What’s All the Fuss About “The Benedict Option”?
by Christa Hill with Matthew Steven Bracey For several years now, Rod Dreher, prominent conservative thinker and journalist, has been talking about the Benedict Option. For nearly as long, several of Dreher’s critics and allies have not had a clear understanding of what exactly he is proposing. Finally, Dreher published The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation in 2017. In this 262-page volume, Dreher...
Proving the Existence of Apologetics
Shortly after my conversion, I became enamored with apologetics, like many Christians my age. I would drive twenty minutes to the nearest Christian bookstore to survey their shelves in the hope of finding a new volume to catch my eye. As a sixteen-year-old, I remember purchasing and reading through Josh McDowell’s 743-page tome Evidence for Christianity. I was hooked. I knew I had confidence in my newfound faith, but I wanted more...
ANYONE CAN BE SAVED: Book Review
by Richard E. Clark From General/Arminian to Particular/Calvinist, Baptists have struggled to locate themselves along the theological spectrum. Some have unsuccessfully tried to avoid the debate, labeling themselves Calminians.[1] Others, however, have attempted to escape the paradigm altogether and articulate a unique theological identity for themselves. Anyone Can Be Saved (Wipf & Stock, 2016) is a collection of essays...
When Free Will Baptists Went Liberal (Part II)
In Part I, we began examining the Free Baptists’ relationship to Higher Criticism, particularly through Alfred Williams Anthony’s writings. In this piece, we’ll consider the influence of Higher Criticism at Bates College and Cobb Divinity School, as well as the Free Baptists’ interest in the Ecumenical Movement. This exploration will us a clear understanding of the theological status of key Free Baptist leaders and institutions in the...
When Free Will Baptists Went Liberal (Part I)
The 1911 merger between the Free Baptists[1] and the Northern Baptist Convention marked the former’s near extinction as a distinct religious body. However, this merger was symptomatic of a deeper theological shift among some Free Baptist leaders that had begun years before. In 1911, the Free Baptists merged all of their assets, missions organizations, and educational institutions with the Northern Baptist Convention’s. Many Free...
Taking Your Christian Worldview to the Movies: Analyzing Form (Part II/III)
In last week’s article, we reviewed several theological foundations for taking your Christian worldview to the movies. We turn now to how we should use the Christian worldview in our analysis of a film’s form. Going to the Movies Going to the theater is a serious business. First things first: Get there early. The hustle and bustle of trying, at the last minute, to purchase your ticket, drink, and popcorn is just no fun, not to mention...
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