The article considers the threat posed by the worldview of posthumanism, a view that human beings should have the right to improve themselves in whatever way, especially scientific ways, such as genetics and genetic engineering. The article warns against this, noting that human beings must confine themselves to being image bearers of God.
The author of this article pinpoints a small sample of erratic statements in Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code. Some of the errors have to do with the alleged changing of the biblical text by Constantine, the exclusion from the New Testament of a vast number of about eighty gospels, and the alleged omission from the Bible of Jesus' human traits.
This article deals with the public sensation brought about by Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code. It traces the source of the claims of the author to the Gnostics that were especially prominent in the first few centuries AD.
The author discusses the difficulties brought to the church in North America by both modernism and postmodernism. While the fundamentalists did well to stand well against modernists, the subsequent generation of fundamentalists and evangelical fundamentalists are giving in to the persuasions of postmodernism in very subtle ways. This has negatively affected the effectiveness of the gospel they preach.
The author discusses the influence of liberalism or liberal theology on the church. The author ends by noting the present-day remains of the liberal agenda.
The cults are "the unpaid bills of the church." By this statement, the author places some blame for the proliferation of cults today on the church's failure to answer some of the most pertinent questions of our day. When Christians appear to be unable to make their stand in some of the crucial matters of man's existence, the devil takes advantage.
This article wrestles with the issue of the differences between cultures and how that may appear in the way these cultures understand the message of the cross of Christ.
The article considers how a new understanding of knowledge, called conceptualization, poses a danger for a believer's view of knowledge, and hence also biblical truth.
This article discusses the Pentateuch (or Law) from the perspective of modernism and post-modernism.
Churches are faced with the reality of pluralism. While the basic phenomenon is not new, the intellectual response to it is: the suggestion that plurality of beliefs is theoretically justified. The first casualty of the pluralist agenda is truth. McGrath's approach is to articulate some of the central presuppositions and methods of a pluralist ideology and intellectual pluralism.
In contemporary culture there is a crisis of meaning, but most of the time it is swept out of sight. Not many think there are any answers to the big questions of meaning: “Why am I here?”, “What’s the meaning of life?” People tend not to ask them. They try to create meaning out of the things our societies urge us to fill our lives with: working and spending money. This lecture proposes that the Christian message about Jesus Christ has something to say to this crisis of meaning.
The church in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries is confronted with religious pluralism. McGrath points out the attack made against the doctrines of the incarnation and the Trinity. He argues that the specific identity of God is central to the formulation of the doctrine of the Trinity. The article argues the question whether it is possible to remain faithful to the Christian faith and engage positively with the challenge of pluralism.
From Galatians 2:14 this article shows that all of life should be in line with the gospel. However, moralism and relativism steal this call from believers.
This article evaluates modern methods of evangelism which seek to contextualize Jesus. Modern pop culture "celebrates" Jesus in many ways - but is this biblical?
Why do we not delight in the Pentateuch? Is it just a matter of preference? What should our perspective toward the Pentateuch be?
Is the adoration of famous personalities in the entertainment industry - such as TV, movie, or sports stars - idolatry?
One threat facing the church today is that of practical atheism, which is a result of materialism, secularism, pluralism, and existentialism. The church can stand against this by upholding the truth of God in preaching and Christian living.
This article looks at postmodernism and its emphasis on the meaninglessness of life. THe concept of death challenges this ideology, and shows that the secular world longs for meaning in life.
This article demonstrates how philosophy and theology can be integrated based on a discussion of the sovereignty of God and free will.
This article is about Gresham Machen and his fight against liberalism.
This article is about postmodernism, all the choices we have today, consumerism, and secular influences on the church.
This article is about tolerance, relativism, and standing up for your beliefs.
Culture is everywhere and, like it or not, culture is changing you. If this is the case then how can Christians use the tools of culture for discipleship? This article defines what culture is and gives a way in which Christians can engage with pop culture.
How should Christians interact with their culture? Christians should see themselves as called to produce culture. This article looks at the place of creativity and arts in producing culture and explains that with God's kingdom as a primary focus, Christians have an opportunity to positively impact culture.
Ours is a yin-yang society. This article shows that just like the yin-yang our society has embraced relativism. The article shows what this means for religion, morality and sexuality and gender.
This article evaluates the claims of Ludwig Feuerbach and Sigmund Freud, who both claimed that God is a reflection of human desires.
How should Christians interact with the culture and politics of where they live? This article looks at Augustine's and Calvin's view, adding a contemporary view to this question to show how Christians can be part of a cultural change.
For Christians to live in this world it is important to understand ideas that shape the culture they live in. This article looks at the New Age Movement and the four spiritual flaws resulting from this movement: pantheism, reincarnation, moral relativism, and esotericism.
Chameleon Christianity is enmity against Christ, for it is a drifting away from the truth of the gospel. This article examines ideas that contribute to this drifting: environmentalism, the homosexual movement, and abortion calls. It shows how the church can remain true to the gospel.
Relativism is not just an idea. It manifests itself in a lifestyle. This article shows how relativism leads to the god of choice.
Humanism appeals to reason as its authority while Christianity appeals to Scripture as its authority. Can Christians appeals to reason? This article answers this question by looking at the authority of reason in religion, in Protestant theology, and in the Scriptures.
The call to creativity is realized once believers understand what it means to be created in the image of God. To achieve this thinking we must see ourselves within the scope of the gospel narrative, which is creation, fall, redemption, and restoration. This article explains.
This article defines humanism as a religion, with secular education as its tool.
Humanism and atheism pose a great challenge to Christians in our age. One of the biggest instruments of these movements is education. This article is geared to helping Christians understand what is happening within the world of education - especially tertiary education. It also gives ways in which to stand against prophets of atheism such as Richard Dawkins.
This article discusses the philosophy behind our current age. According to this author, the best way to describe this age is through the word 'existentialism'. Evolution, atheism and existentialism are triplets which cannot be separated, joined by the thread of their umbilical cord.
This article looks at the relationship between time and eternity. We cannot comprehend how eternity relates to the past, present and future. However, we do know that time was created by God, and He has given us this moment to use so that we can spend eternity with Him or without Him. Therefore, time is of the essence.
Looking at television and its impact on culture, this article shows that culture is never value-neutral. Television has produced a celebrity culture, and this in turn has impacted Christians. This article warns the church from taking the path of culture syncretism, as did the Roman Catholic Church.
Postmodernism is the denial of metanarrative, and deconstructionism is the denial of the definable meaning of words. This article shows that both these things have the same source - unbelief. It is only belief in God that will provide the truth that encompasses all reality.
This article considers idolatry in our culture, as it is embodied in a show like <em>American Idol</em>. It explains that the key to understanding and critiquing much of human culture is total depravity.
This article offers three thoughts on why ministers should carefully speak up on public issues: the church body needs wisdom on how to live in society well, the secular culture needs to hear from the true culture, and believers have historically been agents for change because of strong pulpits.
For Christians to understand their times, it is important to understand the history of ideas that shapes their culture. This article looks at premodernism, modernism, postmodernism.
Post-Christianity, pluralism and postmodernism are some of the challenges facing the church as she finds herself in a secularised society. This article argues that the church can face these challenges with the gospel. It defines the gospel and shows how the church can communicate it to the world.
How did we come to embrace secularism and sexual revolution in our culture? This article looks at the activism of the homosexuals and how this has had an impact on the church.
How did we come to embrace secularism and sexual revolution as part of our culture? This article looks at the development from modernism to postmodernism and the impact they had on the nature of authority and morality.
Can man live without God? This is the question posed by secularism. How should the church answer this question? The article explains that it is only through standing on God's truth that the church can answer the question.
This article explains that a big challenge facing Christian school teachers is the influence of humanism on students, parents, and teachers themselves.
Liberalism is a matter of authority—the authority of the Bible against the authority of the human mind. It atttacks the doctrine of inerrancy and the sufficiency of scripture. The article explains further.
The authors reflect upon the context of postmodernism in which the church finds itself and the impact it has on both an evangelical understanding of the authority of Scripture and a hermeneutic that allows believers to understand and apply God's Word to different aspects of the Christian faith and life.
Should philosophy be eschewed in the church? If the church does, Moreland argues, believers will then continue to speak largely to themselves. In this essay, he aims to clarify the nature and tasks of philosophical apologetics, identify in the contemporary culture areas where the church need to focus its attention as a community, and offers some brief remarks about a strategy for the future.
The shift from modernism to postmodernism has created a culture gap. This article shows how this culture gap is affecting the life of the church and how it can be addressed.
Behind the so-called culture war looms a greater battle; namely, the spiritual warfare. It is in knowing the times we live in that Christians are able to engage in this spiritual battle.
This is a critique of prescriptive pluralism. Pluralism argues that there is no one truth or one way of salvation. Rick Simpson argues that prescriptive pluralism does not fit with faithful Christianity.
This article outlines some of the cultural and philosophical challenges that ministers of the gospel can expect in time to come. It shows that the current generation is highly selective about the kinds of truths it is willing to receive. The church needs to be very clear on the story of the Bible, from creation to new creation, as well as its instruction on sexuality, and the exclusivity of the gospel.
There are two lords that Abraham Kuyper considered to be at work in the spirit of the age around him, and this article suggests these same lords prevail today, calling the church to secularism. Those lords are mammon and art.
What is the meaning of life? This article explains and evaluates how pluralism answers this question. It looks at the three assumption driving pluralism and three desires pluralism seeks to address. It then shows the Christian answer to the question.
Should Albert Einstein be blamed for moral relativism? This article looks at the connection between Einstein's theory of relativity and moral relativism.
The biggest threat facing Christian education is the influence of humanism. Why is it a threat? At the core of humanism is the belief that man is the measure of all things. Looking at the Humanist Manifesto, this article gives five characteristic of humanism.
Is it appropriate for a Christian to occupy himself with philosophy? This essay gives a rationale for philosophy as a Christian vocation.
This article links Halloween with All Saints' Day, arguing that Halloween flows from Christian experience. Only Christians can celebrate victory over death with fear of death.
This article is about anti-ageing, society's obsession with youthfulness, and consumerism.
The goal of this volume is to present the worldview characteristic of different periods of Western thought. Chapter 8 explores the life and worldview of the 18th century Enlightenment as it took shape in various countries accompanied by spiritual awakenings.
This article reflects on the call for a distinct Christian education in twentieth-century Western culture of advanced epistemological decay. Particular attention is given to postmodernism's tendency to define meaning and purpose on an individual basis and not as things relate to any universal.
Linguistic philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein developed the concept of language games. Nicholson wants to give a careful examination and interpretation of Wittgenstein’s concept, and give an assessment of the value of Wittgenstein’s philosophy for evangelical theology and hermeneutics.
How does the church impact culture? This author wants to encourage the church to be a loving presence in society.
What is the impact of the phenomenon of modern socio-cultural pluralism on the Christian faith? In particular, this article looks at how pluralism has been used to justify recent theological proposals commonly labelled "the theology of world religions" or "pluralistic theology." These proposals suggest that Christians cannot represent the Christian faith in such a way as to exclude or even threaten the validity of other world religions.
What is the philosophy of naturalism? The author considers the weaknesses of naturalism from an apologetic point of view.
Philosophical views exert a strong influence on theology. This paper introduces themes from the philosophy of Hegel in contemporary German theology. Illustrations are given from the theology of Hans Kung, W. Pannenberg, Karl Barth, and K. Rahner. The author considers the appropriateness of incorporating thoughts from Hegel's philosophy in theology.
What does it mean that C.S. Lewis wanted his stories of the Chronicles of Narnia to be received as myth? Why did Lewis choose to write myth? This article considers factors at work in Lewis that gave his stories their specific Christian content.
Geisler addresses the matter of the nature of religious or faith language, that is, how man can speak of God. He describes the nature of the problem and continues by presenting and evaluating contemporary alternative approaches taken in this issue.
This paper deals with the issue of the significance of our understanding of history for the Christian faith. The question Ladd deals with is whether there is a dimension of factual historical reality which lies outside of history. Ladd argues that there is such a sphere, which can be designated "Geschichte," for "Historie" he understands by definition to be secular, unbelieving history.
Tertullian is often an unattractive figure to modern people. He had a strict asceticism, and his departure into Montanism does not help to popularize him. This paper focuses on what Tertullian's position was with regard to philosophy (notably irrationalism) and the philosophers of his day.
This paper argues for a Christian philosophy that sees human experience as a whole. The author's concern is with philosophy not according to human tradition, but according to Christ.
Loking at the philosophy of Jacques Derrida and linking it to postmodernism, this article shows that the struggle of postmodernism is not that of epistemology, but that of ontology and metaphysics. The author discusses Derrida's struggle with phenomenology and logocentrism, and points to Van Til as the answer to Derrida's criticism.
Looking at the division made in modern philosophy in the pursuit to discover truth, this article studies the relationship between analytical truth and synthetic truth. The author maintains that it is impossible to make a distinction between these two kinds of truth, and relates this to the topic of apologetics.
This article details some of the features of postmodernism, which in many ways is a reaction to modernism. It describes how postmodernism impacts the communication of the gospel, and ends with a call for the church to discern the spirits.
Is the claim true that states that more theology is communicated in one hour of popular television than sermons in churches on a weekend? Grenz claims that pop culture in general and the entertainment industry in particular are potent shapers of society's fundamental convictions.
What is secularism and what are the sources that shaped the modern secular mind? This article notes what the author calls three "movements against trancendence." The first he calls the decline in logical realism; next, he notes the love of power; finally, he discusses the hatred of distinction.
In this essay the author investigates a number of current influential views on secular feminist religious metaphor. Her contention is that the religious metaphors developed by secular feminists are insufficient to express the complexity of the nature of God. Existential feminists examined include Mary Daly and Emily Culpepper.
In Chapter 1 the author first offers his readers a sketch of some important recent work in religious epistemology (theory of knowledge). Next he relates that recent work to some relevant issues in critical biblical scholarship. In the third place the author engages with the work of some representative proponents of critical biblical scholarship.
Bertrand Russell acquired fame through his prolific writings and his outspokenness. This essay gives a more detailed critique that the author felt was badly needed in order to prevent students from naively accepting Russell as an authority on religion. Weigel aims to subject Russel's religious writings to rigorous analysis.
Existentialism's view of the individual is sometimes claimed to be similar to the views of Augustine. In this essay Lewis evaluates such claims by comparing the thought of Augustine with that of contemporary existentialists. Lewis introduces Paul Tillich's distinctions between an existential point of view, an existential philosophy, and an existential attitude (involvement).
In Chapter 2 Barrs first considers how the past century witnessed a loss of biblical content to people’s views of God, truth, and moral convictions. Two views are considered: a Christian (traditional) view (morality and law are fixed and eternal) and a postmodern view (morality and law are constantly open to change). Questions for personal reflection and group discussion are at the end of the chapter.
