Tuesday 31 January 2023

Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal 27 (2022)


The latest issue of Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal is online, containing the below essays.


The whole issue is available for download here.


Timothy Miller

Rome, Caesar, and the Historical Setting of 1 Peter


Mark A. Snoeberger

Refining Dispensational Discourse: Reconsidering Four Common Expressions


Kyle C. Dunham

The Woman Who Is a Snare: The Identity and Nature of the Female Figure in Ecclesiastes 7:25–29


Jeff Straub

Baptists and Freemasonry: A Conflicted History


Mark A. Hassler

“My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?” Psalm 22 as Direct Predictive Prophecy about Jesus Christ on the Cross


Brett Williams

Augustine’s View of the Church As Revealed in His Use of Cyprian’s Contra Donatistas


Book Reviews

Wednesday 18 January 2023

Patrick Parkinson on Loneliness


Cambridge Papers are published once a quarter and address a wide range of topics, offering ‘Christian reflection on contemporary issues’.


The latest paper is available online here (from where a pdf can be downloaded here):


Patrick Parkinson, ‘The Loneliness of the Digitally Connected’, Cambridge Papers 31, 4 (December 2022).


Here is the summary:


‘Loneliness used to be identified as an issue particularly for the very elderly who have lost partners and friends through death; but now the loneliest age group in our community is the under-30s. These are the digital natives who typically have a large number of connections with people through social media. This paper explores the problem of loneliness in western societies, particularly among young people, and the reasons why digital connections with others are insufficient to satisfy the human need for relationships. Finally, it suggests some of the implications for the work of churches in pastoral care and outreach.’

Thursday 5 January 2023

Mission Frontiers 45, 1 (January–February 2023)


The January–February 2023 issue of Mission Frontiers, published by the U.S. Center for World Mission, contains a number of articles devoted to ‘Cascading Gospel: Movements Starting Movements’.


Here is the issue blurb, which sets the scene:


‘Kingdom movements (four or more generations of churches planting churches, in multiple streams) are happening outside the direct personal experience of most of us. We didn’t come to faith in a movement and we’ve not catalyzed a movement. We know missionaries who have labored faithfully for many years and not seen a movement result. Some of us… are, or have been, workers who saw some fruit among the unreached, but nothing resembling a movement. As a result, the whole idea of catalyzing a movement can have an aura of mystery about it. In this issue, we’re blessed to be able to offer you a few security-sensitive glimpses into some ways God is accomplishing this multiplication through his servants.’


The issue is available here, from where individual articles can be downloaded, and the entire issue can be downloaded as a pdf here.

Tuesday 3 January 2023

Rachel Jones on the Difference Jesus Makes


Every month, The Good Book Company make available digital versions of one of their books at no charge. This month (January 2023) it’s Is This It? by Rachel Jones – a funny, honest, hopeful book which reveals the difference Jesus makes to the challenges of adulting – which is available in exchange for an email address here.

Sunday 1 January 2023

Amazing Grace


I didn’t want to let today go by without acknowledging that it was 250 years ago today that John Newton first presented his hymn ‘Amazing Grace’ to his congregation in Olney, to accompany his sermon for that day on 1 Chronicles 17:16–17.


Interestingly, the BBC has picked up on the anniversary here, as has The Observer here.


Bruce Hindmarsh gives a good rundown here.