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Before the face of God
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December 27, 2011
Books I've read in 2011Kedric Webster
I have to confess that I have not read the majority of books that sit on my shelves. I realized that when I tried to recall exactly what I read this year. Several books were from either the Orange County Public Library or from Reformed Theological Seminary. This calls for a New Year's resolution, one that I will likely break, so may be I won't make one.
I don't have a Top 10 or Top 5 of books I've read in 2011, but I will list a handful that I did read and what I liked or disliked about them.
1984 by George Orwell
It's one thing to ...
December 13, 2011
A Lesson in Systematic TheologyKedric Webster
I have had a few ideas for blog posts running around in my mind, but it’s just a matter of getting them out. Picture part one of the last Seinfeld episode with Kramer trying to get water out of his ear.
This post is about systematic theology, or more, a lesson in systematic theology. What may come to mind might be the large tomes such as John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion, Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologica, or more modern works by Wayne Grudem or Millard Erickson.
Compared to whole books on the subject, this is a ...
November 17, 2011
Machen, war, and the churchKedric Webster
As one can see from the title of this blog I will address the topic of politics and the church with some of the writings of J. Gresham Machen as a guide.
When it comes to voluntary associations, civic organziations, political involvement, or community service, Machen was fully in favor of the individual Christian giving himself to the service of others. A champion of individual liberty, Machen believed, as Stephen Nichols has noted, Christians should "organize themselves in accordance with their consciences for the furtherance of political ...
September 26, 2011
More from Ron WellsKedric Webster
After covering a chapter on the Enlightenment, Ron Wells discusses the two major revolutions of the Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions in his History Through the Eyes of Faith.
I will quote a few paragraphs of "The Age of Democratic Revolutions", including the conclusion, because I think the words are wise and humbling because of our tendency to affirm the glories of one revolution (America) over the other (French) without looking at the deeper philosophical movements that undergirded them.
For example, he states that ...
September 19, 2011
A Blurb from Ron WellsKedric Webster
Though it came out over 20 years ago, Ron Wells' book History Through the Eyes of Faith is a good read and by no means outdated. Not meant to be detailed or technical, it provides well thought introductory material covering many centuries of history (particularly Western history). In some ways his words fit into what I wrote concerning the Star Trek Philosophy. Below are a few paragraphs from his chapter on "The Enlightenment: A Worldview in Action." Keep it in the back of your mind when saying that line in the Pledge of Allegiance that comes ...
September 08, 2011
The Star Trek PhilosophyKedric Webster
Once again it's time for another Star Trek reference. You can't get away from it. Just look at all the famous actors who appeared on the TV show or the movies. Anybody who is anybody has been on Star Trek.
For some time I have been contemplating the cultural ramifications of the show, both the original series, the movies, and the ones that would be termed the "Next Generation." What we see presented to us today in philosophy, science, culture and even religion is what I call the Star Trek Philosophy. What this philosophy entails, in a ...
August 19, 2011
Panera, Piety, and PipesKedric Webster
The title of this blog post may seem a bit odd, though the alliteration should provide evidence that I have a point to make.
I was sitting recently in a Panera located across from Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. I've gone to many different Paneras. It's a nice place to read or meet a friend. The pastries are pretty good and usually there's pleasant music playing in the background.
Tea is my common drink of choice because it's cheap and I can get as many refills as I want. I'm sitting there reading an autobiography of Mark Twain ...
August 08, 2011
On USA TODAY ReligionKedric Webster
Sometimes I like to read the On Religion column in Monday's USA TODAY. It's usually a sure-fire way to provide thought-provoking commentary on the ways and means of religion and faith in the United States. It's also a sure-fire way to make me want to write about it because I don't agree with it.
The article from today by Oliver Thomas was such an article. On that particular column I will visit in the future. Needless to say, based on this one and the one I am blogging about today, I do not have a high opinion of Mr. Thomas' writings. I ...
August 05, 2011
Darwinism and FundamentalismKedric Webster
In a collection of essays in The Death of Adam Marilynne Robinson authors an essay entitled "Darwinism." I have to admit that I had to read it slowly and thoughtfully because her writing is very dense and she makes historical and literary references of which I am vaugely familiar. I highly recommend her writings, and that recommendation comes from reading just this one essay (so far). It is a very eye-opening critique of Darwinism, mentioning some of the social, cultural, and philosophical influences on Darwin and his theory of natural ...
July 28, 2011
Lights and FingersKedric Webster
I recently finished re-reading 1984 by George Orwell (aka Eric Blair). I can't remember what provoked me to do so. I believe it had to do with some in the evangelical world who have basically given up on the notion of propositional truth, thus embracing, or at least incorporating, postmodern structures to truth. These theologians tend to be the scholars of the Emergent Church or at least those influenced by Emergent thinking look to. Everyone's got their theologian/philosopher/scholar to cite in a moment of need. Even me.
The characters in ...
July 19, 2011
Psalm 83: Prophecy or Fox Hole Prayer?Kedric Webster
Since I am a seminary graduate I will from time to time write on biblical and theological topics. This is one of them. Apparently along the way of my Christian walk I was not aware of the significance of Psalm 83. Yes, it is in the Bible, nearly smack dab in the middle of the Bible, thus being a part of God's Holy Writ.
But its significance has more to do, at least in some people's minds, with events in the Middle East involving Israel and a whole host of other nations rather than someone named Asaph praying amidst a military crisis.
...
July 13, 2011
A prisoner in ChristKedric Webster
There are no signs to mark the way. It’s hidden away for a purpose, although the chances of someone on the inside getting out is slim to none. Surrounded by the East Tennessee hills on a sunny Saturday morning, it would be the perfect day to be outside, as many who are locked away in the Morgan County Correctional Complex (MCCX) wish some day to be. Wartburg, TN is a town that more people pass through than live in, with US 27, a major six-lane highway in some areas, becoming a windy two-lane road in this higher elevation.
Staying with ...
June 19, 2011
My education? ClassicKedric Webster
A couple of months ago the Washington Post ran a story on a St. Jerome Classical School, a Roman Catholic school that had had falling enrollment and debt. The article, Embracing a classical education, told how the school decided to embrace what is called the "Classical" teaching method, a method that "divides childhood development into three stages known as the trivium: grammar, logic and rhetoric." Each stage begins at a certain age for a number of years before advancing to the next stage.
[The stat I found fascinating was that the roughly ...
June 15, 2011
Factors in Charitable GivingKedric Webster
I am going to post a few points when it comes to choosing a charity or organization to give to.
The personal touch – It’s important that you have a personal connection to a charity. This may not always be the case when it comes to larger charities, but it is very helpful. When you give you have a name and a face behind the dollars and so a level of trust is established. Texting 12345 to give $10 to a charity may work when funds are needed immediately for a disaster, but it’s a bit on the impersonal side.
Don’t stop believing – I ...
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