Francis Schaeffer and Hans Rookmaaker: Intellectuals and Evangelists
The most significant intellectual relationship for Francis Schaeffer, outside of his wife, was easily his relationship with Hans Rookmaaker. The meeting of the two seemed providential. Edith Schaeffer records the event, Leaning against this historic wall, a young art critic for two Dutch newspapers, who was still taking his studies for his doctorate, chewed on his pipe and thoughtfully began to talk to Fran about art. They talked...
Hannah’s Children: Reviewing New Research on Why Women Choose Large Families
I have written before about big families. I guess I am interested because I am from a “big” family myself: I am the fourth of five siblings. I have also operated my whole life, in some capacity or other, in homeschooling circles, where you are much more likely to encounter larger-than-average families. Between four of the siblings in my family, we will be welcoming cousins number twelve and thirteen this summer; I hope that my own...
Medieval Christianity and Sport
by Joshua R. Colson and Brandon K. Presley In the first article of this series, we explored the relationship between organized sport and the early church.[1] Throughout the first three centuries of the Church’s existence, Christians dealt with sports in the context of the Roman Empire. For Romans, sporting events were inextricably bound up with religious cultus, or worship. Many Roman sports could be characterized as violent and...
Save None Alive: Dealing with Scripture’s Teaching on Holy War
I remember a discussion I once had with an elderly Christian woman about Joshua and the Battle of Jericho. In that account, Scripture tells us that after Israel had taken Jericho, they were to devote “all in the city to destruction, both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and donkeys, with the edge of the sword” (Josh. 6:21)[1]. At the end of the conversation, the woman told me that reading that story used to bother her. She...
Portraits of Jesus from the Book of Revelation
Reflections from Life I remember the joy with which I consumed the Word of God as a teenager. It was new, it was exciting, and it was instructive. I also remember the important role that Bible reading plans played in helping me get through all sixty-six books and in teaching me about the importance of consistent Bible reading. Even so, one downside of those plans (for me) was that I was unable to linger over individual passages...
The Spirit and the Sufficiency of Scripture
One of the key doctrinal principles of the Protestant Reformation was sola Scriptura. This principle emphasized Scripture rather than tradition as the final authority in faith and practice. The Protestant Reformers and their immediate theological heirs affirmed sola Scriptura because they believed that the Bible, as God’s very Word, was sufficient for the doctrine and practice of the Church. They affirmed the sufficiency of Scripture...
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