In his book The Great Heresies, Hilaire Belloc defines a heresy a sort of thing which takes a system of thought and - rather than depart wholesale from the previously established tradition – picks out one part of that system and through either overemphasis or removal leaves the structure marred, yet in-tact enough to still … Continue reading Gnosticism: Heresy or Paganism?
The question is sometimes raised, "How is one to identify a Christian; what is it that marks them as a Christian?" In his text The Mark of the Christian, Francis Schaeffer works to answer that question. The mark that Schaeffer lands on is the mark of the Christian's love for all men, and especially for … Continue reading Book Review: The Mark of the Christian – By Francis Schaeffer
The will of God is not a thing that is lost, in need of finding; in fact, it is quite an easy thing to discover. This is the opening point of John MacArthur's book Found: God's Will which - as the subtitle asserts - aims to help the reader find the direction and purpose God … Continue reading Book Review: Found: God’s Will – By John MacArthur
The old truth that Calvin preached, that Augustine preached, that Paul preached, is the truth that I must preach to-day, or else be false to my conscience and my God. I cannot shape the truth; I know of no such thing as paring off the rough edges of a doctrine. John Knox's gospel is my … Continue reading A Defense of Calvinism — C.H. Spurgeon
All throughout history, and especially since the Enlightenment, the question of how we know what we know has been a big question. Within Christianity this has played out in the debate of how faith and reason interact - is one to have precedence over the other, and if so, how does this work itself out … Continue reading Book Review: Faith Beyond Reason, A Kierkegaardian Account – By C. Stephen Evans
Deliverance is not a topic that I have a lot of - or even any - experience with, so this book is far removed from what I'm used to reading. Deliver Us From Evil follows the author's own life narrative as he is exposed to and eventually enters into the ministry of deliverance, eventually providing … Continue reading Book Review: Deliver Us From Evil – By Don Basham
'Alienation' is a word that has become common parlance over the past hundred years, a familiarity that was perhaps bolstered most by the writings of Karl Marx, who truly popularized the word. Alienation can come in many forms. For Marx it was primarily economic and political; as John Stott noted, alienation is partly a “sense … Continue reading The Breaking of the Wall – Alienation and [Racial] Reconciliation in Christ
What is the role of the Holy Spirit in the Christian life and Christian theology according the Reformed tradition? If the stereotypes are to be believed, the Holy Spirit doesn't have much of a place in the Reformed church; the Holy Spirit, it seems, is only for those of a more charismatic or Pentecostal flavor. … Continue reading The Holy Spirit in the Reformed Tradition
In the Name of Jesus is renowned author Henri Nouwen's call toward a deeper and more truly Christian idea of leadership. His gleanings in this book are taken primarily from his experience living in a house for the mentally handicapped, and the things that he learned about leadership and ministry in the process. Nouwen is … Continue reading Book Review: In The Name of Jesus – Henri Nouwen
Few themes have been discussed as frequently throughout history as that of fate and free will. The topic in itself seems innocent enough, yet whenever it is discussed all of the rest of philosophy and theology inevitably gets pulled up into it. It is caught up in questions of ethics, of the relation between God and … Continue reading Sovereignty and Contingency in Christianity
Presbyformed 