Applying Ancient Christian Literature To Modern ‘Evangelists’

Reading The Didache, one comes away with the impression, doesn’t one, that the likes of Todd Bentley and Bishop Brian Tamaki, and Joel Osteen and Benny Hinn would come off transparently to the early Church what they are to intelligent people these days- false prophets.
Didache 11 – Concerning the Apostles and Prophets, act thus according [...]

Dietrich Bonhoeffer Plaque-ed

In London ist eine Plakette zum Gedenken an den deutschen evangelischen Theologen und Widerstandskämpfer Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906–1945) enthüllt worden.
Bonhoeffer, you’ll recall, was the ‘pacifist’ who was involved in a plot to kill Hitler. Hitler didn’t take kindly to it though and had him executed, along with other conspirators.

Sie befindet sich im Stadtteil Aldgate, wo [...]

The Jolly Calvin You’ve Never Heard of…

”Auch ist es nirgendwo untersagt, zu lachen, sich am Klang der Musik zu freuen oder Wein zu trinken” — John Calvin
Read the whole essay by that brilliant Calvin scholar Matthias Freudenberg and meet the Calvin you never knew existed.

Luther’s Birthday!

In 1483 Martin Luther, exegete and theologian extraordinaire, was born on the 10th of November.

This year in observance, rather than prattle on about his many contributions (and they are MANY!), I thought I’d let him address an issue that currently occupies so many: the issue of homosexuality.
What did Luther think of it? This:
He [...]

Today in Theological History

On the 6th of November in 1524, Huldrych Zwingli published his Antwort an den Rat in Zürich über Johannes Ecks Schrift und betreffend den Auschlag der neuen Orte in Frauenfeld.  A typically long title for a typically short response.
Zwingli, never one to mince words, lambasts Johannes Eck.  Though not quite as vociferously as he did [...]

Oh Vatican, Why Not Just Go Ahead And Let Your Own Priests Marry?

If you’re willing to accept Anglican Priests who are married, why not let your own?
(Actually there have been married Catholic Priests too.  It’s just very unusual and requires a special dispensation from the local Bishop).
It’s time to step out of the shadows, RC Church, and do what should have been done long ago, before you [...]

A Little Known Reformation Day Factoid

Heinrich Bullinger, the successor of Zwingli in Zurich, never quoted or even so much as mentioned Martin Luther in any of his sermons.  What’s odd about this is that he cites or quotes nearly everyone else of note!

I love Bullinger.  In fact, in my list of top 5 Theologians it’s
1- Zwingli
2- Bullinger
3- Brunner
4- Oecolampadius
5- Barth

Luther Was Late, Zwingli Was First

Loads of people still operate on the mistaken assumption that Luther was the father of the Reformation and that he brought it to life when he nailed the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Church.
Though Luther was tremendously influential, he was not the first to sense the stirrings of the Reforming Spirit.  That [...]

John Calvin On, Mutatis Mutandis, The ‘Emerging Church’ Movement

Those who, rejecting Scripture, imagine that they have some peculiar way of penetrating to God, are to be deemed not so much under the influence of error as madness. For certain giddy men have lately appeared, who, while they make a great display of the superiority of the Spirit, reject all reading of the Scriptures [...]

Emil Brunner: Dogmatics Volume One

Brunner’s Dogmatics saw the light of day on the 19th of October, 1946.  It would be years before it was completed, but when volume one was published, it made quite an impression.
The impressive thing about Brunner, of course, is his ability to clearly and concisely communicate the critical issues of Christian theology without the wretched [...]