The New York Times Assault on Hell

The New York Times published an editorial, Why Do People Believe in Hell, on January 10, 2020 by David Bentley Hart that makes an all-out assault on the Biblical doctrine of hell. Hart says that the doctrine of “eternal damnation is neither biblically, philosophically, nor morally justified.” Not only this, but he advocates a universal…

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A Tale of Two Churches

The following article is offered as a prospectus for hopefully more extensive research into the invasion of the two main Baptist conventions in the USA during the 20th Century into local church autonomy. If anything, a Baptist church is to be an autonomous body that is ruled by congregational polity. Both conventions – Northern and…

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The Way You See Satan Reflects the Way You See God

As I thought about today’s post, I noticed the calendar and decided to search my notes files in relation to it. One article I ran across comes from the Biblical Archaeological Review, a journal I once took as a paper subscription. I gave it up as I found less time to read than before and…

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Do Remarks on the Virgin Birth give “Street Cred" for Andy Stanley?

Matthew Recker Andy Stanley is the pastor of North Point Ministries, a church attended by about 30,000 people each week. On December 3, he preached a sermon called “Who Needs Christmas” in which he made outlandish, even shocking comments about the virgin birth and other cardinal doctrines. In this message, Stanley attacks Biblical inspiration, declares…

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Eclectica: Shrinking the Church

Just one article to call to your attention for this edition – and we think it is a pretty significant one: How To Shrink Your Church In One Easy Step (link below the jump) The basic thesis of the article is summed up by this: Every major American church that has taken steps towards liberalization…

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The Eclectic Web–Charismatism and more

The Pentecostalism and Charismatic Movement have long been a concern for their popularization of aberrant beliefs and practices. Their influence on evangelicalism as it is today is surprising, given their relatively brief history. One source of information on the movement is data gathered by the Assemblies of God. This article provides many links to their…

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Eclectica–3.19.2014

One the things catching my attention in recent weeks was abominable theology. In consequence, this edition of The Eclectic Web starts with a link to abominable theology. Perhaps we are lulled to sleep in our understanding of the world we live in and think that unbelief parading in religious clothes has ceased to exist or…

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Counteracting Hero Worship: reevaluating Bonhoeffer

Don Johnson Dietrich Bonhoeffer is a figure often touted by evangelicals as a Christian martyr. He was the German pastor who was executed by the Nazis for his part in a plot to assassinate Hitler. Certainly some aspects of his biography are heroic. No one should criticize him for his character. Yet there is much…

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Baptist Liberals and other stories

The Eclectic Web Our lead story has this headline: God too big for one religion. So says Baptist pastor Joe Phelps. He is the pastor of Highland Baptist Church, a church affiliated with the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and the Kentucky Baptist Fellowship, a group that has partner churches in the CBF and the more conservative…

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