Tag Archives: theology

Edwards on the proportion of reverence to boldness

Edwards on the proportion of reverence to boldness

For those who have not (yet) read it, Edwards’s Religious Affections argues what are the proper marks of a genuine work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the regenerate. Edwards believes that the affections a saint has for God and divine things are of a particular kind, and that such affections are a necessary part of… Continue Reading

John Wesley on how the Bible regulates affections

John Wesley on how the Bible regulates affections

The authority of Scripture is of utmost importance to those of us who write here on the Religious Affections blog. The Bible regulates our doctrine, our practice, and even our love. We do not believe our love is arbitrary, to be expressed by our natural whim and fancy. We refuse to believe every theological concept… Continue Reading

Why else are we in this mess?

Why else are we in this mess?

I suggested last week, springing from Kevin Bauder’s excellent article, that one of the reasons worship is in such trouble today is that pastors who should be the primary leaders of worship are often ill-educated in matters of worship and music. I suggested that while pastors used to give careful attention to the leading of… Continue Reading

Relevance is irrelevant (Part 2)

Relevance is irrelevant (Part 2)

This entry is part 2 of 14 in the series Relevance is Irrelevant You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Part 1 In emphasizing the unity of the church in 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Paul asks the church pointedly: “is Christ divided?” (v 13). With their divisions, the Corinthian church was pulling away from Christ, the one who unites his church. This led Paul to explain that in his own ministry he took pains to emphasize… Continue Reading

“Glory Be to God on High” by Charles Wesley

“Glory Be to God on High” by Charles Wesley

A while back I stumbled across Charles Wesley’s Christmas hymn, “Glory Be to God on High.” This is a superb text on the incarnation of Christ, and I thought this would be a good time to recommend it here. We’ve sung it to the 18th century tune Amsterdam. The hymns is a meditation on the… Continue Reading

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen

Christianity and Liberalism by J. Gresham Machen

This entry is part 2 of 18 in the series Books Every Conservative (and Liberal) Christian Should Read You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

It has been called “the second most important book you will ever read.” Whatever rank of importance it may command, there is no doubt that Christianity and Liberalism is a book conservative Christians must read repeatedly. “The purpose of this book,” Machen begins, “is not to decide the religious issue of the present day, but… Continue Reading

Discernment as spiritual wisdom and understanding (Part 3)

Discernment as spiritual wisdom and understanding (Part 3)

This entry is part 3 of 8 in the series Discernment for the Glory of God You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

This is a series on Christian discernment. My first post argued that Christian discernment is necessary for living for the glory of God (Phil 1:9-11). Last week I argued that the ability to choose between right and wrong is a crucial part of spiritual worship to God in living holy lives (Rom 12:1-2). In Romans… Continue Reading

Discernment and worship (Part 2)

Discernment and worship (Part 2)

This entry is part 2 of 8 in the series Discernment for the Glory of God You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Last week I argued from Philippians 1:9-11 that discernment is of great importance to the believer as an important part of living for the glory of God. This week my thesis is that as believers give themselves as a sacrifice to God in an act of sacred worship, discernment is an important act that flows… Continue Reading

The Relationship between Cultural Conservatism and Theological Conservatism

The Relationship between Cultural Conservatism and Theological Conservatism

This entry is part 8 of 8 in the series Preserving the Truth in our Worship You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

What I have described in this series is nothing more than historic conservative Christianity—Christianity that aims at conserving God’s truth both doctrinally and aesthetically. It is popular today to speak deridingly about “cultural conservatism” vs. “theological conservatism.” Most evangelicals and increasing numbers of fundamentalists claim that cultural conservatism is at best unnecessary and at worst legalistic. For example, Mark… Continue Reading

Missions and the antithesis

Missions and the antithesis

This entry is part 7 of 14 in the series Missions and Music You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Last week, I spoke at the Preserving the Truth Conference in Troy, MI. Of the three points that I made in my presentation (notes, audio), one is especially relevant to the discussion of missions. The antithesis, then, presents us a goal: to explore and articulate a Christianity that is Christian all the way down. The… Continue Reading

Sola Scriptura and Form: What I’m Not Saying

This entry is part of 4 in the series Sola Scriptura and Form You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

The purposes and positions of Religious Affections (the ministry and blog, not [necessarily] the book) are not obscure; this granted, I expect that our readers are primed to hear the strains of grinding axes in all our posts. Everything we say looks like a camel’s nose in your tent. You have the gnawing suspicion that… Continue Reading

Sola Scriptura and Form: Theology as a Problem

Sola Scriptura and Form: Theology as a Problem

This entry is part of 4 in the series Sola Scriptura and Form You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

In the first post of this series, I offered this thesis: “because the Bible is itself expressed in certain forms, and because the Bible is our final authority for faith and practice, we have an obligation to mirror biblical forms in our own expression of biblical truth.” I will continue this practice of clearly stating… Continue Reading

Podcast: God-Centered Worship with TJ Klapperich & Scott Williquette, Part 2

Podcast: God-Centered Worship with TJ Klapperich & Scott Williquette, Part 2

In part 2 of this podcast, Scott Aniol talks with TJ Klapperich and Scott Williquette about the regulative principle of worship, what the difference is between conservatives and progressives, and the influence of charismatic theology on worship. [podcast]http://www.religiousaffections.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Podcast_-God-Centered-Worship-Part-2.mp3[/podcast] Download Subscribe to our Podcast! iTunes | RSS Continue Reading

A Theological Basis of Conservatism, Part 5

A Theological Basis of Conservatism, Part 5

This entry is part of 7 in the series A Theology of Conservatism You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

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, part 3 here, and part 4 here. The aseity of God is the ground for knowledge. The narrative of the Fall demonstrates that attempted neutrality denies, at the outset, the possibility that the Christian… Continue Reading

A Theological Basis of Conservatism, Part 2

A Theological Basis of Conservatism, Part 2

This entry is part of 7 in the series A Theology of Conservatism You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

In this series, we are establishing a theological foundation for conservatism, specifically the objective nature of aesthetic judgments. See part 1 here. God’s aseity is the foundation of a fully Christian worldview. Definition of aseity Aseity is at least roughly synonymous with the concepts of the self-existence and independence of God. Cornelius Van Til is… Continue Reading

A Theological Basis of Conservatism, Part 1

A Theological Basis of Conservatism, Part 1

This entry is part of 7 in the series A Theology of Conservatism You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

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

New book coming in January: Sound Worship

I’m excited to announce the coming publication of my new book, Sound Worship: A Guide to Making Musical Choices in a Noisy World! This book is targeted for the average Christian layman. My first book, Worship In Song, is a biblical approach to tackling issues related to music and worship, but it’s quite technical and sometimes… Continue Reading