Graeme Goldsworthy, in his excellent book According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible, provides a few brief, but helpful summaries of the various branches of theology. Make note of these summaries since they will likely prove to be useful in helping someone else understand the different theological disciplines.

Systematic theology asks:

What should Christians believe now about any aspect of Christianity? Its results: Christian doctrine.

Historical theology asks:

What have Christians believed about their faith at any given time? Its results: A record of the development of Christian doctrine.

Pastoral theology asks:

How should Christians minister to one another so that they grow to maturity in Christian living? Its results: Care and growth in the local church.

Biblical theology asks:

By what process has God revealed himself to mankind? Its results: The relating of the whole Bible to our Christian life now.

This week was not a big music week for me. However I’ve been listening to the weekly White Horse Inn podcast for a few months now and I highly recommend it. The White Horse Inn website describes the program in this way:

[The White Horse Inn] is a nationally syndicated radio broadcast featuring regular round-table discussions on faith, culture and apologetics. Hosted by Michael Horton, Ken Jones, Kim Riddlebarger, and Rod Rosenbladt, the White Horse Inn aims each week to equip Christians to “know what they believe and why they believe it.”

Though the hosts have different denominational and ethnic backgrounds, the White Horse Inn unites itself on the principle slogans of the Protestant Reformation, such as the sufficiency of Scripture, salvation by grace alone through faith alone by Christ alone, and the importance of a God-centered, rather than human-centered outlook. By renewed attention to these classic and central themes on a weekly basis, it is the aim of the White Horse Inn to bring health and vigor to a church that appears to have in some ways lost its sense of missions.

This year’s theme on the White Horse Inn is “A Time for Truth” which means the hosts discuss aspects of the “Solas” of the Reformation in each episode. If you want to get a feel for the show I suggest checking out the episode from August 19th entitled “Sin & Grace in the Christian Life”. The show’s producer interviewed attendees at a Christian conference and asked them what would happen to a Christian who died with unconfessed sin.

Links: The White Horse Inn Official Site, The White Horse Inn @ Oneplace.com

[tags]podcasts, theology, Christianity[/tags]

As I was reading through Calvin’s Institutes I came across the following two quotes in connection with the effects of the Fall on human nature.

There is, indeed, nothing that man’s nature seeks more eagerly than to be flattered (Book II, Chapter I, Part II).

Nothing pleases man more than the sort of alluring talk that tickles the pride that itches in his very marrow (Book II, Chapter I, Part II).

You may find it surprising that as a little “e” evangelical Christian I’m quite skeptical of politicians who claim the “Evangelical” moniker. Generally, as I understand the situation, Evangelical politicians are concerned with issues like prayer in public schools, public displays of the Ten Commandments, reclaiming America and other issues that have almost no connection to the Gospel, the very substance of evangelical Christianity.

Could it be that Evangelical politicians are really just proponents of America’s civil religion (which is vastly different from Christianity)? If that’s what they’re concerned about it’s fine with me (not that I share those concerns), but I would prefer it not be called Evangelical politics. I’m convinced that these politicians and their mouthpieces have misrepresented Christianity to America. It would be wise for us little “e” evangelicals to distance ourselves from these politicians so as not to convey to our neighbors that Christianity is just the religious arm of the Republican party.

[tags]Evangelical, Evangelicalism, politics[/tags]

CNN has an intersting article by Dr. Francis S. Collins, director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, on why he sees no conflict between science and religious faith. Below is an excerpt from the article.

As a graduate student in physical chemistry in the 1970s, I was an atheist, finding no reason to postulate the existence of any truths outside of mathematics, physics and chemistry. But then I went to medical school, and encountered life and death issues at the bedsides of my patients. Challenged by one of those patients, who asked “What do you believe, doctor?”, I began searching for answers.

You can read the entire article here.

[tags]science, faith[/tags]