Rod Dreher’s Live Not By Lies: A Review
Christianity Today’s Samuel James says that it presents a “surprisingly weak case.”[1] Southern Seminary’s Al Mohler offers a more favorable review: “I think it’s, if anything, an even more important book than The Benedict Option.”[2] Undoubtedly, these men put forward contrasting analyses of Rod Dreher’s newest book, Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents.[3] I first encountered Dreherupon reading his book, Crunchy Cons,...
Scripture Consequences
Maybe you’ve had a Jehovah’s Witness show up at your door and, during the course of conversation, they’ve informed you that the word Trinity does not appear in the Bible. Hopefully this revelation, while technically true, did not shake the foundations of your faith. Of course, their ultimate goal is to convince you that the doctrine of the Trinity isn’t a biblical concept at all. The word Trinity, after all, does not appear in the...
Educating for the Polis or the Love of God?
Perhaps you have noticed that the educational system in America is a cultural battleground. Radical ideologues are implanting their worldviews into our culture through our various educational institutions. In Pennsylvania, nursing students’ grades are adversely affected if they do not offer preferred pronouns.[1] In New York, a state legislator has produced legislation that would require public schools to provide instruction...
How the Trinity Changes Prayer
Until recently I had apparently been under the unconscious impression that close study of the Trinity was needed only if I encountered some abstract, theological question about it that puzzled me. Otherwise, I was content to affirm the doctrine in faith and go on about the seemingly more relevant aspects of the Christian life. I had been perfectly content with this arrangement until I recently encountered a puzzling question about the...
“Taking a Name”: A Closer Look at the Third Commandment
Exodus 20:7 says, “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain” (NKJV). When I was a kid, I always understood the third commandment as a prohibition against speaking the Lord’s name in an exclamatory manner in which I was not intending to talk to Him. I understood it only to involve speech: not saying God’s name in a flippant way. I don’t think this...
Compassion, Fatigue, and the Need for Self-care
Empathy muscles are being used by many different people right now. Serving in ministry can be overwhelming at any time, and that fact is certainly true now. COVID-19 has had an impact on everyone in our world in at least some capacity. If you are caring for people, the challenge now is to maintain resilience in order to keep doing the work of caring with energy and compassion. The danger involved in caring for others is facing burnout...
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