Pining for the Glory Days: A Review of Randall Balmer’s Evangelicalism in America
by Joshua R. Colson The term evangelicalism means many things to many people. In contemporary usage, the term often refers to a bloc of white, conservative Christian voters. Indeed, pundits and pollsters regularly identify evangelicals with the Republican Party, free markets, and politically conservative causes. The identification of evangelicals with the Republican Party is apparently justified by the fact that eighty-one percent of...
Recommended Books (Spring 2020)
What an odd spring we have all had! Amid all the clamor about viruses and social distancing, one of the unintended benefits of quarantine has been increased free time (at least for some of us). Let’s not waste such a moment with insipid social media scrolling, binge-watching old (or new) television series, or shallow reading (what Charlotte Mason referred to as twaddle). Instead, we should steward this moment well with good books and...
Book Review of The Compelling Community: Where God’s Power Makes a Church Attractive
A constant temptation for us as pastors and church leaders is to do something that we think will make our church more appealing to those in our community. This desire is good, since we should all want to see our churches grow. But we must ask ourselves: At what cost? Mark Dever and Jamie Dunlop remind readers of The Compelling Community that the gospel, not our creativity, is ultimately what makes a church attractive. Dever and Dunlop...
Theological Retrieval for Evangelicals: A Review
My first significant exposure to historical theology occurred during college in a course that covered the creeds and councils of the early Church. I was astonished by the brilliance of these early Christian pastors, theologians, and philosophers as they wrestled with important theological truths. They often did so in response to various heretical teachings from influential teachers such as Arius and Marcion. Reading primary and...
Book Review: Letters to an American Christian
The 2020 Iowa Democratic caucuses are now only days away, ushering in a new United States presidential primary season. This noteworthy contest can indicate how a presidential candidate will do later in the primary season. However, the question is: how interested will voters be this election year? More specifically, how will Christians view their roles in public life and American politics? I’ve reflected several times over the last few...
Book Review: The Apologetics of Leroy Forlines
In my work as a teacher I have noticed a recent surge in Free Will Baptist students who are interested in apologetics. Anecdotally, I can count a handful of students who have graduated recently from Welch College and have gone on to earn (or are earning) master’s degrees in apologetics. While a number of variables may contribute to this sudden interest, these students are heirs to a certain kind of theological thinking concerning...
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