Scriptorium Archive
for November, 2009

Longing for King Jesus

John Mark Reynolds | Culture | 11.30.2009

Advent is here. Advent is the time the church prepares for the coming of King Jesus at the Christ Mass. We are excited for the simple reason that our secular princes always let us down. Christians are the most hard-headed of people. We know that nobody can be trusted, because we don’t trust ourselves. Weirdly that does not make us bitter or cynical, because we always are in love with God and His creation. A lov... Read More...

Where I Read “Going Rogue” by Sarah Palin and Live Blog It

John Mark Reynolds | Politics | 11.28.2009

Introduction to the Project: (This is a completed live blog. I have decided not to correct most typographical errors or "fix" it. Some was done as late as 3 AM as I finished the book, but I felt the authenticity of the moment generally better than a smoothed out version.) I have defended Sarah Palin on numerous occasions against critics. I thought some conservatives turned on her too soon and that her executive expe... Read More...

Additional Scriptorium for November, 2009

Preaching to psychologists

Allen Yeh | Education, Theology | 11.27.2009

A few weeks ago I was asked to be the speaker for the chapel of Biola’s Rosemead School of Psychology. Talk about being out of my element! The most I know about this field is my one Pastoral Counseling class I took in seminary. However, if there’s one thing that psychologists understand, and all Christians understand as well, it’s suffering. Suffering is at the heart ... Read More...

To My Reader

John Mark Reynolds | Culture | 11.25.2009

Greetings: Google analytics have shown that you are, in fact, the only person pathetic or lonely enough to be reading this blog on a holiday. You have escaped family and friends to read a blog on Evangelicals and the culture. Well done. I have exciting news for you. Please continue to read. I am the recently appointed Obama administration czar in charge of, well, czars... Read More...

Things For Which We Can Be Thankful

John Mark Reynolds | Culture | 11.25.2009

Every town has the annoying messenger of cheer. This is the lady, it is almost always a lady, who will come to you with your broken arm and point out that you could have broken both your arms. If your town is unlucky enough to experience this lady in her born-again form, then she will remind you that "all things work together for good" as you try to itch the scratch under yo... Read More...

“What the . . . “

John Mark Reynolds | Culture | 11.25.2009

When I was a kid comics were not comix and only a Goober read them when he was grown up. They had yet to become the graphic novels taken seriously by any student of pop culture. It was a more child-friendly era and so comics were governed by a "code" that eliminated overt swearing. I would not defend this as entirely effective or morally vital, but I will defend its use in m... Read More...

Jesus: A Mythic Life

John Mark Reynolds | Theology | 11.24.2009

A myth is a story so deeply moving and true that it shapes the rest of your life. When I was in seventh grade, I found a copy of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings in the Rochester Christian School library. On the bus ride home, I started reading it and knew from the first page that my life would never be the same. For a certain kind of nerdy kid in that era Tolkien baptized our im... Read More...

Relativism vs. Pluralism: what’s the difference?

Allen Yeh | Culture, Education | 11.23.2009

Evangelicals are famous, or infamous (depending on who you talk to), for believing in absolute truth. And well we should adhere to absolute truth! I once heard Ravi Zacharias, renowned evangelical apologist, say: “Relativism as a philosophy of life cannot be true. Think of the statement, 'All truth is relative.' Now, if all truth is relative and you stick by that statement,... Read More...

Bringing One Another Along - A Wedding Homily for Jane and Alex Elmore

Greg Peters | Misc., Theology | 11.23.2009

This wedding homily was delivered at St. Anne’s Anglican Church in Oceanside, CA on June 26, 2009. Jane and Alex were students of mine in the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University and I had the privilege of performing, along with Jane’s father, their wedding this summer. A beautiful day with a wonderful couple. Jane and Alex, wedding advice often comes from bot... Read More...

CAPS-LOCK Rhetoric

John Mark Reynolds | Politics | 11.21.2009

The best way to get web hits is to say something loudly. Our discourse is often as subtle as a teenager with a stuck caps key. We don't just oppose the President's agenda, but WE STAND AT ARMAGEDDON AND WE BATTLE FOR THE LORD. While that last line got Teddy Roosevelt some cheers, and T.R. would have made a world-class blogger, it was part of a losing campaign. Extreme rhe... Read More...

Truth and Love: why can’t Evangelicals do both?

Allen Yeh | Theology | 11.21.2009

On many occasions in this journey, I have wanted to turn in my Evangelical membership card and call it a day. There have been moments when I still wanted to believe in Jesus, but I didn’t want to belong to this crazy family anymore. Maybe you’ve been there too… but with all the sincerity that I can muster, I truly believe this dysfunctional and whacked-out family of ours ... Read More...

Thank You Catholic Bishops

John Mark Reynolds | Politics | 11.20.2009

President Obama is just returning from China having gently mentioned to the butchers of Beijing that human rights are important. The witness for human dignity will continue in China, but it will not be the soft approach of kowtowing to dictators while speaking softly to them. How do we know? The Chinese Catholic bishops and other Christian leaders do not have the luxury o... Read More...

This Trial Is a Very Bad Idea

John Mark Reynolds | Politics | 11.18.2009

Enemy soldiers should be held in prisoner of war camps. If they are spies or have done something that merits the death penalty, they should be tried in military courts. They should not be tortured and they should be treated with human dignity. These seem like safe assumptions, but the Obama administration has decided that the New York terrorist attacks were not acts of war, ... Read More...

Courage of their Convictions: Don’t Work for Your Foe

John Mark Reynolds | Culture | 11.17.2009

When talking to a fellow who bemoaned how bad his employer was (not Biola), I asked if he was going to let the boss know or going to resign . . . but it appeared he had no such intention. It wasn't that he was looking and had to keep his job in the short term. He was content to keep doing something and supporting a thing he loathed merely for money. This man risks losing his... Read More...