Without question, one of the most hotly debated issues in American evangelicalism is the role of women in the church. One issue that cannot be debated, however, is that the Scriptures affirm the equality of men and women, both in the image of God, in their position in Christ and as joint heirs.
One of my personal heroes went to be with the Lord in July?the British scholar and Christian leader, John R.W. Stott. He was 90 years old. I will miss his pithy, succinct writing, his gracious style and his deep-seated commitment to genuine, biblical Christianity.
Broadly speaking, our evangelical culture in America is dumbing down doctrine and theology. Rarely in the typical evangelical church in America will you hear sermons or teaching sessions on God as Trinity or the importance of the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ. In this Perspective, I want to illustrate the importance of sound doctrine to our lives.
In the United States, there is a growing fascination with the belief in reincarnation. In fact, adherence to this belief is a part of psychiatric therapy?something called ?hypnotic regression? or ?past-lives therapy.? One very famous physiatrist, Dr. Paul DeBell, believes that he was a caveman in a past life and that his eternal soul also inhabited the body of a Tibetan monk and a conscientious German who refused to betray his Jewish neighbors in the Holocaust.
One of the heroes of some Republican conservatives and of radio/TV hosts such as Glenn Beck and Rush Limbaugh is philosopher, novelist and fervent anti-communist Ayn Rand. She is often cited at Tea Party rallies and other such gatherings as well. Congressmen Paul Ryan and Ron Paul cite Rand as one of their personal heroes and a reason why they got involved in politics.
Over the last few years, a surge of tragic stories about unfaithful men has inundated the media. To one degree or another, each one of these men is being held accountable, some more severely than others. But what should be our response as Christians?
Oprah Winfrey is leaving her regular TV program and founding a new TV network, which will expand even further her influence on American culture in the early 21st century. She just finished 25 years of syndicated ?pastoral work? (a total of 4,561 shows) serving her own ?congregation? of true believers throughout America. Joanne Kaufman aptly summarizes this last program: ?Oprah?s final show made it difficult to avoid ecclesiastical comparisons.
Over the last twenty years, the growth of the gambling industry has been staggering. Increasingly, more and more states are legalizing all forms of gambling. It is on several Indian reservations and the respective states are now utterly dependent on revenue from some form of gambling. The gambling industry is a huge, worldwide business. According to The Economist, in 2009, the total revenue from gambling worldwide was $335 billion. That percentage total breaks down as follows…
This weekend (8 May) we celebrate Mother?s Day in the United States. A recent article details the changing face of motherhood in the US. A summary of the findings:
The four academic degrees that I have earned are in history and historical theology. Therefore, the historical perspective is quite important to me. In this Perspective, I seek to give an important historical perspective to the origin and development of 19th-century theological liberalism. When I am finished, I will make application to what is occurring within certain parts of current American evangelicalism.
