Blogs by Phil Ryken

Taking some exception to my recent theological slur on his beloved sport of cricket, an English friend has written to correct my athletics and my theology:"I feel moved to defend cricket against the charge of pelagianism recently made on the Ref21... continue

From Dave Shiflett, Exodus: Why Americans are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity (New York: Sentinel, 2005):"As the mainline has moved closer to flatlining, churches that have maintained allegiance to traditional Christian belief, comparatively speaking, have experienced membership increases." (p.... continue

Here is a juicy paragraph from Charles Spurgeon ("The Dying Thief in a New Light") that couldn't find its way into last week's sermon but was too good not to share:"I believe that many Christian people get into a deal... continue

There is still time to register for the Workshop on Biblical Exposition at Tenth Presbyterian Church February 6-8.  One of last year's participants wrote: "I want to thank you again for the Workshop on Biblical Exposition. It has changed my... continue

From Dave Shiflett, Exodus: Why Americans Are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity:"Most people go to church to get something they cannot get elsewhere. This consuming public--people who already believe, or who want their children to believe--go to church to... continue

Carl, can you tell us again where to get all these provocative quotes from P. T. Forsyth?  With regard to the last quotation in your most recent post, may I infer that Mr. Forsyth had never been to Wales?... continue

Many thanks to Ligon for reporting Aaron Messner's call to Covenant College.  Aaron has exercised a faithful and dynamic ministry at Tenth Church, and we expect him to make a large difference on Covenant's campus.  His weekly ministry of the Word... continue

Belatedly, I write to reflect further on Carl Trueman's Counterpoint ("Close, but No Cigar").  There Carl writes about his recent visit to a synagogue and the rabbi's thoughtful homily on Genesis 22, which included everything except the gospel. As I read... continue

This is the second installment in a series of occasional selections from Dave Shiflett's Exodus: Why Americans Are Fleeing Liberal Churches for Conservative Christianity.  To prove his thesis, Mr. Shiflett must first prove that Americans are, in fact, fleeing liberal churches,... continue

If scoring is the criterion, then basketball is semi-Pelagian, at best.  For a truly Pelagian sport, one would have to consider the quintessentially English sport of cricket, which is much higher scoring than basketball, and where even the bowlers can manage... continue