Southern Seminary – Blogs

What My Wife Taught Me about Glory and Power

Russell D. Moore — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 13:59:04 +0000

I still remember the first time I heard my now wife’s name, “Maria Hanna,” mentioned in conversation. I had no idea how she would live up to her name. Hannah, after all, was a weeping, trusting woman, who longed for the blessing of children…and who longed to see her children bless the Lord. Her faith brought about the prophetic voice (Samuel) through whom God would give us the house of David, the line of our Lord Jesus.

Is Truth Really Plural? Postmodernism in Full Flower

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 10:14:19 +0000

The question of truth stands at the very center of the postmodern challenge. As with any major shift in human thinking, postmodernism comes packaged with both positive and negative elements. Positively, the general worldview of postmodernism reminds us that we are deeply embedded in cultural and linguistic systems that shape and influence our thinking.

NewsNote: Naughty Rodents — Your Brain without Dad

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:56:56 +0000

Do children need fathers? Fascinating research on that question is reported by Shirley S. Wang of The Wall Street Journal. Anna Katherina Braun, a German biologist, has been working with colleagues to understand the biological impact of single parenting. Her research has focused on the degu, a small rodent that is a distant relation to the guinea pig.

Send Me Your Ethics Questions!

Russell D. Moore — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:00:29 +0000

I want to hear your ethics problems. This morning we’re launching a brand new, fun project here called “Q&E: Questions and Ethics.” I’m raring to go. Here’s the way it works. If you’re thinking about an ethical dilemma (big or small) that’s got you thinking, send it to me. Maybe it’s something you heard a co-worker talking about, and you wonder: “If that were me, what would I do, as a Christian?”

NewsNote: Paganism “Just Another Religion?”

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 08:58:02 +0000

Samuel G. Freedman of The New York Times took a look at the resurgence of pagan religions and practices in postmodern America. He found Michael York, a serious-minded pagan who observes Samhain, “the autumnal new year for Pagans,” and the historic precursor to the modern holiday of Halloween. Reading the names of his ancestors while facing a pagan altar, Mr. York remarks that, on Samhain, “the veil between the worlds is understood to be thinnest.”

The Marriage Index — A Revealing Look at the Nation

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 07:55:52 +0000

Why hasn’t this been done before? That question comes immediately to mind in light of the release of “The Marriage Index,” a project undertaken by the Institute for American Values in cooperation with the National Center for African American Marriages and Parenting. The Marriage Index is an instrument that, for the first time, offers a comprehensive view of the state of marriage in the nation.

Racism and the Great Commission Resurgence

Russell D. Moore — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:42:01 +0000

A few weeks ago, I told the folks in my congregation to forget all the pictures of white people they’ve seen in their childhood Sunday school Bible story books. The only white people in the Bible were lepers. But white supremacy dies hard.

A Word to Young Preachers

Russell D. Moore — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:43:06 +0000

Your first few sermons are always terrible, no matter who you are. If you think your first few sermons are great, you’re probably self-deceived. If the folks in your home church think your first few sermons are great, it’s probably because they love you and they’re proud of you. If it’s a good, supportive church there’s as much objectivity there as a grandparent evaluating the “I Love You Grandma” artwork handed to them by the five year-old in their family.

Do Sinners Want Hell?

Denny Burk — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:44:04 +0000

John Piper says that no one wants Hell and that C. S. Lewis was wrong to suggest otherwise. He writes:

“Free to Live and Love as We See Fit?”

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:44:57 +0000

As Sen. John McCain recently remarked, “elections have consequences.” President Barack Obama signed the “Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act” into law on Thursday, fulfilling a campaign promise and handing the gay rights community one of its most sought-after achievements.

The Myth of Monogamy

denny burk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 13:22:03 +0000

An article on CNN.com suggests that monogamy is on the decline and that serial monogamy and polyamory may be better alternatives. Serial monogamy is “a model in which people move from one committed long-term relationship to another and choose partners for different reasons at different stages of their life.”

Evangelical Syncretism

Denny Burk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:25:46 +0000

I am astonished at how many evangelicals think that it is okay to observe a Ramadan fast with Muslims. Christianity Today has published remarks from ten evangelicals, five (or perhaps seven) of which think that it’s okay to fast with Muslims during Ramadan. Douglas Wilson is the last of the ten, and he sounds the clearest note against such a practice.

The Divorce Divide — A National Embarrassment

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 08:22:20 +0000

There are few national tragedies that can match the devastating effect of the Divorce Revolution. Four decades after California launched the revolution, the impact of divorce and the break-up of marriages and families is now well documented, coast to coast.

Pray for GCR Task Force Meeting in Dallas/Ft. Worth

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:52:08 +0000

The Great Commission Task Force is gathering in Dallas/Ft. Worth Metroplex for important meetings as we continue the work assigned to us by the Southern Baptist Convention. Please pray for the Task Force to be granted wisdom as we seek to discern what will help Southern Baptists to be more faithful in obeying the Great Commission.

Kids Pray the Darndest Things

Denny Burk — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:22:46 +0000

We often snicker when my three-year-old daughter prays. She knows that she is supposed to kneel, to close her eyes, and to put her hands together. She has heard enough praying in her short life to know what kinds of words to include in a prayer.

The Idolatrous Religion of Conscience — A Lutheran Lesson for Us All

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:21:20 +0000

“It wasn’t primarily about sex.” With those words, Lutheran theologian Robert Benne explained that the actions recently taken by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America to normalize homosexuality were not primarily about sex at all, but about theological identity. “The ELCA has formally left the great tradition for liberal Protestantism,” Benne declared.

Feminism Unfulfilled — Why Are So Many Women Unhappy?

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:20:35 +0000

“The woman’s movement wasn’t about happiness.” That judgment, attributed to feminist Susan Faludi, seems to be the blunt assessment shared by many other women. As numerous recent studies now indicate, a remarkably large percentage of women describe themselves as increasingly unhappy.

Swine Flu and the Common Cup

Russell D. Moore — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:43:28 +0000

As I type this there’s a bottle of hand sanitizer next to my computer. And there’s one on the table behind me. And there’s one on the credenza in my outer office. And there’s one in my coat pocket. And two in my car. I don’t want the swine flu. And I’m not alone.

The Battle is Over? — Bishop Spong Exits the Debate

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:41:48 +0000

“The battle is over. The victory has been won. There is no reasonable doubt as to what the final outcome of the struggle will be.” Those are the words of John Shelby Spong, the retired Episcopal bishop of Newark, New Jersey. In his recently released “manifesto,” Bishop Spong declares, “it is time to move on,” and pledges never again to debate the issues of homosexuality or homosexual rights.

Where the Wild Things Aren’t

Russell D. Moore — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 18:42:35 +0000

This past Saturday I took my three oldest sons to see the movie Where the Wild Things Are. Some Christians are all exercised about the fact that the movie might be too frightening for children. They’re wrong. The movie is not a great one, but that’s not the reason why. As a matter of fact, Where the Wild Things Are fails because it’s not scary enough for your kids.

Interracial Couple Denied Marriage License

Denny Burk — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:25:32 +0000

The Associated Press reports that a Justice of the Peace in Hammond, Louisiana has denied a marriage license to an interracial couple. The Judge says that he is not a racist, but that he has good reason for withholding the license:

Time to Separate Church and Sports? A New Agenda Takes Shape

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:26:48 +0000

Sam Cook has had enough. A sports columnist for the Fort Myers [FL] News-Press, Cook recently referred to quarterback Tim Tebow of the University of Florida Gators and told his readers: “I don’t know how many more ‘God bless’ comments I can stand from the 2007 Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback.” Tebow, Cook argued, should play football and forget about his religious beliefs while he is wearing the Gator uniform.

Tebow’s Narrow Religion

Denny Burk — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 13:19:56 +0000

Tom Krattenmaker has taken a whack at Tim Tebow in a recent article for USA Today. He complains that the Tebow brand of conservative Christianity has infected sports culture in general:

Parents, Obey Your Children?

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:54:43 +0000

Literary critic Lionel Trilling once referred to “the dark and bloody crossroads where literature and politics meet.” In reality, almost all literature is political in some sense. Oddly enough, the most explicitly subversive literature is often presented to the very youngest among us — our children. Far too many parents seem not to notice.

President Obama’s Revolution

Denny Burk — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:24:16 +0000

On Saturday, President Obama delivered a speech to the Human Rights Campaign, one of the most ardent gay-rights organizations in the country. He promised to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” to abolish the Defense of Marriage Act, and to sign into law the Matthew Shepherd hate crimes bill that was just passed in the U. S. House of Representatives.

“Simply Unprecedented” — President Obama and the Gay Rights Movement

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 09:24:16 +0000

“This was a historic night when we felt the full embrace and commitment of the President of the United States. It’s simply unprecedented.” Those words were spoken by Joe Salmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, just after President Barack Obama spoke to the group’s 13th annual national dinner.

Abortion and the American Conscience

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:15:23 +0000

America has been at war over abortion for the last four decades. When the U.S. Supreme Court handed down its decision in Roe v. Wade, the court’s majority attempted to put an end to the abortion question. To the contrary, that decision both enlarged and revealed the great moral divide that runs through the center of our culture.

The Cross of Christ is Not a Secular Symbol

R. Albert Mohler Jr. — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 09:35:41 +0000

A looming constitutional crisis now hangs over the Mojave National Preserve in California, and the stage is set for a constitutional battle at the U.S. Supreme Court. The story is a bit convoluted, but the issue at stake is a cross erected by the Veterans of Foreign Wars at Sunrise Rock in the Mojave Desert.

The Apocryphal Martin Luther

Denny Burk — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:49:44 +0000

One of my favorite quotes from the great reformer Martin Luther is this one:“If I profess with the loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the Word of God except precisely that little point which the world and the devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Him. …

What David Letterman Can Teach Us About the Gospel

Russell D. Moore — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:46:54 +0000

If you pay a little attention right now to David Letterman, you could learn something critical about carrying the gospel to your neighbors, and to yourself. I’m not talking about re-tooling some Christian version of the late night comedian’s “Top Ten Lists” or his “Stupid Pet Tricks.” I’m not talking about his cynical humor, or emotionally detached coolness. I’m talking about why he was so scared of a blackmailer’s extortion.