It has been said that the title of philosopher is easily earned by anyone with a credibly furrowed brow who speaks, writes, and otherwise publicly bloviates about the big, big questions. It has also been said that philosophy departments are full of pervicacious malaperts who overestimate their own brilliance, gazing condescendingly on the ignorant masses who believe in such fantasies as the virgin birth and resurrection.
Not so at Southeastern, where our faculty are not only … [Read More]
10.4.11
Question: There are multiple Biblical Mandate’s, from Moses onward through Hebrews, regarding a Christian’s responsibility to ‘obey’ the government, rulers, laws, authority, etc. of the State or Country in which the Christian resides. As an American who resides in the United States, the highest authority concerning civil liberties and the role of govt. is the US Constitution and Bill of Rights, however, many leaders, who vow to uphold the Constitution in their oath of office, … [Read More]
In recent days, journalists have sounded the alarm against certain GOP presidential candidates who allegedly hold to Christian Reconstructionism (or Dominionism). The articles, written by Michelle Goldberg and Ryan Lizza, respectively, demonstrate a studied and perhaps politically motivated ignorance concerning the relationship between Dominion Theology, Francis Schaeffer, and contemporary evangelical-friendly politicians. The Goldberg and Lizza pieces have been rightly eviscerated by scholars who know better. For example, Douglas Baker has written a thoughtful critique for … [Read More]
Is it possible to determine the economic benefit a church brings to its local community? A recent First Things article reports that researchers led by a University of Pennsylvania professor attempted to make just such an assessment (First Things: April 2011, p. 67). They estimated the economic impact of 12 congregations in the greater Philadelphia area. Some financial benefits could be calculated in a straight-forward fashion: salaries for staff and workers, monies paid for facilities construction and repair, and … [Read More]
The argument from design is very intuitive, and most people get its point immediately. Simply put, something appears to be designed when it demonstrates purpose or function and possesses information. We recognize things as simple as a pencil or a dixie cup to be the products of deliberate design, because we can see they were made for the purpose of accomplishing a task. Because they contain organized, complex structure, we say that these objects, as … [Read More]
We at Between the Times would like to inform you that Campus Crusade for Christ at North Carolina State University will be hosting a large formal debate next week on March 30th. Dr. William Lane Craig and Dr. Lawrence Krauss will debate the topic is “Is There Evidence for God?” Dr. Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology and a well respected evangelical apologist. Dr. Krauss is Professor of Physics at Arizona … [Read More]
By way of conclusion, allow me to point out a few institutions, persons, and publications which seek to approach to theology and culture in a robustly Christian manner. Please keep in mind that I must be concise to the extreme; even in an attempt at concision, this last installment is more than twice as long as I intended.
Institutions of Higher Education
I am happy to mention The College at Southeastern (C@SE), where I serve as a … [Read More]
Evangelicals have always wanted to “change the world” and it seems American evangelicals have increasingly tried to do so through political action. We want to change the world, I think, because we want this world to reflect more accurately the world that God intended when he created, and to foreshadow more accurately the world that is to come. We know that God created the heavens and earth in a state of shalom or universal flourishing. … [Read More]
As a young believer and a cultural separatist in the 80s and 90s, I was pretty sure that “the arts” were very bad in some foreboding but non-specific manner. I wasn’t sure why they were so bad, but it seemed self-evident that I was supposed to be “agin’ it, not fer it.” During my childhood years, I had a rather limited television intake (The Andy Griffith Show was an exception, although the presence of Otis … [Read More]
Upon arriving at Southeastern Seminary in 1996, I had little or no motivation to study church history and historical theology. I wanted to learn “the bottom line” on the major biblical and theological issues, and then get on with the business of sharing the gospel and defending the faith. My assumption was that I could learn the “bottom line” quickly, and ought do so through my personal Bible study and some books written by late … [Read More]
