Blogs by Derek Thomas

Just a reminder, the Calvin blog begins MONDAY. And, while we're on Calvin, the Calvin 500 folks tell me that booking is now open for the Conference section here.... continue

Two British missionaries in Gambia, West Africa, have been imprisoned for a year for sending anti-Islamic e-mail. See the full story here.... continue

I received the following "Christmas meditation" from Dr. Ray Van Neste (Ryan Center for Biblical Studies,; see his blog here): It seems that many people think you can only celebrate Christmas if all is well. You can see this in... continue

David Meredith (Free Church of Scotland, Smithton/Culloden) sent me the following:The new edition of the Oxford Junior Dictionary has caused some raised eyebrows in educational circles. Several supposedly old-fashioned words have been removed. A report in the Daily Telegraph shows... continue

We've received hundreds of requests for the Calvin blog reading schedule. The office will be sending them out today, I'm told but if you haven't yet asked for one then contact us right away at r21@alliancenet.org and we'll get one... continue

Pope Benedict XVI has declared the world in need of saving - from homosexuality and gender bending. And this, two days before Christmas!  Has the man no taste or decency? The press is understandably in an uproar - it has... continue

Looking for good preaching?  Mark Johnston, whose articles on the Apostles' Creed have been running here at Ref21 for the past 6 months, preaches at Grove Chapel, Camberwell in London.  The church recently signed up with itunes for a weekly podcast.... continue

Our friend Martin Downes has alerted me to the following discussion on the atonement, particularly penal substitution and Christus Victor with Mike Ovey and Andrew Sachs here.... continue

First, for lovers of Milton, the BBC (Radio 3 -- the best classical radio channel in the world, no question!) are having something of a love-fest during December-January. The radio programs are all available for listening up to seven days... continue

I have just come across a blog by "Jeffrey" who describes himself as having been an evangelical Christian until April 2008 until, that is. Christianity "failed the insider test."  Sad as this is, his latest blog lists five books which he... continue