Tag Archives: Articles on Culture

A New Testament Understanding of Culture

A New Testament Understanding of Culture

This entry is part 1 of 7 in the series A New Testament Understanding of Culture You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

There is a lot of talk about culture these days, but I’m convinced that most of the people who talk about it have never really given careful thought to what, exactly, culture is. I have argued elsewhere that the parallel concept to “culture” in the New Testament is not terms related to race or ethnic identity, nor… Continue Reading

Gospel impact and the world’s approval

Gospel impact and the world’s approval

Christians today seem to assume that the best way to have the greatest gospel impact in the world is to gain the world’s approval and acceptance first. If we can just earn their respect, perhaps they will give us a better hearing. There is certainly some truth to this: our behavior before the unbelieving world should… Continue Reading

Free eBook of Back to Basics Series

Free eBook of Back to Basics Series

This entry is part 10 of 10 in the series Back to Basics You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Over the past several months I have written a series of short articles in which I dealt with the major categories of a biblical philosophy of worship and music in a brief way. My desire was to introduce the basics of these issues to those who hadn’t carefully considered them. I have the posts linked below,… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Roots

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Roots

This entry is part 18 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

This is Shai Linne‘s final question to me in our conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on the right hand side of this page. Scott, in your statements… Continue Reading

Conservative Change

Conservative Change

Those two words don’t seem to fit together, do they? Doesn’t “conservative” imply a reluctance to change? While it is true that conservative people are often portrayed as resistant to any change, and perhaps many conservatives warrant such a portrayal, I’d like to explore here a biblically conservative philosophy of change and demonstrate that often… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Example of Holy Music

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Example of Holy Music

This entry is part 10 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Shai Linne and I are having a conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on this page or on the right hand side of this post. This is Shai’s third question to… Continue Reading

Acts 17 and cultural contextualization

Acts 17 and cultural contextualization

Acts 17 records Paul’s attempt to evangelize three cities, each of which had very different kinds of people. Paul’s audience in Thessalonica was predominantly Jewish. He spent time in the synagogue there speaking to Jews and Jewish proselytes, but it was not a receptive audience. Some did come to Christ, but for the most part,… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Example of Sinful Music (Rebuttal)

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Example of Sinful Music (Rebuttal)

This entry is part 7 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Shai Linne and I are having a conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on this page or on the right hand side of this post. This is Shai’s rebuttal to my… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Example of Sinful Music

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Example of Sinful Music

This entry is part 6 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Shai Linne and I are having a conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on this page or on the right hand side of this post. This is Shai’s second question to… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: How does rap “flavor” its truth content? (Rebuttal)

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: How does rap “flavor” its truth content? (Rebuttal)

This entry is part 5 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Update (12/10 6:00am): Shai’s reply is posted below. Shai Linne and I are having a conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on this page or on the right hand… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: How does rap “flavor” its truth content?

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: How does rap “flavor” its truth content?

This entry is part 4 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Shai Linne and I are having a conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on the right hand side of this page. This is my first question to Shai and… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Can Music Be Sinful? (Rebuttal)

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Can Music Be Sinful? (Rebuttal)

This entry is part 3 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

Shai Linne and I are having a conversation between Christian brothers about Christian rap. This post will not make sense unless you start at the beginning of this discussion and read through all the posts. You can find the other posts in this discussion on the right hand side of this page. This is a rebuttal by… Continue Reading

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Can Music Be Sinful?

Discussion about Christian rap with Shai Linne: Can Music Be Sinful?

This entry is part 2 of 18 in the series Discussion about Christian Rap with Shai Linne You can read more posts from the series by using the Contents in the right sidebar.

The first question in our discussion goes to Shai Linne: Scott, in your recent post where you explained your comments on the NCFIC panel, you spoke of rap as “a form of music that is inherently denigrating.” My first question to you is this: Are you saying that music, apart from lyrics, can be sinful… Continue Reading

Some answers to questions about my views on Reformed rap

Some answers to questions about my views on Reformed rap

Since Shai Linne is a busy church planter/assistant pastor, and I am a busy seminary professor in the last week of the semester, we’re finding that it’s taking a bit longer than we’d hoped to put together our discussion about Christian rap. Stay tuned. In the meantime, I’d like to answer a few questions that… Continue Reading

The Mission of Worship: An Assessment of the Missional Church Movement’s Impact Upon Evangelical Worship Philosophy and Practice

The Mission of Worship: An Assessment of the Missional Church Movement’s Impact Upon Evangelical Worship Philosophy and Practice

The following is the paper I presented yesterday at the national meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society: PDF Audio Version Most church leaders readily recognize that God has tasked churches with several different purposes, yet how those purposes work together has equally mystified them. One of the most potentially difficult ministry relationships to reconcile has… Continue Reading

Mohler, Mormons, and Marriage

Mohler, Mormons, and Marriage

Last week I wrote about Albert Mohler’s choice to speak at Brigham Young University. The topic interested me, not so much because Mohler was involved, but because it provides a good case study for Christians who wish to think about their associations biblically and carefully. As part of my discussion, I distinguished questions of biblical… Continue Reading

Stevens on Culture and Meaning

Stevens on Culture and Meaning

Wallace Stevens, one of the preeminent poetic voices of the modern period, was one of the greatest American poets, period. Among his chief concerns was the interaction of the mind with reality–the external with the internal–and the seeming inseparability of the two. The poem below, one of several of the “anecdote poems” in his first… Continue Reading