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Category: Practical Theology

  • How Seminary Helps Contextualization

    [This post is part of the Ethics of Contextualization series] Earlier today, Kevin DeYoung posted some thoughts on James Emery White’s book What They Didn’t Teach You in Seminary: 25 Lessons for Successful Ministry in Your Church.  What caught my eye however, was that Perry Noble wrote the Foreword. Now, you may remember last week…

  • Anti-Psalm 23

    I’m on my own. No one looks out for me or protects me. I experience a continual sense of need. Nothing’s quite right. I’m always restless. I’m easily frustrated and often disappointed. It’s a jungle—I feel overwhelmed. It’s a desert—I’m thirsty. My soul feels broken, twisted, and stuck. I can’t fix myself. I stumble down…

  • Final Authority Doesn’t Mean Only Authority

    Peter Leithart has an interesting article over at Credenda/Adenda interacting with some of Christian Smith’s thought. In The Bible Made Impossible, Smith critiques a view of Scripture called “biblicism,” and in his How to Go from Being a Good Evangelical to a Committed Catholic in Ninety-Five Difficult Steps Smith also critique sola Scriptura. Leithart responds with this:…

  • Playing Hurt

    Brian Goins is the pastor of Renaissance Bible Church in Charlotte, NC. He and his wife Jennifer regularly speak at Weekend to Remember events for Family Life, and he has also worked as the creative director for Insight for Living. Like yours truly, he is also a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary. In this book,…

  • Celebrating Hell In the Name of Contextualization

    [This post is part of the Ethics of Contextualization series] From the outset, I just want to make sure you don’t misconstrue this post as an attack on Perry Noble’s character. He just happens to provide a clear cut example of the problem I’d like to address. I’m not thoroughly familiar with his ministry or…

  • Contextualization

    [This post is part of the Ethics of Contextualization series] Before looking into some issues related to contextualization, it just might be helpful to clarify what I mean by the term. Though I won’t engage them directly, you might peruse the posts with the label “contextualization” over at the Pyromaniac’s blog. I read that blog…

  • The Beginning and End of Wisdom

    Before getting a copy of this book, I had never heard of Douglas Sean O’Donnell. After what I’ve read in this book, I’d like to hear some more. O’Donnell is the senior pastor of New Covenant Church in Naperville, IL and along with this book, has written on worship and Old Testament songs. Overview This…

  • Marriage Matters Small Group Materials

    If you remember back a few months, I reviewed the book, Marriage Matters, and thought it would be a great resource whether you’re newly married like we are, or have been married for some time. I guess the folks at New Growth Press thought the same and now they’ve made a Study Guide and Facilitator’s…

  • The Ethics of Contextualization

    It may not seem like I need another series going on the blog. Yet, after some of the recent conversations I’ve heard about The Elephant Room both past and upcoming, I decided for my own clarity of thought, it might be good to explore contextualization. Specifically, I’d like to explore the ethics of contextualization. This…

  • The World-Tilting Gospel

    Dan Phillips is perhaps best known for his posts at the team blog, Pyromaniacs, but he also has his own personal blog to boot. He’s a graduate of Talbot Seminary and has taught extensively on the book of Proverbs and the sovereignty of God. In this book, he has constructed a easy to read explanation…