My formal theological training has not been typical for an evangelical Baptist. Rather than attending an evangelical Bible college, I did a 1 year post-graduate diploma at St Stephen’s House in Oxford. Then for my MPhil (at Trinity College, Bristol), I focused on a 12th century monk (technically a canon regular) called Richard of Saint … Continue reading Faith seeking understanding 1: Evangelical suspicion of Anselm’s “faith seeking understanding”
Tag: christianity
Feeling doubts yet strong in faith
(This blog post is an exploration of an issue- I'd welcome feedback, and may end up changing my mind later on.) Different pastors have different personalities. That comes across in preaching style and in pastoral care. It is helpful for there to be a range of personalities and styles, as each may be particularly helpful … Continue reading Feeling doubts yet strong in faith
Is there such a thing as “Christian music” if there are no words?
A recent conversation has got me thinking- does it make sense to speak of "Christian music" without words being sung? My starting point in thinking about this is Colossians 3:16 "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from … Continue reading Is there such a thing as “Christian music” if there are no words?
New opportunities and dangers for the church
Over the last few years, there have been some cultural shifts that have been encouraging for Christians. There have been a number of high profile intellectuals or public figures who have moved from atheism to some form of Christian faith, including Paul Kingsnorth and Ayyan Ali. The individual shifts reflect something of a cultural shift. … Continue reading New opportunities and dangers for the church
Demons and spiritual forces
Some people are fascinated by the idea of spiritual forces at work, and others find the idea outlandish and weird. No doubt some people are too fascinated by the spiritual forces at work, or too quick to blame things on demons that are really human sinful choices. But people who grew up in Western culture … Continue reading Demons and spiritual forces
Why McGilchrist is wrong on the reformation
(The outline of McGilchrist’s thesis is here: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/11/07/introduction-to-the-master-and-his-emissary/) For McGilchrist, the reformation is the first step towards unbalanced left hemisphere dominance, a step towards the enlightenment. It’s easy to see why he should think this. The focus on the word of God above the visual arts in church looks like a loss of right hemisphere insights. … Continue reading Why McGilchrist is wrong on the reformation
Discipleship: weird cultishness or inevitable reality
One feature of Christianity, and especially evangelical Christianity, that strikes some outsiders as odd is the emphasis on discipleship. The idea that one would be shaped by a community in a set of beliefs and practices and ways of approaching life can seem deeply sinister. Isn’t this what cults do? But we think this way … Continue reading Discipleship: weird cultishness or inevitable reality
Jots and Scribbles 