Augustine on Desire and Music
The role of desire has received much attention in recent Christian thought. Largely this turn stems from James K. A. Smith’s writings. Smith wrote in 2009, “[W]e are primarily desiring animals rather than merely thinking things.”[1] He contends that we are primarily lovers and not knowers, thus churches should aim to shape and form the congregation’s desires by appealing to them. He intends to draw the congregant into a gut-level,...
This Is a Mystery: Marriage, Sex, and the Trinity
After explaining the proper relationship between spouses to the Ephesian Church, the Apostle Paul makes an intriguing statement: “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church” (Eph. 5:32). Through the centuries, this passage has spawned deep reflection. The seventeenth century poet John Donne wrote several rich poems that dig into the correlations between marital relationships, our relationship...
Thomas Helwys: Father of Religious Freedom
The American Church increasingly faces serious challenges concerning religious freedom. Many already see trouble on the horizon concerning homosexuality. Likely this issue will be only one of many to assault the church’s freedom to practice her beliefs unhindered by the state. Therefore, we must begin to redevelop a strong theological defense of religious freedom that will guide us in these days. Free Will Baptists have a unique...
Baptizing Our Imaginations in the Basin
As Christians, we give much time to consider how we might restructure our thoughts. This is appropriate, since God speaks to us through our understanding and calls us to use our minds to exert self-control over our fallen intuitions (Eph. 4:17-24). And in so doing, we refuse to conform to the fallen culture around us. But if we address only the intellect and neglect the imagination, we’ll redirect our thinking only to leave our...
T.S. Eliot: “I Should Be Glad of Another Death”
Several years ago I decided to start reading poetry. This was no easy endeavor. Poetry distills complex thoughts into compact sentences full of association and tone. Thus learning to read and understand it was difficult for me. As is often the case though, the reward for such hard work is very high. T.S. Eliot was the first poet to really grab me and refuse to let go. His poetry drew me into a new world I never expected to find. Since...
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