The Role of Mary in the Modern-day Church
by Hannah Goucher Church history offers two specific viewpoints on Mary, the mother of Jesus. Since the medieval period, the Roman Catholic Church has praised her with highest regard, esteeming her at the same level as Jesus. In contrast, modern evangelicals have seemingly done all they can to remove her from prominence, effectively resulting in the removal of a biblical example of faithfulness. When looking at the views of the...
What Was Early Church Worship Music Like?
by Daniel Webster The question prompted by this article’s title is an important one because many earnest believers desire to worship on the Lord’s Day in form and content the same way that Christ and the apostles worshiped. The New Testament is very clear about the purpose of music for the church, but it does not give explicit indication as to what the form of church music was like. This observation may lead some to conclude that...
A Study of Young Men and the Ministry
by Russell Houske Debate has arisen recently regarding the legal age of adulthood, specifically when we can rightly refer to someone as an adult. Some might argue that adulthood is a subjective idea that depends mostly on the maturity of the individual in question, with twenty-one years being only an arbitrary age for adulthood. The bulk of this debate deals with issues that relate only to the secular culture. Most concerns typically...
Living on the Fringe: Navigating a Culture without a Religious Center
by Ron Davis Is it correct to assert that the United States is no longer a Christian nation? If we’re judging based on census answers, then no, the majority of the U.S. still claims Christianity. The answer is yes, however, if we are concerned with what occupies the center of the nation’s cultural thought and life. A type of postmodern thinking, which holds that individuals are the arbiters of truth for themselves (in particular times...
A Serious Concern for Discipleship
by Eric K. Thomsen In recent decades, the American church has expressed much hand-wringing angst over the challenges it faces. Concerned leaders point to growing numbers of young people who have abandoned their congregations and their faith. They groan over shrinking churches, an increasingly secularized culture, and the gradual compromise of church to culture. While these concerns are valid, perhaps the most pressing theological...
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