Why Did New England Puritanism Fail?

Why did New England Puritanism ultimately fail in its “errand to the wilderness”? Almost as early as the advent of the second generation of Puritans, one can already find first generation Puritans lamenting the corruption and near dissolution of their beloved “city on a hill.” An aged William Bradford manually supplemented his earlier, optimistic record […]

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Review: What is the Mission of the Church?

“Keep the main thing the main thing,”1 Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert intone to no probable disagreement in their amply-titled book What Is the Mission of the Church?: Making Sense of Social Justice, Shalom, and the Great Commission. Literally everyone wants to keep the main thing the main thing. The real disagreement comes when one […]

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Martin Luther, Freedom of Conscience, and The Bondage of the Will

Martin Luther’s The Bondage of the Will was considered even by Luther himself to be one of his greatest works of theology, as it established the biblical and logical basis for his most treasured doctrine—justification by faith alone, and, contributing to its continued popularity, it does so with all of Luther’s characteristic, and entertaining, thunder […]

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A Song for Corporate Confession

I wrote a song today for corporate confession in worship. I recognize many of its lines might make churchgoers uncomfortable, but this song is actually tame compared to some of the things God has seen fit to speak through the Old and New Testament prophets. Please let me know how you think it can be improved before it […]

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Are You an “Ought To” or a “Want To” Christian?

Have you ever wondered how David, apparently a man after God’s own heart, found himself capable of flagrant acts of adultery and murder? Have you ever wondered how David could still be a believer after all that? Think about if a similar scandal were to come to light in our day: if some mega-pastor were […]

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