Category: Theology

Is Jesus “the true and better Tim Keller”?

Sam Allbery spoke at Tim Keller’s memorial service and made this remark. “Jesus is the truer and better Tim Keller.” It’s one of those immediately quotable and therefore tweetable phrases and so of course people have been tweeting it and reacting to it. Now, there’s a risk of reacting to something out of context and… Continue reading Is Jesus “the true and better Tim Keller”?

Foundational reading for urban ministry … The most important book

This should perhaps be obvious and go without saying but the most important book you need to be reading if you are going to engage in urban pastoral ministry is the Bible. Still, it is worth repeating because sometimes although we know that in theory, we become too focused on the other tools we think… Continue reading Foundational reading for urban ministry … The most important book

Foundational reading for urban ministry

One of the main aims of Faithroots is to help train and equip urban pastors and church planters. You will find a growing set of teaching resources here aimed at those who want to serve, in whatever capacity in urban church contexts but for all kinds of reasons will not be able to access theological… Continue reading Foundational reading for urban ministry

Rethinking the dates of the New Testament

One of the most significant writers of the 20th century was JAT Robinson. This is due to two books he wrote. The first, Honest to God, was significant in promoting liberal theology and religious scepticism. So it is perhaps surprising to know that the second was more likely to find support among conservative Christians. In… Continue reading Rethinking the dates of the New Testament

Paedobaptism and the mediator problem

The Bible insists that there is one mediator between God and man, his name is Jesus.  Therein lies a crucial problem with paedobaptism.   There are some churches where babies are baptised and it is understood that this is symbolic, the baptism is in effect an expression of hope that the child will grow up to… Continue reading Paedobaptism and the mediator problem

If the Bible doesn’t speak with one voice -then our “Biblical scholars” are not experts

One of the greatest hypocrisies of liberal theological scholarship is that on the one hand the erstwhile theologians set themselves up as experts on Biblical studies. They then range across Scripture, Old Testament and new, universally recognised letters from Paul and those disputed, history, prophecy and wisdom.  They claim to be able to comment on… Continue reading If the Bible doesn’t speak with one voice -then our “Biblical scholars” are not experts

God really is our Father

I mentioned the other day that there had been some controversy around the Archbishop of York’s comments about some people finding it difficult to refer to God as “our Father.”  Quite a few people jumped in assuming (prompted by the media headlines) that the Archbishop was seeking to stir up the old controversy about God,… Continue reading God really is our Father

Total Depravity

This is the “T” in TULIP.  Total Depravity means that because of Adam’s sin, our spiritual condition is that we are dead in sin.  It means that sin or depravity reaches into every aspect of our lives, there isn’t a part of my life that wasn’t affected by sin. Key Bible passages include Genesis 2:17-18… Continue reading Total Depravity

Unconditional Election

The other day I started to write about the 5 points of Calvinism, often referred to under the mnemonic “TULIP”, Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Perseverance of the Saints.  It’s worth remembering that whilst this has become a shorthand summary of reformed theology, it was intended as a specific response to specific challenges at… Continue reading Unconditional Election