Blogs by Carl Trueman

I am intrigued by John Ross's proposal (to which DT linked yesterday, but which now appears to have been removed) that the Free Church of Scotland might have, in effect, a two track system for subscription.  Without wanting to comment... continue

On a personal note, and as follow-up to Levy's last post, I only heard Douglas Macmillan once, in 1989, at Aberdeen University Christian Union but (very, very rare for me) I still remember the text: 1. Cor. 1:25.   That I... continue

I noticed this article this morning, and was particularly struck by the following quotation from an artist from an open letter apparently addressed to American churches:"An artist's relationship with you [the church] has not been easy; we are often in... continue

In this final post in the series, I want to offer some brief, practical guidelines on how to help keep a church on the rails.  Each could be a post in itself, but I have no wish to try your... continue

In my last two posts, I have tried to suggest that the reasons for a church's decline into liberalism are not always immediately doctrinal, but can actually arise out of a culture; and, by implication, the underlying story I am... continue

Because the Christian church in Britain will obviously never have to deal with ministries like this. ... continue

Yesterday, I noted how the big personality can shift the church in the wrong direction. A closely related phenomenon is that of the minister who thumbs his nose at the church's public standards of doctrine and practice, who decides that... continue

Not all historical phenomena that manifest themselves as doctrinal are necessarily immediately doctrinal in cause or origin.'  That statement, made to me by a mentor in my field of historical theology, articulates a crucial principle, a principle that came to... continue

The shadowy figure known simply as `The Librarian' brought to my attention the following thoughts of the Scottish theologian and churchman, Thomas Chalmers, on Romans 13.   In an era when it is seemingly more and more acceptable to be... continue

One of the odd things I have noticed in recent years is the historical isolationism of certain streams of Anglican evangelicalism.   It manifests itself in a number of ways: a disparagement of the Book of Common Prayer; the downplaying... continue