Strange Lyre: Conclusion
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
Articles on Theology
God’s Universal Natural Revelation
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
God has revealed himself
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
Imaginative Knowledge
If Christian imagination is the best way of referring to how Christians know and perceive the world, does thinking of it in this way have… Read More »Imaginative Knowledge
Imagination and Understanding Reality
Should Christians persist in referring to “Christian Imagination”? Since we are concerned with truth, should we not avoid terms that have connotations of what is… Read More »Imagination and Understanding Reality
In Defense of the Prayer Meeting (Part 1)
Long live the prayer meeting! When I was a kid, the independent Fundamentalist Baptist church I grew up in had a prayer meeting. It felt… Read More »In Defense of the Prayer Meeting (Part 1)
Loving God’s Beauty
At this point, it will be helpful to summarise our argument in five steps. Step one: God’s beauty is his love for his own being.… Read More »Loving God’s Beauty
A Biblical Theology of Loving God
Is the idea of correspondent, or ordinate, love present in Scripture? Does Scripture describe what love for God should be? It does indeed. In terms… Read More »A Biblical Theology of Loving God
Knowing God’s Beauty Through Correspondent Love
What can we conclude about God’s beauty and how to perceive it? 1) God’s beauty is his own consent, love, or affection for his holy… Read More »Knowing God’s Beauty Through Correspondent Love
The Doctrine of Impeccability: A Test Case for the Hypostatic Union
During this time of Advent and Christmas, the church rightly turns its attention to the mystery of the Incarnation. That God became man, while remaining… Read More »The Doctrine of Impeccability: A Test Case for the Hypostatic Union
Beauty: the Link Between General and Special Revelation
What relevance does understanding beauty in general revelation of creation have for understanding the special revelation of God’s beauty? This is a perennial question asked… Read More »Beauty: the Link Between General and Special Revelation
Biblical Fact-Check: 613 Commandments?
I’m not sure where it began, but someone started the tale that the Hebrew High Priest had a rope tied to his leg, so that… Read More »Biblical Fact-Check: 613 Commandments?
Judging Beauty in Creation
The two domains of God’s revelation are general revelation and special revelation. God has revealed Himself to all men generally through the created order, and… Read More »Judging Beauty in Creation
Beauty’s Description
Beauty defined may be abstract and remote; beauty described should be concrete. What does beauty look like? For that matter, since beauty is not only… Read More »Beauty’s Description
Beauty’s Definition: What About the Cross?
If beauty is ultimately God’s self-knowledge and communicative self-delight, we can explain easily enough why other theories of beauty have defined beauty as harmony and… Read More »Beauty’s Definition: What About the Cross?
Beauty’s Definition: Addenda
Jonathan Edwards combined insights from each of the theories of beauty, while being primarily theological. His theory was different from his Christian forbearers, though. Instead… Read More »Beauty’s Definition: Addenda
Beauty Defined (With Some Help From Edwards)
How do we decide between these competing definitions of beauty? As Christians, we would firstly say that we cannot be satisfied with a definition of… Read More »Beauty Defined (With Some Help From Edwards)
Beauty’s Definition
Defining beauty is no easy task. A definition of beauty or the beautiful has eluded the grasp of those who wish a definition with mathematical… Read More »Beauty’s Definition
Beauty’s Difficulties: Philosophy versus Biblical Authority
The discussion of beauty among Christians is often stymied before it starts. Some of this is due to a long-standing suspicion towards philosophy felt by… Read More »Beauty’s Difficulties: Philosophy versus Biblical Authority
The “Golden Chain” of Salvation in Romans 8:29–30
Romans 8:29–30 states, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might… Read More »The “Golden Chain” of Salvation in Romans 8:29–30