From 2004–2021, Scott Aniol and other trusted pastors contributed content to this website on various topics related to conservative Christianity. No new content is being… Read More »Search for content on Religious Affections Ministries
A good theologian once drew me a diagram of the progress of Christian doctrine and Christian history from the apostles to our day. He drew… Read More »Strange Lyre: Conclusion
We began this series by making the claim that Pentecostalism has quietly (or not so quietly) colonised Protestant worship, even in those churches and groups… Read More »Cessmaticism: The Strange Hybrid of Contemporary Christian Worship
Pentecostal worship places great emphasis on intensity. By intensity, they mean a strongly felt experience of emotion, intimacy, joy, wonder, or happiness. Indeed, this is… Read More »Strange Lyre: Nothing But Feelings
A polarized debate goes on between different stripes of Christians over the place of experience in Christianity. One side asserts that experiential faith (what the… Read More »The Idols of Intensity and Extemporaneity
I am very pleased to announce that I have accepted a position with G3 Ministries as Executive Vice President and Editor-in-chief. I am so thankful for the… Read More »Important Announcement
Christian worship has often had a remarkably similar shape across traditions. Bryan Chapell showed in his work Christ-Centered Worship that corporate worship (sans communion) in… Read More »Pentecostal “Praise and Worship”: A Radical Departure from Historic Worship
Ezra wrote the book that bears his name approximately 450 BC. Similar to Luke’s writing of Luke-Acts, Ezra writes history in the third person and… Read More »An Overview of Ezra
Kevin T. Bauder During a recent conversation, a friend and I were reminiscing about some of the hazards we had faced as children. I’ve heard… Read More »Survivor Bias
Last week I started a short series looking at God’s two-fold revelation as expressed in Psalm 19. This week we focus on the first form… Read More »God’s Universal Natural Revelation
An easy error for a historian to commit is to equate or link events or movements in history that are similar, while ignoring or underplaying… Read More »Early Beginnings of Pentecostal Worship
Forgiveness has been the theme of my posts these past few weeks. Last week we explored when Scripture compels confrontation, repentance, and forgiveness. This week… Read More »The ABC’s of Confrontation
Kevin T. Bauder The world watches in fascinated horror as the United States abandons its ally of nearly two decades. Enemy fighters are sweeping in,… Read More »Was It Worth It?
A central doctrine of biblical Christianity is that God has revealed himself, and he has done so in two ways, both of which we can… Read More »God has revealed himself
It’s hardly disputable that global Christianity has been overwhelmed and colonized by the Pentecostal and charismatic movements. After Roman Catholicism, the Christianity identified variously as… Read More »Strange Lyre: The Pentecostalization of Christian Worship
Last week, we saw that even when one is wronged and seriously so, he can choose to overlook the sin. But there are times when… Read More »When Sin Compels a Confrontation and Forgiveness Must Be Formal
Sometimes we fret over whether or not a confrontation will shatter a relationship that seems cracked and falling apart. How do we discern whether or… Read More »I was wronged. Should I expect my offender to say, “I’m sorry”?
During Paul’s imprisonment in Rome (Philemon 1; cf. Acts 28:30–31), a household slave named Onesimus stole from his master Philemon and ran away (cf. Philemon… Read More »Philemon: An Example of Forgiveness
“We aren’t speaking anymore.” “My sin is too big for God to forgive.” Have you ever heard statements like these? One pastor observes, “Early in… Read More »The First Step to Forgiving Others: Be Forgiven Yourself
Kevin T. Bauder As you receive In the Nick of Time this week, I will be traveling in Colorado, but I won’t be on vacation.… Read More »Honor to Whom Honor Is Due