By Jeff Brumley A lot of things surprised McAfee School of Theology’s Robert Nash during an academic delegation to Tehran Jan. 21-23. Surprises included being served name-brand American soda, feeling safer there than some places in the United States, and…
Calvinist preacher OK with women deacons
By Bob Allen A leader in the so-called New Calvinism resurgence in Southern Baptist life says he believes the Bible permits women to serve as deacons. David Platt, pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., addressed the…
What’s in a canon?
When I talk about the canon in my New Testament class, I often have students who are surprised that the current list of 27 books that are in our New Testament have not always comprised canon lists. In fact, I…
Thoughts leading into MLK Day
“Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” – Martin Luther King Jr. I’ve always loved Batman. He wasn’t my first love, that was Supes, but early on I grew to love the man…
100K race a reflection of self
We’d listened to everyone gathering at the starting area and we could hear the voices over the announcement speaker giving instructions to all the runners on the cold morning when I stepped out of the camper I had rented for…
Pastor says Obama presidency prophesied
By Bob Allen A well-known black Southern Baptist preacher says he believes the election of President Obama may have been foretold in Scripture. Dwight McKissic, pastor of the 3,000-member Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas, and a former trustee at…
Baptists eye catechism (again) to instruct the faithful
By Jeff Brumley There may just be an ancient solution to the modern church’s problems of decreasing attendance and rising religious illiteracy in a post-modern culture turned off by denominational brand names, some leading Baptist scholars and educators say. The…
The gift of uncertainty
I’m kind of a sucker for New Year’s. I love the idea that there is, built into our calendar, an annual “reset.” Even if I’ve had a pretty good year the year before, I always enjoy the idea of setting…
Where’s the passion?
Recently, Brett Younger wrote an article challenging seminaries to do more for their students: Seminaries should not focus on ministers being efficient, effective and successful. The church needs fervor, anger and desire. Seminaries should not produce ministers who want to…