Category Archives: Piety with Excitement

Is Carl Losing His Edge?

Am Leg Ball

We had counted on Carl Trueman, the left-leaning emoticonoclastic Orthodox Presbyterian pastor, to continue to see through the hype and gauze of America’s celebrity culture and warn about its danger for the church (not to mention society). But a recent trip to the Together for the Gospel Conference has changed his tune (or at least… Read More→

Posted in Piety with Excitement | Tagged , , | 191 Comments

Charles Finney Wasn’t the Only New York Pastor to Defend Revivals

Brick1

The Redeemer Report features an article by Tim Keller defending revival and conversion as biblical. Keller’s outspokenness on revivalism should not be a surprise since he was a student of Richard Lovelace (Dynamics of Spiritual Life), and since he has defended revivals on other occasions. Followers of Keller’s career and writings may be forgiven if… Read More→

Also posted in Evangelicalism | Tagged , , , , , | 97 Comments

Does Jonathan Edwards Need Paul Tripp?

jonathan_edwards-286x300

As I continue to come across Edwards’ writings — his Faithful Narrative is part of the reader for American Heritage at Hillsdale College — I continue to be amazed at the Northampton pastor’s broad appeal, even down to the “Jonathan Edwards is my homeboy” T-shirts. Granted, Edwards has much to admire. The thought of a… Read More→

Also posted in Adventures in Church History | Tagged , , , , | 267 Comments

When Sappy Evangelicals Turn Tart

Scrooge_sims_2

I thought the Gospel Co-Allies were supposed to be nice. The only “mean” people in the American Protestant world are the seriously Reformed, supposedly. But a recent drive-by post by Justin Taylor about Ron Paul and racism demonstrates how appearances deceive. If the sin of racism is indeed a gospel issue, and if Ron Paul… Read More→

Also posted in Evangelicalism | Tagged , , , , | 80 Comments

Shooting Fish in a Barrel

off-the-rails

Back around the time that Justin Taylor was yet again calling attention to Calvinist anger issues, Pat Robertson made some embarrassing comments about people suffering from Alzheimer’s. No need to repeat those words here since so many made sure that so many more did not miss Robertson’s embarrassment. What is noteworthy about the recent Robertson… Read More→

Posted in Piety with Excitement | Tagged , , , , , | 21 Comments

Why Do Reformed Think They Are Evangelical?

If Reformed Protestantism is basically evangelical then how do you account for the major divisions that have occurred among American Presbyterians? The fundamentalist controversy apparently has nothing at stake for the Reformed/evangelical consensus since Machen and other conservative Presbyterians were fighting liberalism and EVERYONE knows that liberalism is bad. (Of course, the problem here is… Read More→

Also posted in Paleo Calvinism | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 87 Comments

Orthodox Presbyterians Rival Gospel Co-Allies Enthusiasm for Enthusiasm

General Assemblies are not always like this but the recent OPC GA did assume more the character of a national preaching conference (of course, minus the celebrity pastors) than a regular meeting of the church’s highest judicial body. All of the presentations from the OPC’s standing committees included historical overviews as well as substantial edification… Read More→

Also posted in New World Presbyterianism, Shameless Selves Promotion | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Putting the Super in Superficial

John Fea links to this amusing video. The mocking of small groups aside — and remember that we have pietists to thank for this odd form of Christian piety — I do wonder what would happen to the dynamics of a group like this if you introduced a Presbyterian elder (not to be confused the… Read More→

Posted in Piety with Excitement | Tagged , , | 102 Comments

Turning the Gospel Promise into a Law Threat

Speaking of matters missional. . . I am struck by the motivation that missions proponents sometimes use to justify their efforts. Having grown up in a faith mission environment, I have some familiarity with the ploys designed to generate gifts for missions and even cajole youth into full-time Christian service. As a kid even I… Read More→

Posted in Piety with Excitement | Tagged , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

Speaking Truth to Fame

Carl Trueman has some provocative thoughts on the difference between American and British evangelicalism and the conferences that sustain them. He was speaking at an event in Wales: First, the conference was built around content not speakers. In fact, I was almost refused entry to my own final seminar because I could not find my… Read More→

Posted in Piety with Excitement | Tagged , , , , , , | 71 Comments