Posts by Derek Thomas

Resurgency

Mar 17, 2007

It would be in poor taste to point out to Carl, especially on his birthday, that the headlines on the BBC news site this afternoon reads, "Resurgent Wales see off England" alluding to the Welsh Rugby Union victory (27-18). One reader (Toby Kurth) sent us a message asking, "Can we expect a post from...

Weather warning

Mar 17, 2007

Jeremy Smith's article in this issue (" Petrolium Pundits ") has provoked a stormy protest. See "We Get Letters" page.

Saint Patrick was Welsh

Mar 16, 2007

Many scholars assert, de rigeur , that Saint Patrick (Patricius or Padrig) was born in the still Welsh-speaking Northern Kingdom of Strathclyde of Romano-Brythonic stock around 385 AD at a place called Bannavem Taberniae (Banwen), but the best of them maintain this a "gloss". He was, according to...

Cézanne to Picasso

Mar 16, 2007

Just back from a few days in Chicago. Managed a quick tour of the "Cézanne to Picasso" exhibition at The Art Institute of Chicago . Took the "Admission Free on Tuesday" option, to mingle with the plebs! No point in paying to see "cubism" I thought! To be honest, loved the Monet and Renoir, but can'...

Men's Health and Mortification

Mar 9, 2007

Rodders, Del Boy sent me an SMS from the local barber's shop. He's been reading that monthly journal for men called Men's Health (December 2006) -- never seen it myself, you understand. Anyway, he was reading this article on some dude called Josh Duhamel (sounds fictitious to me right enough)...

Meilaender unimpressed by Wright

Mar 8, 2007

Gilbert Meilaender, who holds the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair of Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University, scorches N. T. Wright in the current issue of First Things (Februray 2007). For once, it's not his assertions on Paul and the New Perspective that has Meilaender bent out of shape;...

William Wilberforce

Mar 3, 2007

My wife and I went to see the Wilberforce movie last (it had all the feel of a Baptist Prayer Meeting inside the theater with folks wearing suits and ties and the average age, well, my age!). It was hugely enjoyable, even if I got the distinct impression that for Hollywood to make this even...

The "Jesus Tomb"

Mar 3, 2007

The tiresome story of the "Tomb of Jesus" rolls on, proving once again the eagerness with which unbelief will grasp at anything to believe a lie. Informed responses can be found at the following sites: Andreas Kostenberger , Ben Witherington , Darrell Bock , and Charles Quarles .

Dydd Dewi Sant

Mar 1, 2007

I've been "in class" all day, and my English friend obviously needs some education on the significance of St. David, who bravely fought against Pelagianism in the sixth century. He was a superb rugby player, triumphing in the notorious win at Cardiff Arms park in A.D. 580. Speaking of rugby, I...

Trueman taking Middle Ground!!!!

Feb 28, 2007

The new edition of Ref21 has been up a day or so, and I thought I'd draw your attention to Trueman taking the middle ground! Intrigued? Go here .

An American in Paris

Feb 21, 2007

Not quite! Rather, an Englishman in Mississippi. It's been an education having Dr. Trueman in the heart of Mississippi for few days. Despite the obvious deep-seated, Freudian angst that he's not Welsh, he has managed to deconstruct American culture in scintillating fashion. Most memorable, apart...

for Carl

Feb 7, 2007

My best response to the NEW blog theme, so far, came this morning from my good friend, Iain D. Campbell of the Free Church of Scotland: How should Reformed Christians celebrate Valentine's Day? Answer: With Tulips !

Interesting link on Westminster Assembly

Feb 7, 2007

Readers might be interested in following this link to an interview with Chad van Dixhoorn on the Westminster Project. The file can be downloaded and listened to later if needs be. The interview lasts about 20 mins. [Following the interview column on the right hand side of the page and currently it...

Additional items added to Ref21

Feb 3, 2007

Thanks Phil! Readers might like to note that two additional items have been added since last week: an extra article on Spurgeon and aiming for conversions in preaching written by Jonathan Watson (General Editor of The Banner of Truth Trust). {Some day, I must relate to you a practical joke he did...

New Edition of Ref21

Jan 30, 2007

Check out the front page for details of the latest edition of reformation21. The focus this month is on C. H. Spurgeon with two great articles by Zach Eswine and William Farley. Don't forget to check out Carl Trueman's Windows of Spin and Phil Ryken's Window on the World. [Editor]

Worship, Wales and other things

Jan 18, 2007

I've been involved in teaching one of those one-week, all-day courses that allowed me little time except to "monitor" the blog. I noted that some lefty cab driver threatens to vilify the Welsh and a good friend from North Wales is arming himself in preparation, he tells me. And I am stockpiling,...

Books...

Jan 1, 2007

OK, so no one blogged on "Christmas Books" so let me add a few of my own before changing the blog "theme"...

Welsh Carol

Dec 23, 2006

Thanks Phil. We arrived back from a family funeral last night to be met by Ligon at the airport. Now, why did he remind me of Father Christmas? Strangely, I had been been reading Dr. Mark Garcia's fine piece in the latest Westminster Theological Journal in which he links Osiander with Luther's...

ICS -- "Irritable Clergy Syndrome" (It's official)

Dec 14, 2006

Justin, speaking of pastors and what they are to do, the Archbishop of Canterbury has weighed in on a report addressing bullying and gossip among parishioners. In last saturday's The Times , Ruth Gledhil (their religious correspondent) wrote a piece called, "Evil-minded parishioners making life...

Bonding

Dec 11, 2006

Rodders, jealousy will be the undoing of you!

Monday mornings

Dec 11, 2006

A dear friend from the UK told me this weekend that he'd been catching up on the Ref21 blog and noticing that we seemed to have far too much fun! Well, he is a friend and his perspective skewed as a consequence. His "universe of discourse" (to cite John Murray ) is favorable. But Phil's entry has...

Mozart

Dec 5, 2006

At the risk of waking the sleeping giant (Rodders) I thought I'd share with you my morning. It began with a headache (literally) which has all the portents of being here to stay! Then, exams -- not the taking of them of them but the composition of them: what makes for a good examination in these...

RUF Banned from Brown University

Nov 30, 2006

Reformed University Fellowship, the student-based fellowship of the Presbyterian Church in America, have been banned from meeting on the campus of Brown University. See the following links: Here and here and here .

Reflections on being a grandfather

Nov 30, 2006

Thanks Phil. You are quite correct. I am a three-month old grandfather of a beautiful girl named "Hannah May." In Belfast, where my daughter and son-in-law live, she is known as Hannah, but in Mississippi, these sweet folk have a penchant for the double name and she's been "Hannah May" since I...

Gremlins

Nov 29, 2006

To all those of you who have e-mailed concerning my Nietzsche review and what appears to be gobbledygook; we are working on it. I'm blaming Trueman for his virulent attacks on my ethnicity!

God exists: 62% certain!

Nov 21, 2006

Richard Dawkins will not appreciate the math, but probablitity theorists now claim that it is 62% certain that God exists, according to yesterday's The Times . Is this where we cite the text about God "laughing"?

Christian Unions in the UK go to court

Nov 18, 2006

As a sign of where political correctness has taken things in Britain, today's The Times as this article on why three University Christian Unions in Britain are preparing to take legal action against university authorities for not allowing non-Christians to address their meetings or sit on ruling...

OOOps

Nov 17, 2006

Thanks Phil! I'm at home and in bed with "the dreaded lurgy" -- some kind of cold/flu thing. I got the flu shot but I guess it didn't work! Stephen Dawkins -- who is he? I meant Richard Dawkins. In any case, check out David Robertson's review. [Scroll down].

Der Freischütz?

Nov 17, 2006

For one minute Carl, i thought you were blogging on Carl Maria von Weber (composer of the opera, Der Freischütz), but then reality struck me! But I'm intrigued to know whether you agree with Max Weber's thesis in The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism that capitalism arose out of a...

Dawkins v. Robertson

Nov 16, 2006

Our good friend, David Robertson (Free Church, Dundee) has written a review of Stephen Dawkins' latest book, The God Delusion . His review was posted on the Dawkins web page (initially on the front page!). The responses (most are vitriolic) are phenomenal. His second article has also been posted on...

SC3

Nov 11, 2006

OK Ligon, we're getting impatient now. How long will we have to wait for your apologetical insights into Santa Claus 3? Did you see any Christological motifs? Was it up there with Lord of the Rings? Should we forsake all and go and see it today? But remember, wolves are waiting for you: are you...

Good viewing

Nov 10, 2006

Carl, since we're commending good reading, I thought you should all know that Ligon is off to see "Santa Claus 3" this evening! Was there a 1 and 2? Hopefully, we're in for some edgy blogs with "missional" import, discerning contextualization and cracking good sermon illustrations! Watch this space...

Able to or able not to?

Nov 9, 2006

I've been pondering again what is always a somewhat thorny issue: was Jesus able to sin or was he not able to sin? It arose again yesterday in a Patristics class in which we were examining the early work of Athanasius, de incarnatione. It is a question that is related to whether Jesus assumed a "...

When Good Men Fall

Nov 6, 2006

Over the past few years, I have witnessed the fall of several colleagues, some of which have had catastrophic consequences, two of whom are still serving prison sentences. In most cases, I never saw it coming. It occurs to me as I have reflected on this over the past few days that each one has had...

Calvin and NPP

Oct 31, 2006

Sorry Justin. I wasn't engaged in Halloween activities, just preaching ten times in four days and with little to no access to the internet! But let me answer your question as to what Calvin would say about the New Perspective on Paul.

Reformation Society in Sioux Center

Oct 30, 2006

I have just returned from a delightful couple of days Dordt College in Sioux Center, Iowa. Sorry, Justin, I thought initially I was heading for Sioux City and have to confess that I wasn't aware of just how far apart Sioux City, Sioux Center and Sioux Falls are! You asked for my impression --...

New ref21 edition launching shortly

Oct 25, 2006

Within a few hours, we'll be launching a new edition of reformation21 focusing on the contributions of Francis Schaeffer. Jerram Barrs and Mark Ryan provide insightful summaries of Schaeffer's life and ministry. And Carl Trueman reflects on the anti-historical bias of the age and of the modern...

Packer on Impassibility

Oct 16, 2006

Thanks for this entry on divine impassibility, Phil. I haven't see it as yet but will look forward to reading it. Here are a couple of quotes from J. I. Packer on the issue which I found helpful.

Fifty books

Oct 12, 2006

It might be worth our while listing what we might think the fifty most influential books have been for us, don't you think? Let's start listing some and after a while we'll compile a reformation21 wish list! For me, it would have to begin with Lloyd-Jones' expositions on The Sermon on the Mount ...

Augustine's Commentary on Galatians

Oct 5, 2006

Oxford University Press have just released the paperback edition of Augustine's Commentary on Galatians in a fresh translation and lengthy ( very lengthy!) introduction by University of Scranton professor, Eric Plumer (hardback edition appeared in 2003). What caught my eye (amidst some tantalizing...

Are We Ready for Battle?

Oct 2, 2006

Philip Johnston in yesterday's edition of The Daily Telegraph newspaper.gave a chilling account of what the latest European Union legal rulings will mean for Britain. He took as his cue an adverisement in a local newspaper, which read: "Retired couple wanted to look after large country home while...

Updating John Owen

Sep 26, 2006

Kelly Kapic informs me that several updated editions of works by John Owen are due for publication in the next year.Due in October (by Crossway) are three classic treatises on sin and temptation: Overcoming Sin and Temptation: Three Classic Works (edited by Kelly Kapic and Justin Taylor). Due in...

Erring with Ehrman

Sep 25, 2006

Anyone wanting to read a brief, but brilliant rebuttal of Bart Ehrman's latest attack on the Bible's textual trustworthiness, Misquoting Jesus , should read Robert Gundry's "Post-Mortem: Death by Hardening of the Categories" In the September/October edition of Books and Culture . He begins by...

Border Crossings

Sep 25, 2006

I am just back from one of Carl Trueman's haunts: tell it not in Gath, but I slept in his bed! I refer to a trip to Canada for Sola Scriptura Ministries , and my good friend Heinz D. Now, I'd tell you his second name, but it is impossible to spell from memory! I stayed in a wonderful home (shades...

Augustine through Helm and Under Thomas

Sep 20, 2006

[NOTE: PAUL HELM SENT ALONG THIS COMMENT FOR THE BLOG. IT IS POSTED BY THE ADMINISTRATOR UNDER DEREK'S NAME FOR SIMPLICITY'S SAKE] Derek Thomas's excellent piece on the emotional life of Christians reminded me of this bit of Augustine, who is often (but quite mistakenly) thought to be a fully paid-...

Especially for Carl

Sep 14, 2006

Just FYI. A new Understanding the Times has been posted in this issue, as well as a few book reviews. Carl, I have made some self-deprecating statements about the Welsh.

Horsin' around

Sep 7, 2006

The Wall Street Journal article indicating all is not well in Saddleback land (WSJ Sept 5), has been picked up everywhere, including here , in the Southern Baptist Press.

Bruckner does it for me!

Sep 4, 2006

These have been some of the most frustrating two weeks in a while! God knew, of course, what he was doing and that I needed it. I refer to the loss of my laptop! A call from (what sounded like) an Italian-New York detective last week suggesting that I should search for it on Ebay had me (in the end...

Laptop spotted on the Mile End Road

Aug 29, 2006

Since having my laptop stolen, ole Del Boy can't log in any more -- he's lost his password, but after that Trueman geezer's posting yesterday, showing as much sympathy as a beached whale, I heard Del and the boys were coming to get him. He said he'd come right away but he's flogging some laptops...

New Issue of Ref21

Aug 26, 2006

Be sure to check out the front pages as a new issue of Ref21 was posted this afternoon. Yes, I'm back. Sort of. I had been enjoying a few days away with my brand new granddaughter and upon returning through Newark airport, my laptop (and house keys, car keys etc) was stolen. There I was, rechecking...

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