For many people a hymn is nothing more than some truth made pretty. But such an understanding would be like viewing a person as a soul with some pretty skin. Yet just as a human has a whole anatomy working together to make him what he is, so a hymn has many components that help… Continue Reading
Last time we observed the fact that we sing because the Bible commands us to sing. But let’s get a little bit deeper than simply singing because we’re told. Why, exactly, has God told us to sing in worship? We can certainly recognize why he commands things like preaching and praying and reading the Scriptures.… Continue Reading
If God does indeed imbue creation with his own value judgments, we are obligated to order our loves in analogy to his. If what I’m arguing is true, we are blameworthy, not only when we believe mistakenly (and thereby do not conform to God’s knowledge of himself or of his creation), but also when we… Continue Reading
In this series, we are establishing a theological foundation for conservatism, specifically the objective nature of aesthetic judgments. See part 1 here, part 2 here, and part 3 here. Sin is a rejection of the aseity of God. The theology of the aseity of God may well seem utterly abstract; to combat that misperception, I’d like… Continue Reading
In this series, we are establishing a theological foundation for conservatism, specifically the objective nature of aesthetic judgments. See part 1 here and part 2 here. Implications of God’s aseity The world derives its meaning by virtue of its being revealed by God. Before the beginning, God alone was. And God created all things, and everything… Continue Reading
Characteristic of our age is the wholehearted embrace of relativisms; I speak of relativisms (in the plural) because we can consider relativism from several (interrelated) perspectives. I often make use of a tripartite conception of man (as mind, will, and emotion) to classify some important relativistic views. If relativism is applied to mind, we relinquish… Continue Reading
I have received several e-mails asking if parts or all custom writing paper of this series may be used in church newsletters, bulletin inserts, etc. You may feed free to use and reproduce anything on this site as long as nothing is changed and proper attribution is given! Full Paper (PDF) Part 1 – Introduction… Continue Reading
Part 2 of Scott Aniol’s discussion with Michael Riley. In this episode, Scott and Michael discuss the issue of meaning in form. [podcast]http://www.religiousaffections.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/02-Can-Rap-Be-Christian-Part-2.mp3[/podcast] Download Subscribe to our Podcast! iTunes | RSS Continue Reading
The following is taken from Sound Worship: a Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World. Part 1: Introduction Part 2: The Source of Beauty Part 3: The Marring of Beauty Part 4: The Redemption of Beauty The Judgment of Beauty Once a person becomes a Christian — once his capacity to recognize beauty… Continue Reading
Today we finally arrive at a discussion of the nature of rap itself. This post will be beneficial for you, however, only if you accept the following assertions on made on Monday: Man is completely depraved and thus cannot trust his own preferences implicitly. Music is a medium of human communication and thus must be… Continue Reading
Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, by Bryan Chapell. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009. 307 pp. $24.99. “Structures tell stories.” So opens Bryan Chapell’s recent volume, Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice, published by Baker Academic. Chapell, noted homiletician, theologian, and author of the popular volume, Christ-Centered Preaching, is president of… Continue Reading