Brick by Brick
Evangelicalism
The Bible, Human Reason, and their Limits: The Poverty of “Deductive Approaches to Scripture”
By his own admission, Jesus didn’t know everything. After warning the disciples about the great, apocalyptic trials that were soon to fall upon Jerusalem and about his own parousia, Jesus says, “But about that day and hour no one knows, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matt 24:36) And, as … Continue reading
C.S. Lewis on the Bible: Myth, Truth, Fact, and Genesis
If Genesis’s creation stories are mythological, does that mean that the whole Bible is just a myth? And if Genesis’s early chapters are myth, doesn’t that mean that they are false? As I showed in my last post in this series, C.S. Lewis thought that, strictly speaking, Genesis’s creation accounts were, in fact, ancient myths which God … Continue reading
C.S. Lewis on the Bible: Genesis and Myth
Is Genesis a myth? Ever since George Smith discovered and published the ancient Babylonian creation story, Enuma Elish, in 1876, theologians, biblical scholars and informed laypeople have been aware of the fact that the book of Genesis was not written in a literary or cultural vacuum. As other ancient Near Eastern creation stories have been brought … Continue reading
C.S. Lewis on the Bible: God’s Word in (very) human words, Part 2
In my last post I highlighted C.S. Lewis’s take on what it means to approach the Bible humbly: namely, we should first ask honestly and with an open mind, What sort of book has God actually given us and how has He given it? When we do that, we find that God has given us … Continue reading
C.S. Lewis on the Bible: God’s Word in (very) human words, Part 1
I am always thankful that the first theology book I ever read was C.S. Lewis’s Mere Christianity. I stumbled upon it in the B. Dalton Bookseller at the local mall early in the summer before my senior year in high school, was intrigued, took it home and devoured it in less than a day. From then … Continue reading
Howard and Giberson on Problems and Prospects for an Evangelical Academic Renaissance
I just read a fantastic piece in Inside Higher Ed by Karl Giberson and Thomas Howard on the possibilities and pitfalls for evangelical institutions attempting to advance Christian learning. The items on the credit side of the ledger should be well known at this point, but less often are the debits stated so baldly: Many … Continue reading
Was there a historical Adam and Eve?: The debate continues
This spring the NC State InterVarsity Grad & Faculty Ministries will be hosting a conference on what is becoming a pretty hot-topic among evangelicals who have been paying attention to recent developments within the natural sciences, namely, Was there a historical Adam and Eve? Did Eden exist? Is Genesis 1-3 myth or history or what? These … Continue reading
5 Myths About Why Young Adults Drop Out of Church
The Barna group recently shared some of their findings from five years of research into the real reasons why young adults are dropping out of the church. The article is well worth a read for anyone but especially for parents, pastors, youth ministers, and campus ministers. Barna identifies 5 common myths about why young people … Continue reading
On the Vacuity of the “The Local Church” Mantra: Apologia pro vita sua
Since coming on staff with InterVarsity I have run into it again and again: How does your ministry fit with that of the local church? Aren’t you undermining the efforts of the local church? Aren’t you doing the work that the local church should be doing? What differentiates your ministry from that of the local … Continue reading
Pete Enns On the Recurring Mistakes in the Adam/Evolution Discussion
Peter Enns just put up a great little post identifying some of the rhetorical maneuvers that obfuscate, rather than clarify, the current Adam/Evolution discussion.
Hi! I'm David, the campus minister for InterVarsity's graduate and faculty ministries at NC State and Meredith College. I hope you'll join me as I learn to "practice resurrection" in the City of Oaks, in her universities, and in the wider world. You can contact me at dmwilliams83@gmail.com
