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.The Politics of J. R. R. Tolkien
This is an older article, but still worth reading. Ignore the Catholicism, relish the jab at Peter Jackson, and learn about “The Ten Points of Tolkien’s Politics,” by Bradley J. Birzer at The Imaginative Conservative.
Have You Ever Wanted Your Own Flight Simulator?
The old Northwest / Delta Airlines training center in Eagan is being sold, and all the stuff is up for auction. Including several flight simulators.
I wish my garage was just a bit bigger!
Warren Throckmorton on David Barton (Again)
I’ve occasionally written and spoken against David Barton’s largely fictional account of American history. Particularly egregious is Barton’s book, The Jefferson Lies, which was challenged by Warren Throckmorton and Michael Coulter in Getting Jefferson Right: Fact Checking Claims About Our Third President. Barton has been at it again, claiming a conspiracy to remove Christianity from American history. Throckmorton responds on his blog.
Credo Magazine
The current issue is “Doctrine Matters.” Download a PDF version here.
Thoughts on Kim Davis
D. A. Carson considers the case of “The Woman from Kentucky” at Themelios.
U of Toronto Prof Defies Pronoun Law
Pink on the Attributes of God
Arthur W. Pink’s study on The Attributes of God (with study questions) is free for Kindle right now.
Commit Whatever Grieves Thee
By Paul Gerhardt. At The Middle Room.
On Reading Old Books
Rachelle Peterson argues for spending time in the classics at First Things.
Defining Diversity
Is diversity a good thing or a bad thing, particularly on the educational campus? Perhaps both, according to Michael Bradley at The Witherspoon Institute.
Academic Chairs
What do you think when you hear that so-and-so is a chair in some academic institution? From now on, think of this.
Well, Whaddayaknow!
According to a study in the Chronicle of Higher Education, students learn more from good-looking teachers. Maybe that explains those math grades?
How To Have a Good Argument
We are not Thomists at Central Seminary, but we can still learn from Thomas’s method of argument. Here is a summary from Robert Barron at the New Oxford Review.
Stan Porter on the Peter O’Brien “Plagiarism”
This is about a month old, but I came across it last night and think it needs a wide reading.
The Shocking News of Peter O’Brien and Plagiarism: August is the Cruellest Month
Hate Crimes
The FBI reports that anti-Jewish crimes account for 58.2 percent of all religiously-motivated hate crimes in the United States. Only 16.3 percent of these crimes were directed at Muslims.
The Seven Spirits of God
Ever wonder about the seven Spirits before the throne of God (Rev. 1:4)? Or the seven Spirits of God possessed by Christ (Rev. 3:1)? Or the seven Spirits of God symbolized by the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne (Rev. 4:5)? Or the Lamb’s seven eyes that are the seven Spirits of God (Rev. 5:6)? Here’s the meaning.
The prophecy of the coming Messiah in Isaiah 11 begins with these words:
Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.
The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him,
The spirit of wisdom and understanding,
The spirit of counsel and strength,
The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.
That’s a bunch of spirits. Count ’em.
- The Spirit of the LORD
- The Spirit of wisdom
- The Spirit of understanding
- The Spirit of counsel
- The Spirit of strength
- The Spirit of knowledge
- The Spirit of the fear of the LORD
Of course, these aren’t seven distinct Spirits, but one Holy Spirit in His seven-fold activity. This passage probably refers to the theocratic anointing that characterized Old Testament figures who led the nation of Israel. Messiah will possess this theocratic anointing in its fullness and perfection: the seven-fold Spirit of God.
Personal Responsibility
At a moment when even conservatives are blaming others, David French of National Review argues, “Helplessness and Rage Can’t Become the New American Consensus.” Good choices still matter.
John Adams’s Prayer for American Presidents
“I pray Heaven to bestow the best of blessings on [the White House] and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.”
—John Adams, Letter to his wife, Abigail Adams, November 2, 1800
(See more)
Should Parents Let Their Kids Pay Their Own College Tuition?
Annie Holmquist says yes. Read at the FEE.
How the Left Thinks
Forget short-term mission trips. Encourage young Christians to join protests. At Sojourners.
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