Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Collin Hansen in CT: “The Crisis of Modern Fundamentalism”

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Collin Hansen writes a bi-weekly “theology in the news” column for Christianity Today, and his article published today highlights fundamentalism: “The Crisis of Modern Fundamentalism: Defections threaten a proud movement.” Hansen concludes:

“The difference between evangelicals and fundamentalists hasn’t been theology, though some fundamentalists would refuse to compromise on dispensationalism, for example. Fundamentalists have a strategy problem: Do they clamp down on these youngsters, risking a deeper generation gap? Or do they reconsider strict separation and cultural isolation? By choosing the latter, they may save their youth and lose their cause.”

Update: Cf. Michael Bird’s reaction to Hansen’s article, which begins, “All I can say is that if you think that John Piper is a dubious or dangerous character then your theology is about as messed up as can be imagined.”

Related:

  1. Review of McCune’s Promise Unfulfilled with a Response from McCune
  2. Review of Iain Murray’s Evangelicalism Divided

Review of Barnabas Lindars’s “New Testament Apologetic”

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[I prepared the following book review for D. A. Carson‘s Ph.D. seminar “The Old Testament in the New” in fall 2006 at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I chose to review this book last year partially because its author, Barnabas Lindars, was Carson’s “doctoral father” or mentor for his Ph.D. at Cambridge University. Willem VanGemeren, the director of the Ph.D. program for theological studies at TEDS, had encouraged Ph.D. students to get to know the professor whom they would like to be their mentor for the Ph.D. program. One important way to do that, he suggested, is to read and become very familiar with that professor’s works as well as the works of that professor’s mentor.]

Lindars, Barnabas. New Testament Apologetic: The Doctrinal Significance of the Old Testament Quotations. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961. 303 pp. Out of print.

New Testament Apologetic (henceforth NTA) was the first major published work by Barnabas Lindars (1923–91). It was the published version of his B.D. thesis submitted to Cambridge University, where he would later serve as an assistant lecturer (1961–66). (F. F. Bruce adds that Lindars’s B.D. “is not as other B.D.s are; at Cambridge it takes precedence over Ph.D.!” [Review of Barnabas Lindars, New Testament Apologetic, Modern Churchman, n.s., 5 (1962): 170.])

[Read more…] about Review of Barnabas Lindars’s “New Testament Apologetic”

Bob McCabe on Ecclesiastes

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Robert V. McCabe presented “An Overview of Ecclesiastes” (a twelve-page article) last week at the 2007 Mid-America Conference on Preaching at Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary. In addition to providing an annotated outline of Ecclesiastes, he fills out the following outline of the book’s message:

A. Life in a sin-cursed world cannot be fully comprehended by man.

  1. The subject of the book is found in the recurring theme emphasizing the enigmatic nature of life in a sin-cursed world.
  2. The subject of the book is also found in its polarity of themes reflecting the enigmatic nature of life in a sin-cursed world.

B. Life in a sin-cursed world can be judiciously enjoyed by man.

  1. The significance of the exhortation to judiciously enjoy life is demonstrated by its repetition.
  2. The foundation of the exhortation to judiciously enjoy life is one’s relationship to God.
  3. The motivation for the exhortation to judiciously enjoy life is the judgment of God.

Related: Check out Dr. McCabe’s blog, “Fearing God in a Hebel World.”

Wayne Grudem Endorses Mitt Romney

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Today Wayne Grudem published an article and participated in an interview in which he makes a strong case that conservative evangelicals should back Mitt Romney.

  1. “Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney,” by Wayne Grudem.
  2. “Dr. Wayne Grudem on another Evangelical endorsement of Mitt Romney,” interviewed by Hugh Hewitt.

Related: “Mitt Romney vs. Rudy Giuliani” and “Bob Jones Endorses Mitt Romney“

Collin Hansen’s CT Article on The Gospel Coalition

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This morning Christianity Today posted Collin Hansen’s article on The Gospel Coalition: “Tethered to the Center: The Gospel Coalition is committed to core evangelical beliefs and wide-ranging cultural engagement.”

Related links (listed in the “theological writings” section of my recommended resources):

The Gospel Coalition (D. A. Carson, Tim Keller): articles, audio/video (plenary talks, interviews, workshops, and a panel discussion), foundational documents

Bob Jones Endorses Mitt Romney

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In light of my recent post on Mitt Romney, this news is especially interesting!

  1. “Bob Jones Dean Endorses . . . Romney!” The Wall Street Journal Online.
  2. “Bob Jones III endorses Romney for president,” The Greenville News (today’s lead story: the top headline on the front page).
  3. “Romney nabs two nice names,” In the News at MittRomney.com.
  4. “BJU Statement on Political Endorsements” (currently listed on the front page of www.bju.edu): “Bob Jones University has never officially endorsed political candidates and that policy has not changed. In endorsing Gov. Mitt Romney for president, Dr. Bob Jones III and Bob Taylor are speaking personally. As private citizens, we all have the privilege and responsibility to examine the options and come to a choice of conscience. It is in this role that these administrators have chosen to endorse Gov. Romney. Dr. Jones III’s and Dr. Taylor’s statements reflect their views as private citizens and not the view of Bob Jones University as an organization.”
  5. “Dr. Albert Mohler On The Significance Of Bob Jones III’s Endorsement Of Mitt Romney,” interviewed by Hugh Hewitt.
  6. “Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney,” by Wayne Grudem.
  7. “Dr. Wayne Grudem on another Evangelical endorsement of Mitt Romney,” interviewed by Hugh Hewitt.