Taylor interviews Ryken on Milton’s Paradise Lost
December 9, 2008
John Milton (1608–1674) was the puritan author of the epic poems Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained. Justin Taylor has posted an interview with Leland Ryken, who wrote his doctoral dissertation on Paradise Lost.
“Let’s start with the basics. When was Paradise Lost written, and what is it about?
We know from scattered references in Milton’s prose works that he aspired to write the great English epic and great Christian epic already during his college days of the 1620s. His choice of an epic subject kept evolving over the next 25 years, and he started writing the poem on the story of early Genesis at the approximate age of 50 …”
Today (December 9) is Milton’s 400th birthday.
Weekend Walkabout: December 6, 2008
December 6, 2008
26 posts from the week that escaped mention (almost!):
- Afterlife in the Old Testament: The Scholarly Consensus? - Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
- Bible Memorization Worksheet 2009 - Triablogue
- Converging the Web and Desktop - ChurchCrunch
- Different Isn’t Wrong … - Justin Wise
- Encouragement for Trans-Racial Adoption Anxiety - Vitamin Z
- Fox News Conservative? - Russell Moore
- Grand Duke Henri’s Last Stand - Rod Dreher
- Hate Your Enemy? - Greg Gilbert, Church Matters
- Innocent Suffering - DesiringGod blog
- J.K. Rowling’s Fairy Tales for Wizards (and Muggles) - Sherry Huang, Idol Chatter
- Korea - 1 Day Left - Let’s Start Right - Human3rror
- Lay Worship - The Sacred Sandwich
- My Two Cents #123 - Osama Bin Lego and other Islamic fare - Daniel G. two or three
- No Food, Drink or Levity Allowed in the Sanctuary - Motte Brown, Boundless
- Our Problem with the Old Testament - Justin Taylor
- Pithy Pre-pastorate Pastoral Pointers - Dan Phillips
- Quantum of Follies - Dayo Olopade, Culture11
- Russian Patriarch Dies - Susan Wunderink, Christianity Today liveblog
- Short Saturdays - Who needs our money? - Stuff Christians Like
- Things we should be doing - Amy Scott
- Ultimate 80’s Medley - Denny Burk
- Video of My Sermon on the Bible - Adrian Warnock
- Wanted: Kindness - Carla Rolfe
- 20 EXcellent Free Rich-Text Editors - Webdesigner Depot
- Yes, the terrorists targeted Jews - Daniel Pulliam, GetReligion
- Zacharius Ursinus - Theopedia article (Z’s are always hard to find … but it will be worth your while to learn something about Ursinus, a contemporary of Martin Luther)
Desiring God interviews editor of John Calvin book
December 2, 2008
Doug Mathis posts a brief interview with Burk Parsons, editor of John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, Doxology
“DG: How did you put together such an outstanding team to write on Calvin?
I threatened each of the potential contributors with the curses of Deuteronomy 28 if they didn’t write. No, not really. Actually, I suppose that each of the contributors who wrote for the book did so on account of their desire to have a book on Calvin for laypeople …”
Nietzsche and conscience
December 1, 2008
At The Scriptorium, Fred Sanders discusses the contempt that philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche poured upon Christianity and the pangs of conscience:
“Raised as a Christian, he embraced the faith at first, but then rejected it about as thoroughly as anybody ever did. He began by writing love poems to Jesus and ended by calling for the coming of the Antichrist. He lived abstemiously but identified himself with the ancient god of drunken revelry, Dionysus. His life ended with a descent into madness and over a decade of vegetative stupor, and everybody from Hitler to Leopold and Loeb claimed they got their big ideas from his bombastic writings. This is strong stuff!”
Thanksgiving/Weekend Walkabout, Nov. 27, 2008
November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
26 posts from the week that escaped mention (almost!):
Advent on your iPhone - Father Z
“Those of you who have an iPhone may want to know about a fun application for Advent for $0.99.”
The Blind Spot of the Spiritual Formation Movement - Craig Brian Larson
“Read books on spiritual formation and you will be hard pressed to find anyone who lists listening to the preaching of God’s Word as a first-order spiritual discipline.”
Check out free downloads from Christian music artist Josh Garrels - Joanne Brokaw
“Like other indie acts with a blatant faith message but an unconventional delivery … Garrels doesn’t quite fit the typical Christian music mold.”
The Day I Schmoozed - Amy Scott:
“Just tell her what she wants to hear.”
Evangelicals Adopting Advent - Cathy Lynn Grossman (HT: SharperIron)
“They’re giving a new, personalized spin to the prayers, candles and calendars to track the building excitement, and set a spiritual tone day by day.”
Faith and Politics - Doug Pagitt
“I was asked by the folks at Conservative Reformed Mafia blog to discuss my thoughts on faith and politics in light of my interest in running for the Minnesota State Legislature. I responded to questions with a video …”
Gordon Brown sells the nation’s soul to Satan - Cranmer
“As Gordon Brown has already sold the nation’s soul to the EU, all further treaties with the Devil are subject to EU scrutiny.”
Helpful Books on Justification - Mark Driscoll
It’s Time to Rethink the Issue of Homosexuality - Ken Silva
“Yes, you read that right; I do believe the time has come to rethink how we’re handling the issue of homosexuality in the Body of Christ. But maybe not like you think.”
The Jelly Bellies of Christendom - Prodigal Jon
“Super Sweaty Pastor – usually wrapped in a monogrammed handkerchief, these beans are slightly salty and super sticky from perspiration, taste like licking a Thompson Chain Reference and smell like a locker room”
Kids and Philanthropy: Teaching Your Children To Be Charitable - Beth Kanter
Logos360 Announced - The Wait Begins - ChurchCrunch
“It is, without question, simply a matter of time before we see what’ll it’ll really do to the digital landscape for Church Management Software.”
Meditations on Thanks and Giving - Carolyn McCulley
“As I prepare for Thanksgiving, one image is burned into my mind …”
National Geographic on Qeiyafa - Todd Bolen
“Much of the story reports what has been covered elsewhere, but there are some problems with the article.”
Of Crusaders and the West - Joshua Claybourn
“Our understanding of society and the individual certainly has its roots in the Crusaders.”
Proclamation Establishing Thanksgiving Day October 3, 1863 - Abe Lincoln/Worship.com
“In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict …”
Q 2009 - Greg Atkinson
“Q is a gathering where church leaders and cultural influencers from the fields of business, politics, media, education, entertainment and the arts are exposed to the future of culture and the church’s responsibility to advance the common good in society.”
Recessions Are Good? - Rob Moll
“Recessions, before the Great Depression, were often viewed as good things.”
Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints (review) - Rebecca Writes
“I’ve reached the age where I think more and more about getting old, and I’ll let you in on a secret if you promise not to tell …”
Twilight (Book Review) - Tim Challies
“Admittedly, this is my first foray into fiction written for teen girls.”
An Unwanted Detour - Suzanne Hadley:
“A week later I sat in a doctor’s office trying to hold back tears.”
Video Interviews with John Lennox - Justin Taylor
“Creator or the Multiverse?”
What is the Church Year? - Mark Daniels
“The Church Year is a human invention. Observing it won’t make us better than anybody else. Nor does keeping it ’save’ a person from sin and death. But …”
50 eXcellent Blog Footer Designs - Hongkiat.com (sorry, had to reach for this one)
“In the eye of a visitor, the footer is perhaps one of the most unnoticeable section but to a designer who knows how important user experience, navigation and designs, they are treated the same.”
You May Be a Hyper-Calvinist If … - Phil Johnson
“Within the militantly Arminian sector of the Southern Baptist Convention, it seems there are still those who insist that ‘by the definition of Phil Johnson,’ James White is a hyper-Calvinist …”
Zane Hodges (1933–2008) - Dan Wallace (I mentioned Hodges’ passing, but it means much more coming from an accomplished Greek scholar):
“Zane taught Greek and New Testament courses at Dallas Seminary from 1960 to 1987. I took him for more courses than from any other NT prof, and learned a great deal from him. His skills with the Greek text were breathtaking. I never knew a professor who could sight-read as well as Hodges (except for Johnson). And he thought through his positions well. I didn’t agree with him on everything; in fact, I would say that I disagreed with him on most of his positions. I was always a bit nervous coming into his class because I wasn’t sure what he would say that hour that might rock my world. But I enjoyed immensely how he structured the courses, how he argued his positions, and how charismatic he was in the classroom. He was a superb preacher and very persuasive. His electives always had the highest enrollment by far of any NT electives at DTS. … Zane Hodges will be dearly missed. But he now knows the joys of his Savior and is finally home.”
Emergentkrise!
November 26, 2008
This is brilliant, whatever your stance on emergent:
For background see this post.
(HT: Abraham Piper >> Andrew Jones)
Creator: Randy Brandt
“Resurrection Probably Reported in Same Year It Happened”
November 25, 2008
As Craig Blomberg posts, a soon-to-be-published book by New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham will detail evidence that suggests that belief in Jesus’s resurrection must have emerged shortly after his death:
“[Gerd] Ludemann, the atheist [historian], says this means within one to two years from Jesus’ death, it was widely agreed on that Christ had been bodily resurrected. Bauckham, according to [Gary] Habermas, apparently moves that date back to within about one-half year’s time, in order for the necessary time to elapse for this to become widely standardized by the time of Paul’s conversion.”
Democrats are warmongers. Discuss.
November 12, 2008
Eric Hartman issues some fightin’ words:
“The truth is we have the Democratic party to thank for getting us into the following wars:
World War I (President Wilson)
World War II (President Roosevelt)
Korean War (President Truman)
Vietnam War (Presidents Kennedy & Johnson)
Anyone want to pit the death totals of those wars against those with Iraq?“
Government is no good without good people
November 12, 2008
A quote from John Adams (1735–1826):
“We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Avarice, ambition, revenge or gallantry would break the strongest cords of our Constitution as a whale goes through a net. Our Constitution is designed only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for any other.”
(HT: Daniel G. at twoorthree.net)
New books …
November 11, 2008
Terry Mattingly discusses two books related to journalism and religion: Witness to the Truth: Lessons Learned by a Veteran Journalist through Four Decades of Watching the Church, by Louis Moore, and Nothing to Hide: Secrecy, Communication and Communion in the Catholic Church, by Russell Shaw:
“‘I have seen church people . . . violate every one of the Ten Commandments, act boorish and selfish, be prejudiced, broadcast secular value systems and in general behave worse than the heathen people they tried to reach,’ noted Moore. In fact, just ‘name some sin or some act the Bible eschews, and I could pair that vice up with some church leader or member I have known.’”
Dan Wallace introduces a new book on biblical Greek he has written, which deals with the deity of Christ and other important topics: Granville Sharp’s Canon and Its Kin: Semantics and Significance:
“Besides affirming the deity of Christ in both of these passages, the book deals with constructions that do not fit Sharp’s rule and have a different force. “Pastors and teachers” in or “apostles and prophets” in are discussed at length, for example.”
At the Conventicle, yours truly shares about a witty history of the New England puritans: Sarah Vowell’s The Wordy Shipmates.
And at the 9Marks blog, Deepak Reju recommends How People Change, by Timothy Lane and Paul David Tripp. Says Mark Dever,
“This book is applied theology. It’s about heat, thorns, the cross, and fruit. It’s about present grace.”
Some mid-week humor
November 11, 2008
From Scrappleface, BREAKING NEWS: “At White House, Obama Links Laura to George W. Bush“.
… and this from The Sacred Sandwich:
Weekend Walkabout: Nov. 8, 2008
November 8, 2008
26 posts from the week that escaped mention (almost!):
- Amway Evangelism
- Billy Clubs, Firehoses, and Attack Dogs for the New Civil Rights Movement
- C’mon Obama Voter, You Have To Admit This is Pretty Funny
- Dominican Republic - Ordinary Superheroes
- Errr…
- Fear Not!
- “Gross Food Related Youth Group Games” (Stuff Christians Like)
- “How Not to Raise a Pagan”
- I’m Saved! But From What? - Part 3
- James White - Debates in London
- King David’s Water Tunnel in Jerusalem
- Law and Gospel: Galatians - The practice of Christian liberty
- Missing your calling
- Nate Huss recognizes National Adoption Month with new song, video
- Obama and the Bishops
- Passion For The City
- Quote of the day
- Real Life Photoshop
- Still having a dream
- Two songs
- Urban Exile: Re-discovering Justice?
- Voting for our imaginations
- What Churches Can Learn from Election Marketing
- X-ray Crab (OK, not from a Christian blog, but it does start with an ‘X’!)
- You’re a Hyper-Calvinist
- ‘Zack and Miri’ Advertising Leaves Out the P-Word
Evangelist Ray Comfort cried
November 3, 2008
… when he read a biography on Abraham Lincoln. See why here.
“As I read those words, tears ran down my cheeks. I couldn’t believe my reaction. I knew it was coming, so why was I crying like a child? This is why.”
Scottish Baptist church celebrates 200 years
November 3, 2008
Last week, the Unashamed Workman (Colin Adams) put up a series of posts celebrating the 200th anniversary of Charlotte Baptist Chapel in Edinburgh, Scotland. The church was established in 1808 under the leadership of Christopher Anderson (1782-1852). Here’s a list of Colin’s posts:
- 200 Years of Faithful Preaching
- On Christopher Anderson, the church’s first pastor
- On Joseph Kemp (pastor of CBC during a revival that occurred in 1907)
- On Graham Scroggie
- Audio: Alistair Begg (a former assistant pastor at CBC) preaches for the 200th
- Some Choice Begg Quotes
- Weekend Pictures
- On Sidlow Baxter
- On Gerald Griffiths
- On Alan Redpath
- On Derek Prime
Do you know your saints?
November 1, 2008
Some Catholic humor, courtesy of Fr. Z …
