter of law. If we’re going to legislate against churches endorsing candidates, then we ought to prevent any individual or institution that receives any government funding or support from endorsing candidates.
Only in Minnesota
The world’s largest black bear sanctuary.
The Dove
By William A. Muhlenberg. At The Middle Room.
The Problem with Simplicity
Zartman is not concerned with simplicity of life, but with simplicity of thought. Read “Against Being Simple.”
One of the reactions to sophisticated doctrinal debates that provokes me is this cry of simplicity. “Why must we be philosophical?” The alternative, it is suggested, is to be biblical. The alternative is, however, to be unphilosophical, and the problem is that the careful complexities of philosophically informed doctrine were developed to prevent our being unbiblical. Christian theology is not complex in order to repel the average believer or to baffle the uneducated. Christian theology is complex because interpreting divine revelation requires it.
In the Nick of Time
This week’s Nick is the third part of Kevin Bauder’s response to Roger Olson about the difference between fundamentalism and evangelicalism.
Minor Differences, Big Rivalries
Ever notice how some of the most bitter conflict occur between groups that are almost indistinguishable, but that differ in minor ways? Brett and Kate McKay address this phenomenon at The Art of Manliness. They aren’t writing about fundamentalism, but they could be.
The Logical Problem with Arminianism
If God decides to create the world where, at a certain point in time, I freely cooperate with his grace and grasp Christ by faith, am I free not to do that at the same point in time? Apparently not, as that alternative world has already been excluded by an act of God’s will.
Trueman, Carl R. Grace Alone—Salvation as a Gift of God: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series) (p. 151). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Who Is America’s Premier Historian?
David Barton is, at least according to David Barton. Wallbuilders Live is David Barton’s radio broadcast. In this segment, at about 26 seconds in, David Barton’s announcer, Rick Green, introduces David Barton. Speaking of David Barton on David Barton’s broadcast, Green says that David Barton is “America’s premier historian.”
The one thing of which no one can accuse David Barton is false humility. Or even the real thing.
Of course, we’d never accuse David Barton of being a historian, either.
Narnia As a Template for Good Government?
That’s what Eric Sammons suggests at The Federalist.
At any rate, near the end of the book Lewis describes Narnia under the rule of the Pevensies: Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy. It’s a Golden Age, and all is well. So how does Lewis envision the rulers of this ideal society? “And they made good laws and kept the peace and saved good trees from being unnecessarily cut down, and liberated young dwarfs and young satyrs from being sent to school, and generally stopped busybodies and interferers and encouraged ordinary people who wanted to live and let live.”
In other words, the Narnian government was the opposite in almost every aspect to modern forms of government. Let’s look at Lewis’s suggestions for an ideal government, working backwards.
Understanding the Alt-Right
Confused about the Alt-Right? Wonder how it’s different from conservatism? Here’s an explanation by Joe Carter for the Acton Institute: “5 Facts about the Alt-Right.” It’s the best short explanation I’ve seen.
George Leef on “Specialist Degrees”
The idea is to cut, or cut back on, general education and to give students what they want in the fields in which they want it. George Leef gives his opinion at National Review.
While Leef isn’t thinking about ministerial education in particular, it’s worth noting that seminaries are facing exactly this problem as an increasing number of schools are trying to collapse the traditional B.A.-through-M.Div. cycle into a quick, methods-oriented program.
The Essence of Idolatry
When I break God’s law, I stand above God’s law, and I feel like I am God, the one in control. Seeing myself as one who lives under the law is a constant reminder to me that I am not God but a creature, subject to his rule. The sheer delight Augustine found in stealing the mediocre and bitter pears was not a delight in the intrinsic merits of pears themselves. It was the pleasure of pretending to himself that he was God.
Trueman, Carl R.; Grace Alone—Salvation as a Gift of God: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series) (p. 60). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Instead of Falling On Your Sword . . .
. . . Swallow it. Here’s how, according to the Scientific American. Lesson One:
Essentially, sword swallowers have to figure out how to carefully align a sword with their upper esophageal sphincter — a ring of muscle at the top end of the throat– and straighten the pharynx, commonly achieved by hyper-extending the neck by tipping the head waaay back.
Matthew Barrett on the Sufficiency of Scripture
[W]e should not approach the Bible as if it addresses all information in the world. One cannot look up 2 + 2 in the Bible and discover that the answer is 4. The Bible is not an encyclopedia, a dictionary, or a textbook. Nor did God mean for it to be treated in this way. Yet while the Bible does not address all information or all fields of practice (hence the “light of nature”), this does not mean that the Bible fails to provide God’s people with general biblical principles applicable regardless of one’s vocation. Indeed, the Bible provides us with a theological and moral framework and worldview that extends to all of life.
Barrett, Matthew. God’s Word Alone: The Authority of Scripture: What the Reformers Taught…and Why It Still Matters (The Five Solas Series) (p. 339). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Are Emotions Morally Significant?
Peter Leithart contrasts the answers given by Kant and Aristotle.
In Aristotelian ethics, the passions aren’t a matter of choice, not in the moment when we experience them. Yet, emotions can be trained. . . . We aren’t responsible for the momentary experience, but we are responsible for how we respond and how we have trained our emotional character.
Infographic: The Richest Person in Every State
If you’re interested, you can see it at the Daily Timewaster.
Voluntarism Divine and Human
Voluntarism is the priority of will (and, on a right understanding, affection) over intellect. Joel Zartman explains why we should believe in human voluntarism but reject divine voluntarism.
APPLICATION & AID