The KJV

My friend (from the UK) has been continuing to work through the KJV in honor of its 400 year anniversary this year. He is working through a phrase from the King Jimmy a day; his work has also given birth to a book highlighting a hundred phrases from the KJV with the purpose of being used as an Evangelistic tool. Here’s a video, done by my friend, Glen Scrivener, illustrating the kind of stuff you’re going to get at his blog “The King’s English“:

Ditchens "Oh God Where Art Thou?" Terry Eagleton on Dawkins and Hitchens

Here is Terry Eagleton, Cambridge-trained-Literary critic, Social commentator/critic, Marxist, with a Roman Catholic pedigree giving the University of Edinburgh’s esteemedย Gifford Lectureship. He is upending the dynamic duo of Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens; whom he endearingly calls “Ditchens.” As you watch the video (if you do), you’ll notice his witty, couched in erudite, style; how he throws little irreverent jabs at Ditchens along the way, while he is providing somewhat devestating critique of the duo’s erstwhile love affair with the now besmirched high rationalism of yesteryear — and the god therein. He says some things, of course, that I don’t like (some serious things); but overall I think his candor and stiff upper lip, in the face of it all, give way to a reorientation of things — such as atheism — that breathes a wiff of fresh air into the all too stagnant pond of gobbeldy-muck from whence Ditchens thinks we have arrived.

Click Here

HT: Scott Kirkland

You’ll notice that his first two interlocuters, during the Q & A at the end, cannot find their ways out of the very, old, binary that Eagleton has just finished dismantling from below. His first questioner cannot imagine how one could ever approach atheism except upon its same old same old fundamentalist categories of inquiry. He tries to press Eagleton on the very terms that Eagleton just kickedย to the curb . . . funny. I don’t expect most to watch this; if you do, you’ll be provoked, one way or the other ๐Ÿ˜‰ .

After-reflection

Of course Eagleton’s remarks are somewhat of a parody, since at the end of the day . . . you’re either for Christ or against Him!

Anti-Semitism, Alive and Well!

This post falls in the sphere of ethics and theopolitics, and is a little different than my usual posts. I am not sure how much my readers follow current events (although it is harder and harder not to, methinks!), but I simply wanted to alert those who don’t to the fact that anti-semitism (or anti-Zionism) is on the rise in a serious way in the world (if you haven’t noticed). As some may know there was a “freedom flotilla” against Israel back in May 2010; well, they are planning another one — this one is supposed to be bigger, you can read about that here. Also, there is a call for what is being called “The 2011 March of Return”, a call for millions of Palestinians, and their non-Palestinian supporters to march into Israel on May 15th; read about that here. And then to understand some of the rage against Israel, listen to the “rap” performed by British-Arab rapper “Lowkey“:

We don’t live in a happy world! I think we all need Jesus!! What do you think about the mood that is permeating the globe? And what do you think about the politics in Israel and Palestine? Does Israel have a right to protect themselves as a country? Does the Palestinian government have the right to engage in the activity that they do against Israel? I know this post is a can of worms, but this is a blog. Do you see any theological significance with what is going on in Israel and Palestine (and I’m not looking for a dispy premil answer, but your answer; what do you think about the “theopolitics” going on in Israel, how does it fit into your broader Christian belief that the nations of the world belong to our Christian God)?

Tim Warner on the origins of Calvinism and the Analogy of Being (sort of)

Watch this video by Pastor Tim Warner. I was made aware of Warner because a younger Christianย  I meet with has been listening to him lately; so I did a Youtube search for him, and came across this teaching that he is doing. Most of the video he discusses Calvinism and why he thinks it is basically of Pagan origins. And then interestingly he gets into a discussion on “General Revelation” and “History;” what I found curious, and disconcerting is the answer he gives to his question: (my paraphrase) “how can we best know God?” One student responds to him and says through “natural revelation” (and he says, basically that is right); but Warner’s primary mode for knowing who God is is by studying “history” (Biblical/OT). I was hoping that he was going to say by looking at Jesus, but he didn’t ๐Ÿ™ . Anyway, watch the video and let me know what you think. Let me know if you agree with what he says about Calvinism. [Also just notice, he assumes that the only ways, theologically, for thinking about sovereignty and human responsibility is somewhere in between the “only” real poles of classical Calvinism and Arminianism]

Michael Horton's Systematic

It looks like Michael Horton of Whitehorse Inn fame has his own systematic theology coming out next month; check out his verbal blurb:

HT: Valiant For Truth

I’ll be interested to see how he “does theology.” It’s obvious what confessional slant he’ll be coming from, but I’ll be interested to see if his style is more confessional; or more traditional scholastic/systematic.