Andy Naselli

Thoughts on Theology

Themelios 39.1

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ThemTGC published the latest issue of Themelios this morning.

I reviewed the Baker Academic Biblical Studies Bundle from Logos Bible Software.

Two highlights:

  1. the back-and-forth between Tom Schreiner and Gerald Bray on biblical and systematic theology
  2. the understated review article by Bob Yarbrough on a recent book that advocates historical criticism

Grudem: 5 Wrong Questions to Ask When Drawing Doctrinal Boundaries

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boundsWayne Grudem, “Why, When, and for What Should We Draw New Boundaries?” in Beyond the Bounds: Open Theism and the Undermining of Biblical Christianity [free PDF] (ed. John Piper, Justin Taylor, and Paul Kjoss Helseth; Wheaton: Crossway, 2003), 369 (numbering added):

Some wrong questions to ask

It is important to add that there are some questions that should not be part of our consideration in deciding which doctrinal matters to exclude with new boundaries. These are questions such as the following:

    1. Are the advocates my friends?
    2. Are they nice people?
    3. Will we lose money or members if we exclude them?
    4. Will the academic community criticize us as being too narrow-minded?
    5. Will someone take us to court over this?

Such questions are all grounded in a wrongful fear of man, not in a fear of God and trust in God.

What Makes a Person Beautiful

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Two quotes from John Piper:

1. “How Shall People Be Saved? Part 1,” a sermon preached to Bethlehem Baptist Church on June 1, 2003 (transcript of the audio from 12:22 to 12:51; not in the manuscript):

There are a lot of women—probably some in this church—who spend a lot of time on their hair and a lot of time on their eyes and a lot of time on their lips and a lot of time on their clothes and their feet and don’t spend any time on becoming beautiful. . . . This [i.e., Rom 10:13–21] is a text about what makes a person beautiful.

2. “Her Body, Her Self, and Her God,” Taste & See, October 28, 1997:

Expressing God, not self, is what a godly woman wants to do. Excessive preoccupation with figure and hair and complexion is a sign that self, not God, has moved to the center. With God at the center—like the “sun,” satisfying a woman’s longings for beauty and greatness and truth and love—all the “planets” of food and dress and exercise and cosmetics and posture and countenance will stay in their proper orbit.

One of my prayers: “Lord, may my three daughters grow up to be as beautiful as their mother.”

Related:

  1. John Piper, “Feminine Beauty in God’s Eyes,” Ask Pastor John, Episode 268, January 31, 2014.
  2. True Beauty

How to Grade Papers

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Update on 5/24/2016: For the last few years I’ve been using this grading rubric for research papers, and I think it works well. It’s based on a 10-point scale (90–100 = A, 80–89 = B, etc.).

grade_rubric

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Mark Boda prepared this rubric for grading written assignments:

grading

Grading papers is obviously more subjective than grading multiple choice or true/false, and Boda’s criteria help make the process a little more objective.

tocThe table is from p. 87 of this book:

Stanley E. Porter, ed. Those Who Can, Teach: Teaching as Christian Vocation. McMaster General Series 3. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2013.

Just because a person earned a PhD doesn’t mean that they can teach well. (Many of us have painful personal anecdotes from our experiences as students!) [Read more…] about How to Grade Papers

What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns

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BTMy first impression of this book was twofold:

  1. It has no footnotes. No, not even one.
  2. It’s short—about 110 pages not counting the front and back matter.

But don’t be deceived: it’s rich.

James M. Hamilton Jr. What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns. Wheaton: Crossway, 2013. 38-page sample PDF.

Jim has a reputation for teaching the Bible with no notes, even in graduate-level classes. Some call him a Bible-Jedi. That’s what he seems like in this book. [Read more…] about What Is Biblical Theology? A Guide to the Bible’s Story, Symbolism, and Patterns

True Beauty

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trueSix years ago my wife recommended three books by Carolyn Mahaney and her daughters.

At the end of this month another one releases:

Carolyn Mahaney and Nicole Whitacre. True Beauty. Wheaton: Crossway, 2014. 125 pp. 22-page PDF sample.

This book is for ladies, but I read it because I love and lead my wife and three little daughters. This is going to become an increasingly big deal as my daughters get older, and I want to shepherd them well. [Read more…] about True Beauty