This blog is basically an archive now.  New posts will appear at www.regulafidei.com (a.k.a. www.ruleoffaith.com).

Continue reading " New Posts are at regulafidei.com "

I just read an interesting article on MSNBC, about video game addictions. What gets people addicted to these things so much that we’ve heard stories about neglected children, destroyed marriages, and even death by self-neglect - seriously, read the article - for the sake of the game world?
The article is likely right in pointing [...]

Continue reading " The Mask That Makes Us Honest? "

Tim Keller, Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, is one of the best “missional preachers” in the U.S. today (in my humble opinion).
The content of his preaching is somewhat “cerebral” — engaging some of the most common intellectual challenges that both Christians and non-Christians face when seeking the face of God or the [...]

Continue reading " Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism "

The following is the second lecture in a series entitled “Living Hope: The Story of the Future Life.” To download a copy of the lecture, click here. For the audio of the lecture (mp3, 56 min.), click this “play” button or you can “right click” here to download it.
This morning we continue under [...]

Continue reading " The Story of the Future Life, Lecture 2: “Abyss or Embrace?: Life Between Death and Resurrection” "

As Theologian-in-Residence at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas, TX, my theme for special lectures this year is Living Wisdom: Forming Our Faith with the Mighty Dead. There will be four series of lectures under this theme. Our first series is “Living Hope: The Story of the Future Life.” And this is [...]

Continue reading " The Story of the Future Life, Lecture 1: “A Firm Foundation: The Hope of the New Creation” "

The Gospel lectionary text for today is Mark 5:1-20. It’s the story of Jesus healing the demoniac who is possed by “Legion” — many evil spirits. Jesus sends the evil spirits into the nearby herd of swine, who then charge into the lake and drown themselves. At this surprising display of power, the residents [...]

Continue reading " Fearing His Power, Drawn by His Goodness "

The Gospel lectionary text for today is Mark 4:35-41, the story about Jesus calming the storm out on the sea, after the disciples wake him up and implore him to do something, for fear that they will drown. After calming the storm, Jesus says to them: “Why are you so afraid? Have you [...]

Continue reading " Faith and Fear "

The future life envisioned by Holy Scripture involves a restored physical universe, a “renewal of all things” — a New Heavens and New Earth (e.g. Rev. 21). It’s true, however, that if we were to take a poll of western Christians about their views on what the future life will be like, we’d likely [...]

Continue reading " Material Offerings, Eucharist, and Our Vision of the Future Life "

The “Holy War” passages in the Bible that describe the Israelite Conquest of Canaan are surely some of the most disturbing – and disturbingly misused – passages in all of Scripture.
In Deuteronomy 7:2, for instance, Moses tells the Israelites that when they enter the Land of Canaan, which God had promised to [...]

Continue reading " The Drama of Redemption in the Conquest of Canaan: Considering Biblical Genocide "

The idea of Heaven is fascinating. It’s actually one of the few universal human fascinations. Everybody thinks about heaven. Even if it’s your own made-up, private version of “heaven,” you think about it. C.S. Lewis once described heaven as that remote music we’re born remembering.

Continue reading " A Sermon on “Heaven” - Or, the New Heaven and New Earth "