Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Practical Theology

C. S. Lewis on His Church’s Hymns: “fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music”

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“Is attendance at a place of worship or membership with a Christian community necessary to a Christian way of life?” The way C. S. Lewis answers that question could be far more compelling, but what strikes me is how he describes the hymns of his day and how he responded.

Assignment: Apply the bold words below to your own context. (This is from C. S. Lewis, “Answers to Questions on Christianity,” in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics, ed. Walter Hooper [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970], 51–52, bold added.)

That’s a question which I cannot answer. My own experience is that when I first became a Christian, about fourteen years ago, I thought that I could do it on my own, by retiring to my rooms and reading theology, and I wouldn’t go to the churches and Gospel Halls; and then later I found that it was the only way of flying your flag; and, of course, I found that this meant being a target. It is extraordinary how inconvenient to your family it becomes for you to get up early to go to Church. It doesn’t matter so much if you get up early for anything else, but if you get up early to go to Church it’s very selfish of you and you upset the house. If there is anything in the teaching of the New Testament which is in the nature of a command, it is that you are obliged to take the Sacrament [footnote quotes John 6:53–54], and you can’t do it without going to Church. I disliked very much their hymns, which I considered to be fifth-rate poems set to sixth-rate music. But as I went on I saw the great merit of it. I came up against different people of quite different outlooks and different education, and then gradually my conceit just began peeling off. I realized that the hymns (which were just sixth-rate music) were, nevertheless, being sung with devotion and benefit by an old saint in elastic-side boots in the opposite pew, and then you realize that you aren’t fit to clean those boots. It gets you out of your solitary conceit. It is not for me to lay down laws, as I am only a layman, and I don’t know much.

3 Reasons for a Pastor-Theologian to Get a PhD

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theologianGerald Hiestand and Todd Wilson give three reasons for a pastor-theologian to get a PhD. This is from their book The Pastor Theologian: Resurrecting an Ancient Vision (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2015), 104–5:

Strategy One: Get a PhD

We begin with this not because it is the most important strategy, but because it is a critical part of the preparation we believe is necessary for ecclesial theologians. The costs of a PhD—financial, emotional, familial—are significant and not to be taken lightly. For some, a PhD may not be possible or prudent. Yet those who aspire to be ecclesial theologians should think seriously about pursuing a PhD. True, Karl Barth didn’t have PhD. But until you’ve written something remotely akin to his Römerbrief, you should probably get on with getting one; it will almost certainly be necessary for pursuing the sort of vision we’ve laid out for the ecclesial theologian. We say this for at least three reasons. [Read more…] about 3 Reasons for a Pastor-Theologian to Get a PhD

Should You Be a Pastor or a Professor?

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In his post “Should You be a Pastor or a Professor? Thinking through the Options,” Michael Kruger lays out six options in a chiasm:

1. The Pastor

2. The Pastor-Scholar

3. The Pastor-Scholar who is active in scholarly world

4. The Scholar-Pastor who is active in the church

5. The Scholar-Pastor

6. The Scholar

Kruger’s taxonomy (and the way he explains it) is insightful and helpful. [Read more…] about Should You Be a Pastor or a Professor?

Praying the Bible (Not the Same Old Things about the Same Old Things)

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Whitney“Since prayer is talking with God, why don’t people pray more? Why don’t the people of God enjoy prayer more? I maintain that people—truly born-again, genuinely Christian people—often do not pray simply because they do not feel like it. And the reason they don’t feel like praying is that when they do pray, they tend to say the same old things about the same old things.”

That’s from page 11 in this book:

Donald S. Whitney. Praying the Bible. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015.

In Praying the Bible, Whitney says more winsomely and practically what I argue for in this essay:

Andrew David Naselli. “12 Reasons You Should Pray Scripture.” Themelios 38 (2013): 417–25.

Religious Demographics of the Twin Cities

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Shortly after my family moved to Minneapolis a few years ago, my wife and I went on a morning bus tour of the city that John Mayer led. Incredibly fascinating.

citySo I was eager to read the latest edition of his religious demographics of the Twin Cities:

John A. Mayer. Cityview Report: Twin Cities. 16th ed. Minneapolis: City Vision, 2015.

How well do you know Minneapolis? Mayer shares this list of 47 statements to pique your interest (p. 8): [Read more…] about Religious Demographics of the Twin Cities

Tim Keller on Prayer

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prayerTimothy Keller. Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God. New York: Dutton, 2014.

This is probably the best overall book on prayer that I know of because it shrewdly addresses the issue from three angles:

  1. theological
  2. experiential or devotional
  3. methodological or practical

It seems like every book Keller writes is the best all-around book on that subject.

This chart is particularly helpful (p. 141):

prayer

 

I agree with Andy Davis’s review.

John Murray’s Motivational Words for Seminary Students

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murrayIn 1944 while America was fighting in World War II, some young men enlisted at Westminster Theological Seminary instead of enlisting for military service. This is the opening address in which Professor John Murray welcomed them on June 30, 1944. Murray’s words—especially the ones I bolded below—are a motivational perspective for students who are currently enrolled in seminary (HT: Chris Brauns).

* * * * * * *

John Murray. “Greeting to Entering Students, 1944.” Pages 104–6 in Collected Writings of John Murray, Volume 1: The Claims of Truth. Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth Trust, 1976.

[page 104] In the name of the Faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary it is my duty and privilege now to welcome to the fellowship and work of the Seminary the members of the incoming class. On behalf of the Faculty I therefore extend to you cordial congratulation and welcome. [Read more…] about John Murray’s Motivational Words for Seminary Students

“Here I Stand”: Elsa (from Frozen’s “Let It Go”) vs. Luther (at the Diet of Worms)

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The following two videos each include the bold words “Here I stand.” But do they mean the same thing?

1. Elsa (from Frozen‘s “Let It Go”)

2. Luther (at the Diet of Worms)

Tim Keller explains how they differ:

“Let It Go,” by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, was sung in the Disney movie Frozen and won the 2013 Oscar for Best Original Song. It is both interesting and ironic to compare the sung speech of the character Elsa in Frozen with that of Martin Luther before the Holy Roman Emperor. Both say, “Here I stand.” But Luther meant he was free from fear and from other authorities because he was bound by the Word of God and its norms. Elsa speaks for the contemporary culture by saying she can be free only if there are no boundaries at all.

[Read more…] about “Here I Stand”: Elsa (from Frozen’s “Let It Go”) vs. Luther (at the Diet of Worms)