Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Andy Naselli

Malcolm Gladwell

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I recently listened to four fascinating audiobooks by Malcolm Gladwell, and it was time well spent. Gladwell writes well and offers accessible yet penetrating insights about human nature and the world we live in.

From his bio:

Malcolm Gladwell has been a staff writer with The New Yorker magazine since 1996. His 1999 profile of Ron Popeil won a National Magazine Award, and in 2005 he was named one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. He is the author of four books, The Tipping Point: How Little Things Make a Big Difference (2000), Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking (2005), and Outliers: The Story of Success (2008), all of which were number one New York Times bestsellers. His latest book, What the Dog Saw (2009), is a compilation of stories published in The New Yorker.

Amazon | Summary | Wikipedia [Read more…] about Malcolm Gladwell

How Should We Interpret the New Testament’s Graphic Descriptions of Hell?

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I attempt to answer that question in the latest 9Marks eJournal: Hell: Remembering the Awful Reality [PDF | HTML].

“Hellfire and Brimstone: Interpreting the New Testament’s Descriptions of Hell.” 9Marks eJournal 7:4 (September–October 2010): 16–19. [PDF | HTML]

Introduction:

The New Testament graphically and horrifically describes hell. And that raises a thorny question: How should we interpret those dreadful images? May we simply label them “metaphors” to soften their bite?

Outline:

  1. How does the New Testament describe hell? [five ways]
  2. How do people interpret the New Testament’s horrific descriptions of hell? [three ways]
  3. How should we interpret the New Testament’s horrific descriptions of hell? [two of the three ways are plausible]

Conclusion:

We may disagree about some finer nuances of our literal and metaphorical interpretations of hell’s darkness, fire, and suffering, but we should agree that, at the very least, the New Testament teaches that hell is eternally miserable, terrifying, and painful. It’s certainly no better than being cast into literal “outer darkness” or being tormented with literal “fire and sulfur.”

More.

Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World

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I just listened to “Preaching Christ in a Postmodern World,” a D.Min. course that Tim Keller and Ed Clowney co-taught at RTS about a decade ago. It’s 22.4 hours long, and it’s stimulating, especially the Q&A and the lectures by Keller.

Related: “Tim Keller: Preaching to the Heart“

Introducing Biblia.com

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Biblia.com = Bible Study Online.

The president and CEO of Logos Bible Software explains:

  • Biblia.com is “a super-simple Bible for the web that’s backed up by the incredible technology (and massive library!) of Logos Bible Software.”
  • “Logos 4 users can access their library online, complete with synchronization of ‘last read’ position between Logos 4, the iPhone/iPad, and Biblia.com!”
  • “With shared licenses between Logos Bible Software 4 for Mac, Windows, iPhone, iPad, Mobile Web, and Biblia.com, your content is available wherever you are.”

Two Books on Politics by Theologians Coming out Next Month

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One short (144 pages)

Carl R. Trueman. Republocrat: Confessions of a Liberal Conservative. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2010.

(Sample pages, video interview, and endorsements here.)

One long (624 pages)

Wayne Grudem. Politics according to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010.