Muddling Toward Maturity Blog

LIFE'S MEANING AND WHETHER ONE CAN KNOW GOD

IS THERE MEANING TO LIFE?  

 

IS IT POSSIBLE TO KNOW GOD?

 

HOW CAN JESUS BE THE ONLY WAY?

 

 

WHO DID JESUS THINK HE WAS? DID HE RISE FROM THE DEAD?

Who Did Jesus Think He Was?

 

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead"  Part One:  The Facts

 

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?  Part Two: The Explanation

ALLIE BETH STUCKEY LAMBASTS EVANGELICALS WHO VOTED FOR BIDEN

She offers a no-holds-barred,  fierce diatribe -- with which I agree!

Last summer I conversed with a gifted young lady who had just graduated high school.  She was a home-schooled Christian, an accomplished violinist, and a speech and debate champion.  I asked her whom she was listening to these days.   Among others, she said "Allie Beth Stuckey."  I hadn't heard of Stuckey before, but since then I have looked at some of Stuckey's YouTube videos.  Quite something, as evidenced above.   

MODERN FEEDING OF THE 5,000

Chick-fil-A comes through -- and on a SUNDAY!  Breitbart article below.

Breitbart news:  Atlanta Chick-fil-A Earns Praise for Feeding Stranded Atlanta Airport Passengers. 

Thousands of passengers at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport found themselves stranded during a massive power outage over the weekend, but on Sunday a local Chick-fil-A surprised everyone by rolling in to feed the starving passengers.The world’s busiest airport ground to halt on Sunday, as a sudden power outage grounded more than 1,000 flights in Atlanta. While authorities insisted that no one was endangered by the outage, the ripple effect of the problem spread across the nation’s air transportation system. 

But the stranded passengers and busy airport workers weren’t left to starve. The fast food company reported serving over 5,000 people.  

Chick-fil-A is famously closed on Sundays, but the location’s workers jumped to their stations when the emergency befell the busy transportation hub. In turn, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed thanked Chick-fil-A owner Dan Cathy for his support, Atlanta’s WSB TV reported.

The company released a statement about their efforts to “serve a community in need.”

“The mayor called about 10pm and asked for assistance. We immediately mobilized staff and team members who live and work near the airport, and they are making sandwiches and delivering them to the EOC (emergency operations center). City and airport officials there are distributing sandwiches to passengers who are stranded due to the power outage. It has been a very difficult day for thousands of travelers, and while Chick-fil-A is always closed on Sunday, our restaurants open occasionally to serve communities in need. We do not make a profit, but do what we can to offer comfort to people experiencing hardship.”

BEETHOVEN'S "ODE TO JOY"

When I came across a link to this website and heard this familiar piece played once again, the thought ran through my mind: "You won't find anything like this in Islam."   Joy (and love and peace and gratitude) are dominant themes in Christian faith.

Hymn of Joy lyrics:

 

Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee,

God of glory, Lord of love;

Hearts unfold like flow’rs before Thee,

Op’ning to the sun above.

Melt the clouds of sin and sadness;

Drive the dark of doubt away;

Giver of immortal gladness,

Fill us with the light of day!

 

All Thy works with joy surround Thee,

Earth and heav’n reflect Thy rays,

Stars and angels sing around Thee,

Center of unbroken praise.

Field and forest, vale and mountain,

Flow’ry meadow, flashing sea,

Singing bird and flowing fountain

Call us to rejoice in Thee.

 

Thou art giving and forgiving,

Ever blessing, ever blest,

Wellspring of the joy of living,

Ocean depth of happy rest!

Thou our Father, Christ our Brother,

All who live in love are Thine;

Teach us how to love each other,

Lift us to the joy divine.

 

Mortals, join the happy chorus,

Which the morning stars began;

Father love is reigning o’er us,

Brother love binds man to man.

Ever singing, march we onward,

Victors in the midst of strife,

Joyful music leads us Sunward

In the triumph song of life.

MOVIE REVIEW: "THE CASE FOR CHRIST"

UPDATE 4/8/2017  - I saw the movie today and agree with both Ed Morrissey's review (below) and that of Steven D. Graydanus'.  Both reviews acknowledge that this faith-based film evidences the genre's maturation.  One can watch it without cringing.  I found the acting very good, and the emotional responses of Erika Christensen (who played Strobel's wife, Leslie), particularly outstanding.

Here is a trailer followed by Lee Strobel's talk at a church last month in which he tells his story in his own words. 

Original post:

Ed Morrissey, whose opinion I regard highly, gives five stars to The Case for Christ movie.   It opens in theaters across the U.S. tonight.  Strobel is the author of the best-selling book (over 14 million copies) The Case for Christ.  Here is Morrissey's review:.

The faith-based film industry has both grown and matured over the last several years as filmmakers and investors see enthusiasm from audiences for these offerings. The new film The Case for Christ, based on the real-life conversion story of former Pulitzer-nominated journalist Lee Strobel and taken from his 1998 book of the same title, provides further evidence of this maturation.

In fact, the pursuit of evidence forms the core of the film’s narrative. In 1980, Lee Strobel (Mike Vogel) finds his marriage and professional life turned upside-down when his wife Leslie (Erika Christiansen) converts from their shared atheism to Christianity. Convinced that his wife has been brainwashed by a cult — being just a couple of years removed from the Jonestown massacre — Strobel decides to apply his journalistic expertise to debunk the central core of the Christian faith: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Can Strobel find an evidence-based argument to refute Christianity, or will he be forced to face his own biases and assumptions?

The Case for Christ models a familiar tension for believers between faith and reason. People come to Christianity through both paths and generally find ways to accommodate both. Leslie’s conversion comes through an emotional tie to faith, but Lee clings to his vision of reason. That dichotomy plays out in their interactions, depicted realistically and very believably between Vogel and Christiansen on screen. For most of us, who struggle to blend the two, we will recognize ourselves in Lee and Leslie.

TIM KELLER SPEAKS AT GOOGLE - "MAKING SENSE OF GOD" (VIDEO)

This is a tremendous talk which gets better and better as it goes along.  He was invited to speak on his new book, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical.   

 

NICHOLAS KRISTOF INTERVIEWS TIM KELLER, WELL KNOWN NEW YORK CITY EVANGELICAL PASTOR

Keller pastors Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.  He is known for his thoughtful sermons which attract a large and varied audience.  He has lectured at Google on three occasions that I am aware of (here, here, and here), as well as at Oxford and other universities. Keller is also a prolific author.  Just before Christmas New York Times writer Nicholas Kristof published an interview with Keller titled, "Am I a Christian, Pastor Keller?"   I think it really good, both the questions and answers, and commend it to you.

(Note: I have blogged about Tim Keller several times.  Simply google "Muddling Toward Maturity - Tim Keller" for a list of posts.)

JERRAM BARRS ON "HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HOLLOWS"

I have not yet read the Harry Potter books.  Jerram Barrs' exultation (below) at the excellence of the last book in the Harry Potter series has wet my  interest. Barrs serves as Professor of Christian Studies and Contemporary Culture at Covenant Theological Seminary in St. Louis.  He met his wife, Vicki, at L'Abri Fellowship in Switzerland and then served for 18 years at English L'Abri Fellowship before joining Covenant Seminary in 1989. 

Barrs has authored several books and articles.  Here is the opening paragraph of a paper titled, "Christianity True to the Way Things Are:" 

Christianity claims that the Bible explains the world in which we live, tells us of the origin and meaning of man's existence, gives us a basis for knowledge and for understanding the difference between good and evil, shows us how to live in this world, provides answers to the problems we face as humans, and offers us a hope for the future which lends a purpose to our life now. Before such claims can be examined, there is an important objection that must be considered. (More...)

TIM KELLER AT HONG KONG UNIVERSITY: "HOPE BEYOND THE WALLS OF THE WORLD"

Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, and one of the world's most articulate and thoughtful Christian communicators, here offers a helpful consideration of "hope."  It's is all the more interesting given his audience and the occasional interweaving of his reflections on Buddhism.  Keller is the author of The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism among a number of other books.

 

The "Faith and Global Engagement" group at the University of Hong Kong offers a number of past lectures and presentations online which I will want to explore in the near future.  

DAVID LIMBAUGH'S NEW BOOK - "THE EMMAUS CODE"

Kathryn Jean Lopez interviews David Limbaugh (Rush Limbaugh's brother) and a writer of no mean consequence) whose latest book is The Emmaus Code.  Limbaugh tells Lopez:

"This is the book I wish I’d had when I first became a Christian and was eager to read everything I could on the Bible and theology to accelerate my learning curve and make up for lost time. It is an Old Testament primer of sorts, with an emphasis on its Christ-centeredness. It summarizes every book of the Old Testament and shows how each one specifically points to Christ."

Some of Limbaugh's other books include Jesus on Trial: A Lawyer Affirms the Truth of Christianity (2014) and Persecution: How Liberals are Waging War Against Christianity (2004).

SEAN MCDOWELL - "WHAT MAKES CHRISTIANITY UNIQUE?"

A lot could be said on this topic.  Sean McDowell offers a good beginning:

 

Sean offers three brief points:  1) Christianity is testable  2) Christianity has grace  3) Christianity has Jesus at the center

Sean McDowell, a major speaker and author in is own right, is the son of famed Christian speaker Josh McDowell.

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD CARE ABOUT ENVIRONMENTALISM

Sandra Richter, Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, explains what the Bible has to say about the topic in just under 9 minutes.

 

THE MEANING OF ADVENT - THE BOOKENDS OF OUR CHRISTIAN FAITH

I found Eric Metaxas' short introduction helpful:

Listen to the commentary

Text:

It’s been a rough few weeks. It seems virtually all of the news is bad. Whether it’s ISIS, Boko Haram, the refugee crisis, or, here at home, the troubling trends in American culture, depression, if not outright despair, seems like a reasonable response.

Thankfully, God has provided a remedy for this temptation, and it’s as close as your nearest Church calendar. I’m speaking of Advent, which begins this Sunday.

Relatively few Americans, including many Christians, understand what Advent is really about. Here’s a hint, it’s more than just a countdown to Christmas.

For nearly two millennia, Advent has been the season in which Christians reflect on the bookends of God’s redemptive acts in Christ: His Incarnation and His coming again in glory to judge the living and the dead.

These bookends are arguably best described in the hymns associated with Advent. They express the human longing for God to set everything aright, to wipe every tear from our eyes.

Take the hymn “Creator of the Stars of Night.” It was written, probably in England, sometime between 600 and 800 A.D., in the midst of what is commonly known as the “Dark Ages.” Life was unimaginably hard for those living back then: war was endemic, as was destitution, disease, and hunger.

This reality is reflected in the hymn’s opening stanza: “Creator of the stars of night, Thy people's everlasting light, Jesu, Redeemer, save us all, and hear Thy servants when they call.”

But it doesn’t stop there. The hymn then recalls the first bookend of God’s great redemptive act: “Thou, grieving that the ancient curse should doom to death a universe, hast found the medicine, full of grace, to save and heal a ruined race.”

It then looks forward to the second bookend: “O Thou whose coming is with dread, to judge and doom the quick and dead, preserve us, while we dwell below, from every insult of the foe.”

Now, talk of a dread coming and judging the quick and the dead no doubt sounds jarring to modern ears, but it’s a reminder that in Advent, we not only recall Jesus’ first coming, we look forward to Jesus’ second coming. And part of that looking forward is examining our lives.

That’s why Gospel passages like the parable of the wise and foolish virgins are associated with Advent. We’re called to be about our Lord’s business as we await His return.

But the word that best expresses the spirit of Advent is the refrain from the best-known Advent hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel”: Rejoice!

We are to rejoice even when all the news is bad because all the news that really matters is the “Good News.” God, in Christ, has decisively dealt with sin and evil. At his first coming, as Paul told the Philippians, he took on “human form, [and] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even on a cross.”

This resulted in his being given the “dread name” to whom “all knees must bend,” and “hearts must bow.”

To paraphrase Linus van Pelt, this is what Advent is all about, Charlie Brown. . . 

 

ERIC METAXAS' PODCAST WEBSITE

I am indebted to a friend who alerted me to a new website Eric Metaxas has put up. The message:

Did you know that Metaxas has his own radio show called Metaxas Talk? He was in Oxford over the summer and interviewed several people I know you'll be interested in hearing: Walter Hooper, Michael Ward (he wrote Planet Narnia), Peter Hitchens, and one or two others. I believe you'll find some of the first interviews start on July 22nd or 23rd. They are scattered among many other talks, as the show tries to stay up on current events. http://www.metaxastalk.com/podcasts/page/5/

WORLD MAGAZINE ANNOUNCES 2015 BOOKS OF THE YEAR

World Magazine selected the following as their 2015 books of the year:

To be eligible for consideration for this year’s awards, books must have been published between May 1, 2014, and April 30, 2015.  

[Note: I highly recommend visiting World Magazine's article for more extensive descriptions not only of the winners but also the "runners up," many of which I can easily envision beating the winners.]

Fiction WINNER: The Book of Strange New Things, by Michael Faber

These days, in books from secular publishers, we expect to see pastors depicted as hypocrites and missionaries as agents of exploitation. Instead we find empathy and splendid writing in this poignant work from Michael Faber.

Accessible Theology WINNER: enGendered: God’s Gift of Gender Difference in Relationship, by Sam Andreades

In this insightful work, Andreades skillfully and truthfully guides readers through at least three crucial cultural debates: Are men and women different? How should husbands and wives help each other? What about same-sex marriage?

Current Events/Public Affairs WINNER: America in Retreat, by Bret Stephens

Stephens shows how isolationist rhetoric is on the rise in America along with balance-of-power appeasement. The consequence may be more disorder than we bargained for, including world war and the avoidable sacrifice of countless lives.  (Short audio talk)

History/Biography WINNER: Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania, by Erik Larson

Larson masterfully tells the story of those responsible for the sinking of the Lusitania and makes us empathize with the ordinary men, women, and children who were war’s collateral damage. The appeal to emotion as well as intellect makes Dead Wake our history/biography book of the year

ROD DREHER - "THE BENEDICT OPTION" - REFLECTIONS ON CHRISTIAN LIVING IN A HOSTILE CULTURE

How are Christians to live in a culture becoming more and more hostile to Christian faith and morals?  Rod Dreher, an important contemporary thinker and writer, talks with John Stonestreet of "Breakpoint" and offers "a realistic look at what being the church means in a post-Christian culture."  Here's the audio:  (It's about 28 minutes.)

LISTEN NOW | DOWNLOAD   

Here's an article summation from Breakpoint:

 The culture of our nation is moving further and further away from biblical morality. And it sometimes feels as though we're powerless to do anything about it. But during this week's broadcast, John Stonestreet welcomes blogger, author, and columnist Rod Dreher, who explains what he's dubbed "the Benedict Option," a developing plan for Christians to weather the cultural storm ahead. 

The speed at which the sexual revolution has rewritten right and wrong in America is breathtaking. But we've by no means seen the end of our culture's decline. And commentators like Rod Dreher, an author and columnist at “The American Conservative,” say things will likely get worse before they get better. For several years now, Dreher has been sounding that alarm. He thinks what we're witnessing isn't a mere moral slip, but a fundamental and long-term shift away from Christian “cosmology,” or ultimate meaning. In response, he's proposed what he calls “the Benedict Option,” “a kind of deliberate, strategic retreat so that we can tend our own gardens...and cultivate the deep roots that our kids and their kids, and their kids’ kids will need to hold on to the faith through the dark times ahead.” 

THE APOSTLE PAUL'S LETTER TO TITUS, CHAPTER. 2: 11 - 14

These inspired words encapsulate the Gospel of Christ beautifully. They give identity, stability, hope, and meaning to our lives.  William Barclay offers a fresh translation which communicates the message particularly well.

11 For the grace of God has broken into history for the salvation of all men.  12 It is training us to renounce the life in which God is banished from the scene, and in which the world's desires hold sway, and in this age to live a well-ordered, upright and godly life, 13 while all the time we are waiting for our blessed hope to be realized, when the splendour of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ bursts upon the world.  14  He gave himself for us, to liberate us from all wickedness and to make us a people purified to be his own, and eager to live a noble life. 

JOHN LENNOX Q&A WITH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE FAROE ISLANDS

I enjoyed this Q&A very much.  I found it's slow pace agreeable and John Lennox's responses as helpful as ever.  I have blogged about Dr. Lennox in the past here, here and here.  Lennox teaches mathematics at Oxford University and is one of the foremost exponents of Christian faith today,   The sound comes on around the 28 second mark. 

 

DALLAS WILLARD: NIETZSCHE VS. JESUS (VIDEO)

Dallas Willard, professor of philosophy at the University of Southern California, spoke at Stanford University in 2002 on the topic Nietzsche vs. Jesus.  I found his talk intriguing.   Willard treats Nietzsche respectfully, offering a helpful explanation of Nietzsche's historical context, and the way his perspective on "truth" now predominates in the culture of our day.  Against Nietzsche Willard contrasts Jesus and Christ's way of discovering genuine truth and reality.  The talk is nonpolemical and offers much to ponder.  Go here.

Dallas Willard passed away in 2013 after teaching at USC from 1965 to 2013.  He left  behind an influential body of work.  I have read several of his books and go back from time to time in order to better digest and internalize his thought.  Willard offers fresh vocabulary.  He replaces traditional terminology such as "disciples of Christ" with "apprentices to Christ."   Some of his books include:

     The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God

     The Spirit of the Disciplines: Understanding How God Changes Lives

     Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of  Christ

     Knowing Christ Today: Why We Can Trust Spiritual Knowledge,  

     Hearing God: Developing a Conversational Relationship with Christ. 

A book published after his death is  The Allure of Gentleness: Defending the Faith in the Manner of Jesus.

NEW TESTAMENT SCHOLAR N.T. WRIGHT IN DIALOG AT HARVARD UNIVERSITY ON THE BIBLE

Last night before putting my hands in the dish pit to tackle a pile of dirty dishes (we have human dishwashers at our home!), I went to get my tablet to see if I might profitably feed my mind while doing the dishes.  I happened on an engaging dialog on the Bible featuring world famous New Testament scholar N.T. Wright and Harvard Professor of Philosophy Sean Kelly, a dialog moderated by Jay Harris, the Dean of Undergraduate Education and Professor of Jewish Studies  at Harvard.    N.T. Wright joins encyclopedic knowledge to gracious and entertaining verbal dexterity.  Professor Sean Kelly, for his part, displays disarming honesty and humility that I found quite winsome.  The opportunity to view dialogs like this on the internet would astonish previous generations and make them drool!

 

My previous blogs on N.T. Wright:

     N.T. Wright Interview on Life After Life After Death  (27 minutes)  (An interview occasioned by his book,  "Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.")

     N.T. Wright: "After You Believe" (A Review)

     N.T. Wright --  Easter Ought to be an Eight-Day Celebration

See also:

     N.T. Wright Page - an uofficial web page dedicated to the works of N.T. Wright

     YouTube videos featuring N.T. Wright 

     Books by N. T. Wright

RALPH REED - CONSERVATIVE RELIGIOUS VOTERS MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE 2014 ELECTIONS

Ralph Reed writes: 

. . . Perhaps no theme of 2014 ran more sharply in contrast to the conventional wisdom than the decisive role played by Evangelical Christians and other voters of faith. According to a post-election survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies, conservative Christians made up nearly one out of every three voters and voted eight-to-one for Republican candidates, creating the crest of a Republican wave that resulted in control of the U.S. Senate, a likely post–World War II high-water mark majority in the U.S. House, and critical victories in governors’ races.

On Election Day, self-identified conservative Christians made up 32 percent of the electorate and voted 86 percent Republican and only 12 percent Democrat. These voters contributed an astonishing 52.4 percent of all the votes received by Republican candidates. This constituency, the largest and most vibrant in the electorate, is larger than the African-American vote, Hispanic vote, union vote, and gay vote combined. White Evangelicals, meanwhile, made up 23 percent of the electorate and voted 82 percent Republican and 18 percent Democratic, according to the survey. 

ERIC METAXAS ON MIRACLES

Eric Metaxas,  bestselling author of Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy and the acclaimed Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery, today published his latest book:  Miracles: What They Are, Why They Happen, and How They Can Change Your Life.  I checked Amazon and read the endorsements --  wow!  Genuinely impressive:

“As a secular reader, I come to such books with a certain resistance. Metaxas won me over instantly by meeting me where I live. His intellectual honesty, coupled with an open-hearted wonder at the sheer breadth of human experience, is irresistible.”
—Christopher Noel, author, Impossible Visits

“If you’re a skeptic, read this book with an open mind and you might just discover that miracles are real. If you’re already a believer, be ready to be inspired.”
—Kirsten Powers, columnist for USA Today and The Daily Beast

“A dense, edgy and awe-inspiring report on the possibility of the impossible.”
—Dr. Markus Spieker, Reporter for German National Television and bestselling author of Hollywood Cinema in Nazi Germany
 
““No Christian thinker today combines reason and wit, argument and imagination, to greater effect.”
—Joseph Loconte, Associate Professor of History at the King's College, NYC and author, God, Locke, and Liberty: The Struggle for Religious Freedom in the West.
 
"Metaxas has done it again....he presents hope for the tone deaf who cannot hear the splendor of the music of the spheres, and he brings in sunlight for modern cave dwellers who have become accustomed to only shadows on the wall of our increasingly windowless world."
—Os Guinness, author Long Journey Home

Metaxas produced a Breakpoint commentary today titled "Existence Itself Is a Miracle" which is well worth reading.  He writes (or speaks, if you click the audio below):

NOW | DOWNLOAD

In my new book “Miracles” I point out that possibly the greatest evidence for the existence of miracles is the fact that we exist.

The universe as we know it requires such a careful calibration of variables as to render its mere existence—never mind the presence of intelligent life—a miracle in itself. The British astronomer and atheist Fred Hoyle, who coined the phrase “the Big Bang,” summed up the sheer improbability of existence by saying “The universe looks like a put-up job."

For instance, if the earth were slightly larger, it would of course have slightly more gravity. As a result, methane and ammonia gas, which have molecular weights of sixteen and seventeen respectively, would remain close to the surface of the earth. Since we can’t breathe methane or ammonia because of their toxicity, we would die.

If Earth were slightly smaller, water vapor would not stay close to the planet’s surface, but would instead dissipate into the atmosphere. Obviously, without water we couldn’t exist.

What’s true of Earth is true of the Universe as a whole. What physicists called the four fundamental forces—gravity, electromagnetism and the strong and weak nuclear forces—are so finely-tuned that if any of them were in the slightest degree different, our universe would not exist.

What’s more, each of these crucially precise values was established once and for all within one millionth of a second after the Big Bang. In other words, immediately.

IS THE PROGRESS OF SCIENCE INHIBITED BY BELIEVING IN GOD AS CREATOR?

I think Fazale Rana of Reasons to Believe  answers the question wisely.   He writes:

A few years ago, I took part in an email exchange with a prominent origin-of-life researcher after he read my book Origins of Life (coauthored with Hugh Ross). He expressed the concern that "the creationist perspective stops the questioning process."

I would be interested in how you think the "creation model approach...will lead to scientific advance." Your book clearly showed that science does not have all the answers to how life may have begun, and of course I agree with that conclusion. What this means to me is that we have some beautiful open questions to work on to try to find the answers. But in your book, at the end of each chapter, you typically ended with the creationist answer to open questions: God did it. This is what I meant by stopping the questioning process. If the answer is that God did it, where do we go from there?

I have found that this sentiment is widely held among scientists—and, frankly, it is a legitimate objection on some level. If the questioning process grinds to a halt, then science becomes impossible. Responding to this concern was one motivation for me and Hugh to develop and present a creation model for the origin of life. As scientists ourselves, we have no desire to stultify the question and research process. Rather, we believe that integrating biblical teachings on the origin of life with scientific data to form a legitimate model (replete with predictions) actually encourages the questioning process. Perhaps the creation model approach may even lead the scientific community to new and productive paths in the pursuit of life's origin.

LIVE STREAMING: RAVI ZACHARIAS AND DENNIS PRAGER DISCUSS "DOES GOD STILL MATTER? FINDING YOUR MORAL FOOTING IN THE QUICKSAND OF SECULARISM"

Note:  The dialog begins 7:00 PM Pacific Standard Time which means 10:00 PM in the Eastern United States. 

Ravi Zacharias announces:

On Saturday, February 22nd at 7:00 pm PST, nationally-syndicated radio show host Dennis Prager (www.dennisprager.com) and world-renowned Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias (www.rzim.org) will appear on stage together again — this time at Biola University in Los Angeles.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE LIVE STREAM

(You will be taken to Biola’s website for the stream)   The evening will be hosted by famed radio show host Frank Sontag of Los Angeles’ KKLA 99.5 FM.

From the event's description:

We live in trying times. Those of us who take belief in the God of the Bible seriously feel burdened by the problems that arise in our increasingly secular society. People are abandoning truth, Western culture is failing, and the lines between right and wrong are becoming irrevocably blurred.

The goal of this event is to allow two prominent voices in the public square – one Jewish (Prager), and one evangelical Christian (Ravi) – to engage in an open, honest and entertaining dialogue about these challenges we face as a nation and civilization. This is about asking and answering tough questions in a God-honoring and purposeful way.

LITERATE, STABLE "MAJORITY WORLD" DEMOCRACIES LINKED TO EARLY MISSIONARY INFLUENCE

John Stonestreet reports "The Truth About Missionaries."  He says:   Download

For the last several generations, missionaries have gotten a lot of bad press. They’re called cultural imperialists or tools of colonial oppression, and in the pages of books such as “The Poisonwood Bible,” or, for an earlier generation, James Michener’s “Hawaii,” they’re presented as paternalistic, ignorant enemies of glorious indigenous cultures.

Even many supporters of so-called “native missionaries” in Asia, Africa, and Latin America suggest that Western missionaries should just “stay home” and “let the nationals do it.” But a funny thing happened on the way to missionary irrelevance: Ground-breaking, peer-reviewed research reveals that the presence of Protestant missionaries is the greatest predictor of whether a nation develops into a stable representative democracy with robust levels of literacy, political freedom, and women’s rights.  [my emphases]

Yes, you heard that right, and you can read all about it in a fascinating and important cover story in the latest issue of Christianity Today. It describes the painstaking work of Robert Woodberry, whose work on the global spread of democracy has turned scholarship on its head.

Woodberry discovered that you can trace a direct link between the presence of 19^th-century Protestant missionaries and a country’s economic and social development.

Why, for instance, does a seminary in the West African nation of Togo have almost no books for its students, while in neighboring Ghana the schools are full of reading material, including much that is written locally? As summarized by CT author Andrea Palpant Dilley, “British missionaries in Ghana had established a whole system of schools and printing presses. But France, the colonial power in Togo, severely restricted missionaries.”

ERIC METAXAS SUGGESTS BOOKS FOR UNBELIEVERS

Anything suggested by Metaxas is worth considering.  Metaxas writes:

Have you wanted to give an unbelieving friend a book about the Christian faith, but afraid it might come across in the wrong way? I’ve got some great reads to recommend.

Listen Now | Download

Recently, Christianity Today asked me to recommend five books that would help non-believers better understand, and hopefully embrace, the Christian faith.

This being the season of giving, I’d like to share the list with BreakPoint listeners and ask you to consider giving these books as gifts to the non-believers God has placed in your life. And all of these books are the best kind of apologetics: apologetics that don’t read like apologetics.

The first book is called “The Searchers: A Quest for Faith in the Valley of Doubt” by Joe Loconte. In an earlier BreakPoint, I called this book a “kind of field guide” to the spiritual restlessness that pervades our culture.

As Loconte tells us, notwithstanding the increasing number of people who don’t identify with any religion, our society is filled with what he calls “God Seekers.” These people “don’t always look in the right places, [but] there’s no doubt that they are seeking.”

Colson Center's new TV Series starts tonight! (Nov. 25, 8:30 EST, NRB Network)

Colson Center's new TV Series starts tonight!
(November 25, 8:30 EST, NRB Network)

"Worldview from the Colson Center" begins airing each Monday night on the NRB Network on DIRECTV, SkyAngel, ROKU and a number of affiliate stations. It will also be live-streamed from the NRB Network Web site and on the NRB Android app.

The first twelve episodes will re-present Chuck Colson’s much-acclaimed “Doing the Right Thing” video series on rebuilding our society’s ethical foundations.

C.S. LEWIS DIED 50 YEARS AGO TODAY; SAME DAY AS JOHN F. KENNEDY

No individual has had a more profound effect on my thinking than C.S. Lewis.  In saying that, I realize I am but one of thousands of people who gladly say the same.   Michael Gerson, former speech writer for George W. Bush, penned a good piece on Lewis today.   It sparkles.   I urge you to click through and read it.  In the course of his article he links to Lewis's essay "The Poison of Subjectivism," a profound short essay which I have reread many times over the years.   Gerson titles his piece, "C.S. Lewis, our guide to the good life."

- John Stonestreet of Breakpoint has penned several excellent pieces on Lewis and his writings this week.  Check out "Narnia's Got it All: The World According to C.S. Lewis."   For the audio:   Listen Now | Download

- Stonestreet interviewed author and Lewis aficionado, Professor Joe Rigney,  who explains "How to Live Like a Narnia."  It's a 24 minute audio interview.  Listen Now | Download  Rigney wrote "Live Like A Narnian: Christian Discipleship in Lewis's Chronicles.

My own previous posts on Lewis can be found here:  http://muddlingtowardmaturity.typepad.com/my_weblog/c_s_lewis/

Note: Breakpoint has been featuring C.S. Lewis all week:

Listen Now | Download

• Narnia's Got It All
  By John Stonestreet
• See-Through Morality
  By John Stonestreet
• C. S. Lewis, Reepicheep, and Our Chests
  By John Stonestreet
• Screwtape and the Cure of Souls
  By Eric Metaxas
• Remembering C. S. Lewis
  By Eric Metaxas
• God's Double Agent
  By Eric Metaxas

CHRISTIAN PHILOSOPHER J.P. MORELAND ANSWERS QUESTIONS (VIDEO)

I appreciate Moreland's deep learning and wisdom and his ability to express himself clearly and succinctly.  The following Q&A is a great treat.

 

CHRIST IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

I'm aware that I posted a Keith & Kristyn Getty Easter hymn a couple days ago, but today I came across another of their great Easter hymns that I would like to post as well.   

 

How can it be, the One who died,
Has borne our sin through sacrifice
To conquer every sting of death?
Sing, sing hallelujah.
For joy awakes as dawning light
When Christ’s disciples lift their eyes.
Alive He stands, their Friend and King;
Christ, Christ He is risen.

Chorus
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed!
Oh, sing hallelujah.
Join the chorus, sing with the redeemed;
Christ is risen, He is risen indeed.

Verse 2
Where doubt and darkness once had been,
They saw Him and their hearts believed.
But blessed are those who have not seen,
Yet, sing hallelujah.
Once bound by fear now bold in faith,
They preached the truth and power of grace.
And pouring out their lives they gained
Life, life everlasting.

Verse 3
The power that raised Him from the grave
Now works in us to powerfully save.
He frees our hearts to live His grace;
Go tell of His goodness.

Bridge
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Heaven’s gates are opened wide.
He’s alive, He’s alive!
Now in heaven glorified.

Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, and Ed Cash; © 2012 Gettymusic and Alletrop Music (BMI) (adm. by MusicServices.org)

CHRISTIANITY AND THE ARTS

Justin Taylor spotlights a new book to be published next month that looks particularly good, Jerram Barrs' Echoes of Eden: Reflections on Christianity, Literature, and the Arts,  Taylor quotes Tim Keller's endorsement:

Echoes of Eden is the most accessible, readable, and yet theologically robust work on Christianity and the arts that you will be able to find. It is biblical, theologically sound, filled with examples, and edifying. It anticipates and answers well all the most common questions that evangelical people ask about the arts. I highly recommend it.

Here is the table of contents:

1 God and Humans as Creative Artists
2 Imitation, the Heart of the Christian’s Approach to Creativity
3 Building a Christian Understanding of the Artist’s Calling
4 How Do We Judge the Arts?
5 Echoes of Eden: God’s Testimony to the Truth
6 The Conversion of C. S. Lewis and Echoes of Eden in His Life
7 Echoes of Eden in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings
8 Harry Potter and the Triumph of Self-Sacrificing Love
9 Shakespeare and a Christian Worldview
10 Jane Austen, Novelist of the Human Heart

Me:   I'm thinking this book will be pure delight.  

CHRIST IS RISEN!

 

JESUS HAS BORNE OUR GRIEFS AND CARRIED OUR SORROWS

Isaiah 53:4 - "Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows..."   Tragedy struck a family in our church recently; a three year old girl died in a terrible auto accident.  The grieving mother is finding comfort in the closeness of the Lord.  She testifies that the comfort of the Holy Spirit is washing over her soul as she presses close to Him.  The veil separating this life and heaven has become thin.   The Holy Spirit ministers to those who move closer, rather than away, from Him.  It's been rightly said, "Whatever we're going through, Jesus will meet us there."

 

WHAT RAVI ZACHARIAS SAID TO A FOUNDER-LEADER OF HAMAS

Three minutes of substance worth pondering.  (HT: Justin Taylor)

Ravi's website is here.

TIM KELLER'S READING LIST ON CULTURE

Found here:

Luc Ferry, A Brief History of Thought | "If you only read one, read this one."
Steven Smith, The Disenchantment of Secular Discourse
Jonathan Haidt, The Righteous Mind
Andrew Delbanco, The Real American Dream: A Meditation on Hope
John Gray, Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
Lesslie Newbigin, The Gospel in a Pluralist Society (approximately the first 65 pages)
Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice: Rights and Wrongs (pp. 324-362) | "Probably the most difficult reading."
Michael Sandel, Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do?
Miroslav Volf, Exclusion & Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation

Me: I have no particular comment on this list since the only book I've read is Lesslie Newbigin's The Gospel in a Pluralist Society.  But that book, along with several others he wrote, has played an important role in shaping the contours of my mind.  Because of Newbigin's experience living and serving in India, when he returned to the UK later in life, he brought a rich worldview perspective that challenged and nourished the Western Christian mind in important ways.

 

As for the first book on Keller's list,  A Brief History of Thought, about which he wrote "If you only read one, read this one,"Justin Taylor quotes him further:

This book right now is a terrific, fast way to get a handle on western culture because:

It’s a great survey of western thought—very few are available, especially from a non-Christian who is sympathetic to Christianity. All other books you buy will be less comprehensive. Though his expression of Christian doctrine is often garbled, Ferry has deep appreciation for Christianity, and when he describes how Christianity swept Greco-Roman paganism away as a cultural force, it is a remarkable, eye-opening account. It shows a) how complex and difficult it is to change culture, but b) how indeed culture does get changed. The shifts away from Christianity are also extremely interesting.

MICHAEL SHERMER & DINESH D'SOUZA DEBATE - "IS CHRISTIANITY GOOD FOR AMERICAN POLITICS"

October, 2012

 

CHICK-FIL-A EMPLOYEE TRAINING VIDEO

This is simply great!

 

C.S. LEWIS -- HERE IS A ONE-STOP RESOURCE SITE

Here's a wonderful listing of C.S. Lewis quotes, bibliographies, and articles about C.S. Lewis.   How convenient and helpful!  And speaking of C.S. Lewis, here's a site that gives us an audio recording of C.S. Lewis speaking over the BBC using the text that would later become part of Mere Christianity.   The site also presents C.S. Lewis in his own voice reading the introduction to The Great Divorce.

Tilda Swinton played the White Witch in the latest movie version of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.   In an interview she offers her perspective on how she sought to portray her character saying,

 It's not always necessarily the most frightening thing for small children to be shouted at.  Children shout and get hot themselves all the time, and in my experience it's actually a relief if you shout back at them.  Whereas the thing that's really unfathomable for children is a kind of coldness and emotional detachment; that's the thing they don't do.  So it occurred to me it would be more frightening to be faced with something really unaffectable.  You can't affect the Witch; you can't appeal to her; she's incapable of any compassion. Someone who gets angry is emotional; I thought it would be fun to shake up that stereotype.

Note:  I posted the above back on March 8, 2006.  Jennifer, an alert reader, wrote me that the first link was broken.  She supplied me with a link to the C.S. Lewis section of the Online University which I used as a replacement for the broken link.   Anyone interested in C.S. Lewis will find an incredible wealth of material at the Online University website.   Particularly astonishing to me is the availability of some of Lewis's full essays such as "Meditation in a Toolshed" (a must-read classic!!), "On the Reading of Old Books," "We Have No Right to Happiness" (posted on a Muslim Sunni website!), "De Descriptione Temporum," and a link to the additional following essays from God in the Dock: "Is Progress Possible? Willing Slaves of the Welfare State",  "Man or Rabbit",  "What are we to Make of Jesus Christ?"  There are still many more essays available!  Amazing!!

WORLD MAGAZINE NAMES RODNEY STARK'S "THE TRIUMPH OF CHRISTIANITY" ITS BOOK OF THE YEAR

The full title of Stark's book is The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion (HarperOne).   In presenting the book as World's Book of the Year, Marvin Olasky does an excellent job presenting sketches from the book. 

[...] After Stark spends 200 pages on the triumph of Christianity, he turns to some defeats. The biggest ones came in the Middle East and across northern Africa, where Muslims murdered hundreds of thousands. Stark, quoting Muslim bragging about churches and lives destroyed, points out that "a great deal of nonsense has been written about Muslim tolerance." He calls the Crusades a "fundamentally defensive" counter-attack "precipitated by Islamic provocations, by many centuries of bloody attempts to colonize the West, and by sudden new attacks on Christian pilgrims and holy places."

Stark also criticizes other historians for being "as gullible as tourists, gaping at the monuments, palaces, and conspicuous consumption of Rome." He decries "the inability of intellectuals to value or even to notice the nuts and bolts of real life," and goes on to note medieval progress in windmills, crop rotation, chimneys, and a host of other practical matters.

He also calls "the Renaissance" a ridiculous myth: "Had there really been a return to classical knowledge, it would have created an era of cultural decline since Christian Europe had long since surpassed classical antiquity in nearly every way."

And yet, Stark mocks the idea of a medieval "Age of Faith," for "the masses of medieval Europeans not only were remarkably skeptical, but very lacking in all aspects of Christian commitment." Most people seldom if ever went to church, and some who did slept and snored, played cards while the pastor preached, or brought their dogs: "Most medieval Europeans were completely ignorant of the most basic Christian teachings," and many priests did not know the Lord's Prayer or other fundamentals.   [more...]

TIM KELLER, CELEBRATED PASTOR OF REDEEMER PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN NYC, SPEAKS AT GOOGLE HEADQUARTERS

Yesterday in conversation with a pastor friend from New York, we chatted about numerous topics, including the subject of Tim Keller, the justly well-known pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.  I asked my friend if he knew that Tim Keller had spoken at Google headquarters in California on "The Reason for God." That surprised my friend.  Keller's talk (below)  is well-worth viewing.   (Keller's book carries the same title,  "The Reason for God,"  which I blogged about previously here).

 

I also mentioned to my friend that Tim had recently written a book, The Meaning of Marriage, and that Google had once again invited him to speak, but this time at their New York City headquarters.  That talk can be viewed below.

 

More Tim Keller videos follow:

VIDEOS: WHEATON COLLEGE 2012 THEOLOGY CONFERENCE ON BONHOEFFER

The official title of the April, 2012 Wheaton Theology conference,  was "Bonhoeffer, Christ, and Culture."  Videos and mp3s of the presentations are available here.

A stunning Bonhoeffer quote I read years ago continues to challenge me:

“Nothing can be more cruel than the tenderness that consigns another to his sin.  Nothing can be more compassionate than the severe rebuke that calls a brother back from the path of sin.” - from Life Together

CHUCK COLSON, FOUNDER OF PRISON FELLOWSHIP, HAS PASSED AWAY

Chuck Colson resides up there with the top half-dozen or so men whom I respect most highly.  I love the way his evangelistic passion was joined to a mind fully engaged with the streams of thought current in the world today.  What a legacy he has left! 

I value Emily Belz's tribute and her highlighting of Colson's accomplishments and thinking.

The Jewish columnist, Mona Charen, wrote:

"This is a deeply cynical country these days, and yes, there is much to be cynical about. But there are people who achieve moral greatness. And one just died today. RIP."

Justin Taylor writes:

Charles Wendell (“Chuck”) Colson went home to be with the Lord this afternoon (April 21, 2012). He was 80 years old.

The announcement is here. You can also read Sarah Pulliam Bailey’s obituary at CT.

Mr. Colson’s memoir Born Again was published in 1975. Earlier that year he had been released from a seven-month stint in federal prison after pleading guilty of obstructing justice in the Watergate investigation. He had converted to Christianity in 1973 after serving four years as Special Counsel for President Richard Nixon. C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity was pivotal in his spiritual repentance and awakening. The memoir was made into a 1978 film starring Dean Jones. In 2005 Jonathan Aitken—himself a former politician turned prison turned convert to Christianity turned author—penned an authorized biography, Charles W. Colson: A Life Redeemed (WaterBrook Press). On October 15, 2008, Mr. Colson gave his testimony at Columbia University during a Veritas Forum. It was entitled “How God Turned Around Nixon’s Hatchet Man,” and you can watch it below:

 

 

 

 From Prison Fellowship "Remembering Chuck Colson":

 

CHRIST IS RISEN FROM THE DEAD!

I was awakened this morning at 6:20 by my sister proclaiming with a shout: "Christ is risen!"  I groggily replied, "He is risen indeed!"  We had slept a bit late and had to hustle to get to the Easter morning sunrise service by 7:00 AM, but we made it!  And with five minutes to spare!  And what a glorious service it was!  A young man, speaking from his wheel chair, spoke with power, conviction, and joy of the fact of Christ's resurrection and it's implications for us as individuals and the world.  At the end he sang a solo, Stuart Townend's song, "See What a Morning!"  I had not heard that song before, but love it, and feel confident it will become a classic.  I've posted it below.  Enjoy!  And be encouraged!  Let the message of Christ's resurrection ring out throughout the world!

 

DAVID BROOKS - THE KILLER THAT IS INSIDE EACH OF US

I came upon David Brooks' article "When the Good Do Bad" via Charles Colson's Breakpoint article, "The Line Between Good and Evil."  Both articles ponder the tragedy of Staff Sargent Robert Bales, the U.S. soldier who allegedly murdered 16 Afghan civilians, including women and children.

Both meditations are worth reading.  In their own way, they make similar points.  From Colson's article, I appreciated his recounting Alexandr Solzhenitsyn's profoundly true observation:

“The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart.”

And,

“This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. Even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained; and even in the best of all hearts, there remains a small corner of evil.”

This is the extraordinary insight germane to the Christian understanding of reality and the human heart.  David Brooks understands and accepts this perspective.  He begins his article saying,

RABBI DANIEL LAPIN SPEAKS ON BAAL - ANCIENT AND MODERN

IMPORTANT:  Anyone concerned about American cultural degeneracy will want to listen to Rabbi Lapin's insightful explanation of the "Baal force" that has exerted such a powerful negative thrust on the land in the past few decades.   Baal influence is as strong today as ever in history.  It is "enormously seductive" Lapin says.  It involves yielding to our lower natures, to bodily appetites, to darkness and hopelessness.

I saw this program back in early February when Glenn Beck was still on TV and said to myself,  "I need to put this material on my blog."   I urge you to carve out time to watch the following video segments.  It will put a lot of things into perspective.

Part 1

 

Part 2

 

Part 3

 

Part 4

 

 Part 5

 

Part 6

 

Rabbi Lapin's conclusion was extraordinary, wasn't it?  He said the only hope for defeating this destructive force is Evangelical Christianity (with other Judeo-Christian religious systems thrown in as well).  

Update: Rabbi Lapin spoke in one of the segments above on the Baal emphasis on human waste.  Gateway Pundit published a news report today on Wall Street protestors caught on tape dumping tubs of feces down a bank stairwell and in a bank lobby.

CELEBRATING FRANCIS SCHAEFFER'S LIFE

Francis Schaeffer would have been 100 years old yesterday.  Chuck Colson describes the life and influence of this remarkable man in the short clip below. I count myself as one of many deeply affected by Schaeffer.  In college I heard him deliver a series of lectures that formed the basis for his book, "The God Who Is There."  He powerfully impressed me with his obvious passion and deep concern for "Speaking Historic Christianity into the 20th Century."  Like many others, I found his grasp of the ramifications of Christian faith for the whole of life and culture foundational and formative to my thinking.

 

In the clip above, Chuck Colson sounds a call for Christians to "get out of the pew and engage culture!" and urges people to sign the Manhattan Declaration.

Recommendations of T.A. Moore at the Colson Center:

Bing Davis, “Truth with Love: The Apologetics of Francis Schaeffer”
Barry Hankins, “Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelicals” (podcast)
Peggy J. Haslar, “Francis Schaeffer’s Double-edged Ethic”
Todd Kappelman, “The Need to Read: Francis Schaeffer”
Fred Sanders, “Come, Christian Triune God Who Lives”

Links from the "Colson Library" include:

Ranald Macauley - Learning from Francis Schaeffer: The Legacy and Relevance of His Vision

Francis Schaeffer, the founder of L’Abri Fellowship, espoused two main concepts in his vision for genuine and effective Christian living: “true truth” and “true spirituality.” The idea of “true truth” came out of Schaeffer’s love for Scripture, which forms a lens through which all other reality makes sense. He encouraged others to recognize the falseness of all worldviews other than a biblically Christian one from his home in Switzerland, which he called L’Abri (or, “the Shelter” in French). The ministry of Francis and his wife Edith slowly grew to become the first of eight communities and study centers that now exist around the world. The idea of “true spirituality” was implemented at L’Abri by substituting organization and programs with prayer in an effort to emphasize the importance of experiencing and imitating Christ. Though influential both in Europe and America, parts of Schaffer’s message were either misunderstood or ignored. However, his concerns are still relevant today, nearly fifty years later, in light of the condition of modern society.

Barry Hankins - Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelicals

Timothy George interviews Barry Hankins about his biography Francis Schaeffer and the Shaping of Evangelical America.  Although initially an ardent separatist-fundamentalist, Schaeffer became one of the most influential components of evangelical cultural engagement.

Peggy J. Haslar Francis Schaeffer's Double-Edged Ethic (Fall 1989)

The life of Francis Schaeffer stands as a testament to how to live an uncompromising Christian life while expressing genuine love for others, both Christian and non-Christian. Even when caught up in controversy, as is unavoidable when living a life guided by orthodoxy, Schaeffer unceasingly loved those with whom he disagreed.

As for me, I think one of the foremost contemporary thinkers in the Schaeffer tradition would be Nancy Pearcey.   Her book Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from its Cultural Captivity is extremely helpful.  I'm delinquent in not having yet read her latest book, Saving Leonardo: A Call to Resist the Secular Assault on Mind, Morals, and Meaning.   David Limbaughs says of her:

Nancy is scholarly. A great thinker and a great writer. She grasps worldview issues as much or more than anybody writing on them today. I consider her the modern-day successor to Francis Schaeffer. As a student of his, and as someone carrying on his work, she brings to the discussion a knowledge of theology, as well as a knowledge of politics and social issues. I think she is the whole package.”

For a valuable review of Saving Leonardo click here.

WHAT DOES "WORLDLINESS" MEAN?

From Justin Taylor's post:

In his book Losing Our Virtue David Wells described "worldliness" as

that system of values, in any given age, which has at its center our fallen human perspective, which displaces God and his truth from the world, and which makes sin look normal and righteousness seem strange. It thus gives great plausibility to what is morally wrong and, for that reason, makes what is wrong seem normal. (p. 4)

Me:  Excellent

WHAT MOTIVATED THE CHRISTIAN VILLAGERS OF LE CHAMBON TO RESCUE JEWISH CHILDREN DURING WORLD WAR II?

Charles Colson recounts the story.

[...] Drayton Nabers writes [in The Hidden Key to Happiness] that when the Nazis began rounding up French Jews to send to concentration camps, Trocme -- a French reformed pastor -- determined to provide sanctuary for them.

They did so despite the fact that the punishment for sheltering Jews was death. They did so even though the villagers themselves were desperately poor;  since the Trocmes often had several children staying in their  home, the Trocmes’ own four children often had very little to eat.

At various times, government and even church authorities ordered Trocme to turn over any Jews hiding in the village. He refused, and was himself thrown into prison. His cousin Daniel Trocme, who also rescued Jews, was executed in a concentration camp. Other villagers also died while protecting Jews. By the war’s end, Le Chambon was known to be a city of refuge, and the Trocmes were recognized by Holocaust memorial groups for their heroism.

Learning about the people of Le Chambon, Nabers wondered: How are we to understand such extraordinary group submission to the call of God, and Trocme’s ability to lead his people to such valiant obedience?

First, Trocme’s sermons “were biblically based with a heavy emphasis on the source of the believer’s power to follow God.” He often focused on the Christian’s obligation to protect the helpless, even in defiance of the authorities.

Second, the courage of the villagers was strengthened by regular small group meetings that were washed in prayer, moving “the hearts of those who would later provide refuge at risk of their lives.”

Third, the Protestant villagers could identify with persecution, because their Huguenot ancestors were persecuted in Catholic France.

Fourth, the villagers had developed habits of virtue, compassion, helping; rescuing the Jews was the fruit of these habits.  [more . . .]

Me: I'm impressed with the factors that enabled and inspired the people of Le Chambon to act so courageously.   There's a real pattern here to emulate.

LESS STROBEL INTERVIEWS BRIAN AUTEN, FOUNDER OF THE BEST CHRISTIAN APOLOGETICS WEBSITE ON THE NET: "APOLOGETICS 315"

Before beginning his interview with Brian Auten, Lee Strobel introduces "Apologetics 315" by saying:   (HT: Wintery Knight)

Apologetics 315 features a terrific compilation of material for Christians to equip themselves to better define and defend the faith. It’s full of links to resources dealing with every imaginable area of apologetics. As a regular reader of the site, I became curious what its creator, Brian Auten, thinks about the current state of apologetics around the world—and he was willing to share his insights by answering a few questions.

Strobel then asks Auten:

• Every year, the U.S. president gives a “State of the Union” address to Congress. What’s your assessment of the “State of Apologetics” today?

The “state of apologetics” today should encourage us. Not only has there been a large proliferation of publishing on both the academic and popular levels, there is a growing online presence of apologetics resources and ministries. Within the last five years the number of apologetics websites, blogs, and podcasts has increased dramatically. We have now reached the point where anyone with an Internet connect has access to more resources for defending the faith than any time in the past.

In addition, seminaries across the U.S. are offering more courses in apologetics, with some featuring Masters of Arts in Apologetics, such as Biola, Southern Evangelical, and Liberty University.

At this point I will pick and choose a few questions and answers but you really need to read the whole interview.

• What websites do you find helpful for apologetics?

For apologetics resources that are great for the layman, www.PleaseConvinceMe.com is a great place to go for material in the form of both articles and podcasts. Stand to Reason is another great resource. I also appreciate www.BeThinking.org for a lot of good audio resources, as well as articles. Finally, William Lane Craig’s website, www.ReasonableFaith.org, is a good place for scholarly work in the areas of philosophy and classical apologetics

• Who are your favorite contemporary apologists and why?

Apologists who have an attitude of Christlikeness in their tone and character—along with demonstrating wisdom and integrity—really earn respect from me and make me want to learn from them and emulate those characteristics. Although I could mention a large number who have had an impact on me, let me just share three who I find to be good examples.

William Lane Craig is among my favorites, not only for his intellectual clarity and brilliance, but also for his humility, tone, and consistency. On a scholarly level, he is certainly worthy of much respect, but I wouldn’t place that above his personal manner, carefulness in properly representing views, and being a faithful teacher in the local church.

Ken Samples is another favorite. One will immediately notice his love of learning coupled with a humble tone. He has a clear, careful, and charitable style. Ken is both extremely knowledgeable and a great communicator.

I would also point to pastors like Tim Keller (New York) or David Robertson (Scotland) as examples of pastors who are excellent apologists. They both have been engaged on the front lines with contemporary issues for quite some time, they have a broad knowledge base, and they communicate warmly and effectively with a wide variety of audiences.

I close with a final quote:

Certainly my favorite part of Apologetics 315 is the apologist interviews. These are a chance to interact and gain insights from some of the best Christian thinkers today. Past guests have included William Lane Craig, Gary Habermas, J.P. Moreland, Frank Turek, Paul Copan, Michael Licona, Greg Koukl, Sean McDowell, Craig Hazen, Douglas Groothuis, and many more.