Each new generation must grapple with the question: What has the church to say and do that no other human institution can say and do?
Kevin J. Vanhoozer, The Drama of Doctrine, (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2005), 3.
Great question.
Author Archives: Craig
Farewell @JohnPiper
After yesterday’s tragic tornado in Moore, OK, I was waiting for some pastor to say something asinine on the internet. Well, that honor goes to “Pastor” John Piper.
The tweet has since been deleted.
Seriously? It’s hard to believe that you were a pastor! Not helpful. At all.
And for all those that favorited this tweet, you are being led astray by a false teacher. You should be ashamed of yourselves!
I can think of several verses that are way more helpful that this drivel you posted. Maybe it’s time to stop the bad attempts at theology when a natural disaster strikes. You sure have enough of them under your belt!
What I’m Reading: Theology Edition
Nice To See I’m Not The Only One
So it’s no secret that I have a Master of Divinity. It’s also no secret that I don’t work in a church. As it stands right now, I feel that I’m discerning my future ministry.
As I was browsing through my Facebook timeline today, I stumbled across this article from the Washington Post, Seminary graduates not always ministering from the pulpit. One thing I found interesting is the percentage of MDiv grads that expect to go into full-time church ministry.
About 41 percent of master’s of divinity graduates expect to pursue full-time church ministry, down from 52 percent in 2001 and from 90-something percent a few decades ago, according to the Association of Theological Schools, the country’s largest such group.
Interesting article, and nice to see that there are more people out there like me.
Review: Faith, Film And Philosophy
Faith, Film and Philosophy: Big Ideas On The Big Screen
Editors: R. Douglas Geivett and James S. Spiegel
Paperback: 311 pages
Publisher: Intervarsity Press
ISBN: 978-0-8308-2589-9
It’s no secret that I am interested in the intersection of faith and pop culture, especially theology and film. This book has been on my reading list for a while and I have even utilized it for researching religious themes in movies.
This book consists of fourteen essays dealing with theological and philosophical themes that are prevalent in movies.
These fourteen essays offer wonderful reflection on classic and contemporary films following several major themes, all within the context of Christian faith: (1) the human condition, (2) the human mind and the nature of knowing, (3) the moral life, and (4) faith and religion. (Back cover)
While I have a soft spot for science fiction, I found this book to be extremely helpful in opening up my mind to religious and philosophical themes in other genres. Some of the movies examined in this book are Citizen Kane, 2001, Legends of the Fall, and Bowling for Columbine.
Some of the other reviews I read stated that the book was more philosophical than religious. I did not find that to be true. I thought the authors of the essays struck a balance between philosophy and theology. In some cases, it is hard to separate the philosophy from the theology, so I can understand where this claim comes from, although, I disagree.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It opened my eyes to religious themes that appeared in genres outside of science fiction. It also brought to my attention movies that I wouldn’t necessarily have thought of as having religious themes. I think the authors of the essays do a good job of explaining philosophical and/or theological terms for people who may not have an understanding of philosophy or theology. Also, this book can be taken as a whole or in parts. Say you are running a small group on film and theology and want to watch Pretty Woman, you could read just the chapter dealing with Pretty Woman or you could expand more and read the section on the human condition. That makes this book very versatile for small group leaders. But, I would say that some understanding of faith and film is necessary for utilizing this book. This book delves into specifics and an general knowledge would be helpful and would enhance the readers experience with this book.
Disclaimer:
I received this book free from Intervarsity Press. Providing me a free copy in no way guarantees a favorable review. The opinions expresses in this review are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Michele Bachmann’s Wrathful God
According to Bachmann, our nation has experienced judgment twice on 9/11…
This is some of the worst of the bad theology out there, in my not so humble opinion.
Please, make the stupid stop!
I’m just sayin’!
HT: Right Wing Watch
“The Thaw” Is Coming…
Bryan Fischer Claims Homosexuals Caused Economic Collapse
My BFF Bryan Fischer is at it again.
*Sigh*
Bryan Fischer “Proves” Being Gay Is A Choice
Bryan Fischer is at it again…this time with the proof that homosexuality is a choice.
Anytime a homosexual exercises any sort of selectivity at all, when it comes to intimate matters, he is proving that it’s a matter of choice.
I’m willing bet that Bryan was selective, in some way, in his quest to find a partner. I bet he dated and used some sort of criteria to determine who he wanted to date and ultimately marry. In essence, utilized the same selectivity that “proves” homosexuality is a choice. By his logic, being a heterosexual is also a choice…
HT: Right Wing Watch
Mark Driscoll’s Bad Eschatology
I know I’m a bit late to the whole Mark Driscoll said something stupid (again) party, but tough.
During his talk at the Catalyst Conference, Driscoll said this little gem:
I know who made the environment and he’s coming back and going to burn it all up. So yes, I drive an SUV.
And several people thought this was tweet worthy and took the statement to Twitter. Stephanie Drury picked up on it and started retweeting.
The problem with this is it’s not a part of the biblical narrative. In Genesis, God gives dominion of creation to humankind, but here’s the kicker, we are to rule as God would rule. And, there is no corresponding biblical text exempting us from dominion over creation.
Dominion does not mean that we can do whatever the hell we want with creation, because ultimately, it isn’t ours. We are to rule over creation as God would rule over creation. And God called the whole of creation very good.
What this basically boils down to is Dricsoll’s theology of “fear.”
Read what others have to say. I’m not going to rehash their arguments.
Related articles
- Pastor Mark Driscoll: Christians Don’t Need to Care About the Environment because Jesus is Coming Back for Us (patheos.com)
- If You Are An Adherent of Mark Driscoll, I Feel Genuinely Sorry for You (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)
