Cooling Twilight

Tag: gospel

  • “These enemy dogs who reject the things of God”

    “These enemy dogs who reject the things of God”

    Conquistadors praying before a battle

    Janie B. Cheaney, in her World Magazine post “How to lose an argument” seems to have just discovered that Mark Driscoll is a “lightning rod.” This is a surprise to her because in her mind Driscoll’s focus has always been on spreading the gospel.

    She links to my piece on Driscoll’s dismissal of careful exegesis of controversial texts, labeling it as “rather creative.” Is that doublespeak for “deliberately manipulative”? It wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been accused of taking Driscoll’s words out of context, but I have yet to see someone explain exactly how I did so. The most substantive argument against my criticisms has been similar to the one Cheaney employs: that Driscoll is preaching the gospel so we should simply ignore his verbal faux pas.
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  • N.T. Wright on the Gospel (video)

    N.T. Wright on the Gospel (video)

    Some recent comments on one of my Mark Driscoll posts brought up “the gospel,” essentially saying that despite any perceived shortcomings, Driscoll is still preaching the gospel and should be lauded for that. In light of that sentiment, here’s a great video of N.T. Wright discussing his views on the gospel — what it is and what it isn’t and how one might go about responsibly presenting it:

  • Defining Evangelical

    Defining Evangelical

    There is perhaps no designation within Christianity that is so ubiquitous but yet so difficult to define as that of Evangelical. It is simultaneously bandied about as a term of derision, as a badge of honor, as a litmus test for orthodoxy and as a synonym for fanaticism.

    Perhaps the most widely accepted scholarly definition of Evangelical is that of David Bebbington, who defines it in terms of four “isms”: conversionism, activism, biblicism and crucicentrism. (more…)