Calvinism: My History 2

This looks to be a good series by Scot McKnight: Jesus Creed » Calvinism: My History 2:

One of the focal points of my lectures was the Warning Passages, texts that are one of high Calvinism’s (or at least monergism’s) biggest challenges. If it can be established that genuine believers can fall away and lose their salvation then any sense of effectual grace or perseverance (as God’s preservation) are undone.

Dawkins vs. Dawkins

Dawkins now claims he did debate Craig in 2010, while in 2010 he said it wasn't a debate...: Edward Feser: Dawkins vs. Dawkins:

So, two years ago Dawkins insisted that his encounter with Craig in Mexico was not a debate; and only weeks ago he loudly and publicly acknowledged that he refuses to debate Craig. Yet, in response to my statement on the air that he refuses to debate Craig, Dawkins now insists that this is “contrary” to the truth and needs to be “corrected,” citing the 2010 non-debate encounter as evidence. What is going on here?

Christmas – Myth or History?

A nice response from Paul Barnett to a story trying to debunk the Christmas story: Christmas – Myth or History? | Paul Barnett:

You cannot but be impressed with the zeal of the modern sceptic and reciprocally unimpressed with the lethargy of the contemporary Christian. Right on track the Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Weekend (3rd December, 2011) has a lengthy and well-researched article, Divine Intervention’ (Fenella Souter) in which she debunks the historical basis for the first Christmas.

Free eBooks

Monergism Books have a few ebooks for download, worth checking out: Free eBooks

[ 11 ] ridiculously practical ways to avoid consumerism this season » Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep

Some good advice: J.R. Briggs » [ 11 ] ridiculously practical ways to avoid consumerism this season » Attempting to behold the miracle long enough without falling asleep:

I’ve been reflecting on several practical and specific ways together we could make Advent a meaningful experience – different from other Christmas seasons in years past.

BBC News - Christians in China: Is the country in spiritual crisis?

And some people say as a nation develops their belief in God declines: BBC News - Christians in China: Is the country in spiritual crisis?:

It is impossible to say how many Christians there are in China today, but no-one denies the numbers are exploding.

The government says 25 million, 18 million Protestants and six million Catholics. Independent estimates all agree this is a vast underestimate. A conservative figure is 60 million. There are already more Chinese at church on a Sunday than in the whole of Europe.

'via Blog this'

Authors@Google: Timothy Keller

I think this is the second time Keller got to speak at Google about a book he has written, looks good: Authors@Google: Timothy Keller - YouTube:

Timothy Keller visits Google's New York, NY office to discuss his book "The Meaning of Marriage." This event took place on November 14, 2011, as part of the Authors@Google series.

7 statistics about Australians and Christian beliefs

A quick overview of belief in Australia (not much has changed). 7 statistics about Australians and Christian beliefs | Communicate Jesus:

Interestingly (and contrary to media reporting), these beliefs haven’t changed in 50 years.

Advent Guide

Chandlers church has put together an advent guide for families: Advent Guide (pdf):

The Advent season officially commences on the fourth Sunday (Advent Sunday) before Christmas and continues until Christmas Eve or Day. Various theological traditions celebrate the season through an array of customs.

Bad Theology = Bad Marriage

Does God love us regardless of what we do, so our spouse should as well? Bad Theology = Bad Marriage:

I’m afraid a lot of people are going to be in for a shock. Listen, I’m not being judgmental, I’m just telling you the truth. Your marriage reflects your theology and your faith. If you can’t live it at home, you can’t live it. If your relationship is suffering, if it stinks, check your thinking. It may be more about your bad theology than your bad marriage.

That’s Christmas

A good 9 minute clip defending the history of the Christmas event: Video: That’s Christmas | Communicate Jesus

Don't Be Like Candace with Your Spiritual Gifts

A good article on spiritual gifts. A while back I did the 3 colours of ministry book and the below quote sums up my issues with things like that: Don't Be Like Candace with Your Spiritual Gifts | 9Marks:

Many churches have used spiritual gift tests to help members discern their gifts. Such tests are not necessarily wrong, but they are a bit like the answers at the back of the math book. They might give you the right answer, but using them to avoid working out the solution misses the point of the exercise.

Also, such tests can work like self-fulfilling prophecies. We answer questions according to how we like to view ourselves, not as we really are.

What part of “nothing” don’t you understand?

Edward Feser responding to a Science article about the start of the universe: Edward Feser: What part of “nothing” don’t you understand?:

So what’s the point of all this ado about nothing? You know what the point is: To try to show that physics alone can explain the existence of the universe. Hence the key line of the piece: “Perhaps the big bang was just nothingness doing what comes naturally.” But read in a straightforward way, this is just nonsense, for reasons of the sort already given: If this so-called “nothingness” has a “nature” and “does” things, then it isn’t really “nothingness” at all that we’re talking about. And of course, the article and the physicists it quotes don’t really mean “nothingness” in a straightforward way in the first place.

Christian Scholarship in the Secular Academy

Should you study theology in the world, or apart from the world? Christian Scholarship in the Secular Academy – The Gospel Coalition Blog:

Richard Lints believes it is absolutely vital that evangelical scholars study in the secular academy. Lints, who teaches at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, earned degrees at the University of Notre Dame and then the University of Chicago. He points out in this discussion with fellow theologian Michael Horton that many of the so-called new evangelicals leaders who emerged after the Second World War studied at such prestigious schools as Harvard and Princeton. The continued marginalization of evangelical scholarship in the decades since then illustrates the high cost of avoiding these culture gatekeepers.

An Evaluation Of The 2011 Edition Of The New International Version

Quite a good article on the NIV11, it focuses on the controversial changes as well as the update to the English language: Themelios | Article: An Evaluation Of The 2011 Edition Of The New International Version - The Gospel Coalition:

Is the NIV11 a viable, usable translation in conservative churches? In order to decide that, we should first ask on what bases such a question should be evaluated.