January 2007 Archives

I found myself in the invidious position of having to issue a clarification and apology for a theological analysis of an American "sport" (sic):... continue

One of the most important questions we ask prospective pastoral interns at Tenth Church is: "How do people grow spiritually?"  The answer quickly reveals whether or not candidates are grace-oriented in their discipleship and also how well they understand the role... continue

Yesterday my father (Leland Ryken, Professor of English, Wheaton College) sent me a thought-provoking exchange from John Steinbeck's East of Eden:"If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen. And I here make a rule--a great and... continue

Chad Van Dixhoorn's "Westminster Assembly Project" website announced this today:January 2007 - The Westminster Assembly Project has launched the Bibliography Project. The project aims to catalogue all works pertaining to the Westminster Assembly, its history, its texts and its members.... continue

Dave Shiflett has written a provocative book about the decline of liberal Christianity in America and the concomitant ascendancy of historically orthodox Christianity.  The book is called Exodus: Why Americans Are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity (New York: Sentinel,... continue

Tenth Presbyterian Church is hosting its second annual Workshop on Biblical Exposition, February 6-8.  The workshop is put on by The Simeon Trust; the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals is also sponsoring the event and assisting in various ways.  The speakers... continue

Wandering in a second-hand bookshop the other day (won't say it was in a state of ancient disrepair, but the graffitti in the rest room read, variously, `Squeaky Fromme is Innocent', `Rousas Rushdoony is my Homeboy' and `Tex Ritter Taught... continue

WTS-CA's most recent faculty symposium is now in print, and the responses are already starting! Is anyone surprised about that?Covenant, Justification, and Pastoral MinistryEssays by the Faculty of Westminster Seminary CaliforniaR. Scott Clark Price: 24.99 The doctrine of justification and... continue

A ref21 reader has pointed me to an alternate version (the same for substance, but different in some important factual respects) of the story of "The Man from George Street," which I serialized in December.  For details, visit: http://www.wordsoflife.co.uk/FrankJenner/FrankJenner.htm.Also, Dr. Raymond Wilson has written... continue

From my morning's reading, in preparation to preach on Luke 23:32-38:"Now thou art lifted up, draw me to thee,And at thy death giving such liberal dole,Moist, with one drop of thy blood, my dry soul."-- John Donne, "Crucifying"... continue