The Church of England has provided us with some of our most glorious hymns. For example:John Newton – Amazing Grace and Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken;William Cowper – There is a Fountain filled with blood and Oh! For a closer walk with God;Charlotte Elliott – Just as I am and Thy will be done;Henry … Continue reading Anglicans: the glory and the shame
morality
Treacle and wizards
If you have read Alice in Wonderland and other books of that era written in England, you have encountered the word treacle. It is not much used this side of the water. Treacle has a history. It was originally a Greek word meaning an antidote for a poisonous animal bite. It migrated into Latin, then … Continue reading Treacle and wizards
Pray for all God’s children
There is an epidemic sweeping the world that no one dares mention. Jacques Ellul, French sociologist, philosopher and theologian, wrote The Technological Society in 1964. In the book he describes how technology has supplanted the church and the Bible as the ultimate source of truth. Efficiency has become the sole moral absolute. There is no … Continue reading Pray for all God’s children
How did our education system get where it is today?
The best description I have read of the thinking behind our public education system is Les déshérités (The Disinherited) by Francois-Xavier Bellamy, published in France in 2014. Bellamy traces the root of modern educational thinking to the philosophies of René Descartes and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. René Descartes (1596-1650) believed that all knowledge could be attained by … Continue reading How did our education system get where it is today?
The abolition of sin in children’s literature
Nowadays the lead character in a highly acclaimed book for children is apt to be a lesbian who is a practicing Wiccan. Parents have been banished from children’s books for many years, but are making a comeback in situations where a child has two mothers or two fathers. But any mention of God, Christianity or … Continue reading The abolition of sin in children’s literature
Government sponsored morality
“Every generation, no matter how paltry its character, thinks itself much wiser than the one immediately preceding it, let alone those that are more remote. ” -William Shakespeare Old Mr. Shakespeare was a pretty keen observer of human nature with all its foibles. I guess that's why his plays remain so popular, we are still … Continue reading Government sponsored morality
The untold story of Samson
I intended that headline to be sensationalist and grab your attention. There is a big problem with how people usually tell the story of Samson. The whole story is in the Bible, but few people seem to be aware of any but the most lurid details. Let’s start at the beginning. At the time an … Continue reading The untold story of Samson
African Americans and the Bible
The January - February issue of Christianity Today carried an article entitled Black Bible Reading Endures. I would like to share some of the statistics and a couple of quotes from that article. Twice as many African Americans as other Americans to say that Bible reading is crucial to their daily routine. They are twice … Continue reading African Americans and the Bible
A disinherited generation
This week I read a book that I feel to be tremendously important. Many people are disturbed by the disorder in the world today, but we have very different ideas about the cause and an even sharper difference in our ideas about a remedy. This book shines a clear light on the roots of the … Continue reading A disinherited generation
Flee temptation
Why do evangelical Christian leaders get ensnared in sex scandals? It's because they so easily forget that they are still flesh and blood and that the tendencies of the flesh are contrary to their high spiritual ideals. I wouldn't call it hypocrisy; at least not deliberate hypocrisy. It is a tragedy when a man with … Continue reading Flee temptation
Flatlander Faith 