Throughout the history of Christianity, followers of Jesus have consistently stated what they believe. This makes sense given that Christianity isn’t a vague religion with undefined doctrine. There are specific truth claims and particular doctrinal beliefs that mark Christianity off as distinct from other world religions. Where are these truth claims found? In the Bible,…
By all accounts, John Calvin, the great Genevan reformer and systematician of the Reformation age, was an educated man. His early educational endeavors help set a trajectory toward a rigorous pattern of intellectual engagement that will mark his ministry. If pastors would cultivate a robust life of the mind (and they should), then paying attention…
Brown, Peter. Augustine of Hippo: A Biography. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2013. 568 pages. $29.95 Biographical Sketch of the Author Writing a biography of a monumental figure such as Augustine is no small task. Augustine stands atop the mountain of…
Augustine’s influence is profound, his depth of insight stunning, and his literary output insane. Isidore of Seville (AD 560-636) once said that if anyone claimed to have read all Augustine wrote, they were lying. The progress I’ve made in Augustine is minimal and I’m far from an authority on his writing and theology. However, after…
The Eastward Expansion of the Church In AD 66, the Jews rebelled against the occupying Romans, with the Romans putting an end to the rebellion in AD 70 (read more here). During this time, Jewish Christians fled for safety east of the Jordan River to a town named Pella. Bryan Litfin writes, “From there the…
Theology Along the Way 