Recently, I posted about “An Apology for the True Christian Divinity.” Written by Robert Barclay, this was the first orderly presentation of early Quaker beliefs. Early Quakers were deeply Christian while many later Quakers drifted from Christ into subjectivism. One of my readers left a comment wondering why later Quakers left their Christian roots. I suggested that…
Tag: Christianity
An Apology for the True Christian Divinity–Barclay
Last year, I became acquainted with Quakerism. I thought Quakers peddled new age, oatmeal mysticism. I was surprised to learn of their deeply Christian origins. I began to read the writings of George Fox, founder of the Quaker movement. Next, I moved on to An Apology for the True Christian Divinity by Robert Barclay (1675)….
Bereavement’s Provision
In Genesis 22, God asks Abraham to sacrifice Isaac: “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about” (Gen. 22:2). There is tenderness in the way the phrasing builds from…
Two Cities, One Gospel: Christ and Revolution
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times….” This unforgettable phrase opens Dickens’s novel A Tale of Two Cities. Set in England and Paris, A Tale of Two Cities takes place just as the French Revolution gets going. On one side are the French commoners. They are enraged by the economic…
Soul-Jars of Christ–Cameron Fult
I’d like to thank Cameron Fultz for sharing this post. Cameron is a friend of mine and author of Spiritual Knowledge and Jesus Pictures *** Yes, “soul-jar” is a silly pun on “soldier”. But this is the kind of soldier we are; not one of force, but vessels of Christ crucified, the Treasure inside. The power of God…
Does Love Trump Hate…of Trump?
It wouldn’t surprise me if Donald Trump’s first two weeks as president coincided with a global rise in stomach ulcers. News outlets and social media are a minefield of opinions and denouncements. Love trumps hate, they say. But I’m not sure love trumps hate of Trump. I’m not here to defend Trump. He’s a big…
The Christian’s Electra Complex
Genesis 19 sees the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The angels who visited Abraham warn Lot about the destruction. Lot flees with his wife and two daughters. Lot’s wife famously looks back and turns into a pillar of salt (Gen. 19:26). After escaping, Lot lives in the mountains with his daughters. It must’ve been remote…
Purpose and Politics
Many know I’m not crazy about Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton. During the campaign season, my mantra was, “I’m afraid it’ll come down to Trump and Clinton.” See kids, nightmares can come true. Just keep believing 😉 Now that we’re past all hope of not electing Trump or Clinton, I pray for Trump and our…
Change or Die: A Post-Christmas Wrap Up
This past weekend, I wrote a piece for the religion column of our local paper. The following is an excerpt with a link to the full article *** Two years ago, I introduced my daughter to Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. We read the book then watched some film versions. The 2009 animated version (with Jim…
God Has the Last Laugh
In Genesis 18, the Lord (in the form of 3 men) visits Abraham. The Lord restates His promise that Abraham will have a son by Sarah and says this will happen in a year (Gen. 18:10). When Sarah hears this, she laughs: “After I have become shriveled up and my lord is old, will I…
The Voice of One 