Posts by Bruce Baugus

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The rather measured and restrained work by John Livingston Nevius (1829-1893), Demon Possession and Allied Themes; Being an Inductive Study of Phenomena of Our Own Times , delivers exactly what the title promises, though what it promises is rather unusual by the author's own admission. Nevius was a...
The rather measured and restrained work by John Livingston Nevius (1829-1893), Demon Possession and Allied Themes; Being an Inductive Study of Phenomena of Our Own Times , delivers exactly what the title promises, though what it promises is rather unusual by the author's own admission. Nevius was a...
The rather measured and restrained work by John Livingston Nevius (1829-1893), Demon Possession and Allied Themes; Being an Inductive Study of Phenomena of Our Own Times , delivers exactly what the title promises, though what it promises is rather unusual by the author's own admission. Nevius was a...
The general contours of the doctrine of Scripture are familiar. Orthodox Protestants confess that Scripture has God as its primary author and is self-authenticating, supremely authoritative, necessary for this age, clear enough to be understood by the masses, and sufficient as a rule of faith and...
Humans are amazing pattern finders. We detect patterns everywhere in the world around us: contorted faces in the wood grain, mythical creatures in the clouds, phantom ailments in our aches and pains--there's no end to the patterns our vibrant and active minds discover in the world around us...
Herman Melville's Moby Dick is an intense and rather gothic tale of seaman Ishmael's experience whaling under captain Ahab. It's a well-known story of obsession, revenge, mania, and ruin--the typically edifying material or a great American novel. As everyone familiar with American literature...
Discussions of the ethics of human enhancement often invoke a supposed distinction between therapies, which are aimed at fighting disease and overcoming impairments, and enhancements, which are aimed at increasing human capacities. As I observed in my previous post on this topic, nearly everyone...
Medical procedures for healthy people are nothing new. Surgeries to augment or "enhance" this or that physical feature for "cosmetic" purposes are rather common. According to widely cited statistics supplied by The International Society of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons, one out of every twenty...
The Reformation's heritage--a topic of intensifying reflection as this quincentenary year rolls on--will be the theme of the Evangelical Theological Society's annual meeting in Providence, RI. This is a good thing; however, my expectations are limited because the broadly evangelical discussion of...
According to Søren Kierkegaard's analysis of spiritual despair in Sickness unto Death , in terms of faith (see the first post in this series ) and consciousness ( part 2 and part 3 ), despair is the universal condition of being without God and hope in the world (Eph. 2:12). It is crucial to note...
" Remember," Paul writes, "that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world" (Eph 2:11-12). This is spiritual despair, the "sickness unto death" (John 11:4) according to...
A piercing observer of the human condition, Søren Kierkegaard argues that despair is the sickness unto death. The very structure of being human is such that we can only be what we were created to be and are called to become by resting transparently in God. This means, among other things, that being...
Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a peculiar sort of apologist for the spiritual earnestness he believed is demanded by the gospel and necessary to being human. It is not surprising, then, that Kierkegaard had much to say about despair before God ( coram Deo ) since spiritual despair is, in many...
Postmodernism already seems passé--so 1970s, or at least 1990s. But if postmodernity has already passed us by then what ideological age is this? Post-postmodernity? It's obvious we love to consider ourselves "post-" whatever came before us: we not only consider ourselves post-modern but post-...
A while back I wrote a post on the parasitic nature of absurdity. Absurdity, as a concept, is only meaningful when set against a backdrop of rationality. Whenever we conclude something is absurd, however, we are not only judging it to be strongly irrational in some respect, and are thus working...
Leon Morris once suggested that "the atonement is the crucial doctrine of the faith" and that "unless we are right here it matters little . . . what we are like elsewhere" ( The Cross in the New Testament , p. 5). He is surely right. But the saving work Christ accomplished on the cross has been...
Søren Kierkegaard is surely one of the most influential and misunderstood influences on modern Western thought and especially contemporary theology. This is a bit surprising for someone who wrote in Danish and styled himself neither a philosopher nor a theologian but a "religious poet." That is a...
Karl Marx didn't write all that much about religion, but what little he did was radical, programmatic, and rather clever. Here is almost his entire commentary on the meaning of religion as a cultural phenomenon: "religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and...
As strange as it may sound, one of the more insightful discussions of Trump's political success is offered by "Dilbert" creator Scott Adams. Trump is a "master persuader," he argues, who knows and uses human psychology to far greater effect than anyone else in the field, either party. Trump will be...
Love is the end ( telos ) of the apostles' teaching and the first apology for the faith (1 Tim. 1:5). Without love even the most celebrated preacher or apologist is just a noisy gong or clanging cymbal; by love even the least gifted believer can adorn the gospel, shame Christ's opponents, and...
Since writing and submitting the series of posts (beginning here ) on the pervasive Christological confusion in China, I have received a communication confirming that my caution about attributing to our brother the view suggested by his assertions is well founded. As I muse in the final post of the...
What should we look for in a candidate for president? That seems to be a pressing question for Americans right now. Rick has recently told us not to talk up or opt for socialism because "socialism is evil." It's worth noting, I think, that his reasons for why socialism is evil apply fully to crony-...
This is the final post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see parts 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 and 10 and 11 ). Conclusion There may be ways to construe the supposed pre-existent humanity of Christ without...
This is the eleventh post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see parts 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 and 10 ). Seventh Statement: The "Unknown Humanity of God in Christ" "Until recent times," Veli-Matti...
This is the tenth post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see part 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , and 9 ). Sixth Statement: An Uncreated Body The Belgic Confession insists the eternal Son became fully human and that "...
This is the ninth post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see parts 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 and 8 ) Fifth Statement: Merely Functional Likeness Ironically, holding a univocal view of God's image (see part 8 ) leads...
This is the eighth post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see part 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , and 7 ) Fourth Statement: The Recast Image of God Recast by the concept of Christ's eternal humanness (see part 5 ), the image...
I've been reading a good bit of Cormac McCarthy since late spring, when I have time for fiction anyway. McCarthy is a master of terse understated conversation and landscapes, and I happen to be a special admirer of landscapes--real and artistically rendered. But McCarthy is also a sharp observer...
This is the seventh post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see part 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 and 6 ) . Third Statement: Incarnation as the Assumption of a Body (Alone?) Despite his apparent anthropological dualism, our...
This is the sixth post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see part 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 and 5 ). Second Statement: Platonic Dualism As noted at the end of the previous post (see part 5 ), his discussion of the incarnation...
This is the fifth post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see part 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 ). Confusing Claims About Christ's Humanity Turning to the confusion in East Asia, our brother affirms "the Son came into the world...
The following article is part 4 in a series. Read part 1 , part 2 , and part 3 . Reformed Standards on the Human Nature of Christ The Reformed confess the same orthodox Christology. Here, for example, are Q&As 36 and 37 of the Westminster Larger Catechism: Q. 36. Who is the Mediator of the...
This is the third post in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed community (see part 1 here and part 2 here ). The Question In his own words, the question is "whether Christ's human nature and his physical body were created or pre-...
This post is the second in a twelve-part series on the current Christological confusion taking root in China's emerging Reformed Community (see part 1 here ). Context & Cause of the Current Confusion In one of the most fascinating developments in global Christianity today, many pastors and...
Introduction Christological confusion has sunk a root into the rich soil of China's emerging Reformed community. At present, some pastors and others on the mainland believe Christ's human nature is uncreated and eternal. What is more, some believe this view represents orthodox Reformed Christology...
ChinaSource is, in my estimation, the premier resource for anyone interested in Chinese Christianity. The dedicated crew observes closely, researches thoroughly, documents meticulously, and consistently publishes high-quality reports and essays written by Chinese church leaders and others with...
I have little idea what challenges American churches (and other institutions) that refuse to recognize same-sex "marriages" may soon face in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, announced today. The Wall Street Journal's Jerry Seib says this feels like the end of a...
I've been wondering just what we're supposed to do with Bryan Chapell's "The State of the PCA" essay in byFaith (available here ), beyond praying over the sad state of affairs it describes. Chapell adapted this essay from a private letter to a friend he was trying to orient to the PCA. In the...
Reformed ministers of the past ordinarily paid some attention to things like riots in the streets of their cities, and spoke and wrote on them with force at times. Granted, some of those riots were over religious issues, but not all of them. Either way, it is fitting that we devote at least a long...
Shamelessly stealing Aaron's "Calvin contra . . ." title form while trying to slip into Mark's stream of interest in merit, I thought this might be a good time to indulge a little excursion in Reformed diversity by noting Calvin's peculiar position on the source of Christ's merit. At least since...
"Presbyterians Approve Gay Marriage in Church Constitution." That was the headline under which The Wall Street Journal ran the St. Patrick's Day AP article . According to the PCUSA's revised order, "marriage involves a unique commitment between two people, traditionally a man and a woman, to love...
In the opening chapters of On Christian Teaching (I.1-5), Augustine argues that everything that exists can be divided into two groups: things to be used and things to be enjoyed. "To enjoy a thing," he proposes, "is to rest with satisfaction in it for its own sake" (I.4). An object of enjoyment is...
On this blog, fellow contributor Jeremy Walker has offered a "rapid response" protest of the first installment, by Timothy George, of a three-part series on the twentieth anniversary of the founding of Evangelicals and Catholics Together. In doing so, Walker no doubt gave voice to the concerns of...
It's a common observation, beloved by Reformed folk, that Deuteronomy reflects ancient near eastern suzerainty treaties--international covenants enacted between a superior suzerain power and inferior vassal state. Such treaties follow what we now think of as standard covenant formulary: a preamble...
Without a hint of shame or embarrassment or any sort of profound internal conflict, Jesus openly admits he is--or at least was, while living under the conditions of the fall and fulfilling all righteousness for us--ignorant of at least one thing: "concerning the day and hour [of my return] no one...
The litigious assault on bakers, florists, and photographers who have convictions against serving same-sex wedding planners is a sad cause of much angst these days. Noticing this, Frank Bruni of the New York Times devoted his Jan 10 column to reassuring readers that gay activism is no threat to...
December 19, 2014 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Although originally unavailable for comment, Bruce Baugus (pictured here), editor of China's Reforming Churches , explained in an exclusive interview with Ref21 News that he was "honored" to be included on Mark Jones's highly anticipated year-end book...
Several years ago, while on vacation, I bought a quirky little book by the French philosopher André Comte-Sponville entitled The Little Book of Atheist Spirituality . Though I knew no work quite like it, the idea the author developed, that atheists can and somehow must be spiritual too, was not new...
The primary apologetic value of the efficacy of God's word is obvious: the gospel is the power of God to save everyone who believes and the instrument the Spirit ordinarily uses to bring people to faith and keep and grow them in it. The implication for apologetic method is just as obvious: preach...
The home of Tertullian, Cyprian, and Augustine, the history of the early church in North Africa is formative and rich, and continues to teach many lessons. One lesson is the necessity of the indigenization of the faith everywhere the gospel is preached. That includes the communities where we live...