A Thinking Reed

  • Three approaches to faith and works

    In continuing the tradition of outsourcing quality theological reflection to my betters, allow me to link to this weighty post from Christopher on justification, sanctification and the various kinds of legalisms and antinomianisms that afflict the left and right. The way I’ve learned to think about faith and works was that we are saved –…

  • Friday metal – Motorhead, “The Ace of Spades”

    Among the ugliest men in rock ‘n’ roll, God bless ’em.

  • Predestination with a human face

    Marvin has taken back up his series on “essential tenets of the Reformed faith” with posts on divine sovereignty and predestination. I commend the second one in particular. Though, I suppose you’re either destined to read it or not. 😉

  • Is Ron Paul crazy?

    Well, maybe. But he also manages to combine uncompromising rhetoric with political savvy, according to Jeremy Lott (via). This may help explain why Paul is doing better than anyone expected (his campaign reportedly now with more cash on hand than John McCain’s, for instance). One of the interesting thing about Paul is that he’s able…

  • Increasing skepticism about free trade

    60% of Repbulicans polled are skeptical that free trade benefits the U.S. See here (HT)for a good explanation of why dismissing these folks as economically illiterate misses the point.

  • Rattling cages

    Activists in California are trying to get an inititative on the ballot that would provide laying hens with more space and better conditions. As the story points out, this follows on the heels of similar measures in Arizona, Oregon, and Florida. One hopes this is a trend. My hunch has always been that people will…

  • Cop-out blogging

    Stuff I considered writing blog posts on but didn’t: *This post by Derek on what Phyllis Tickle calls “The Great Emergence” *Social conservatives versus Rudy Giuliani *This book, which I read while traveling last week *My current ambiguous ecclesial affiliations P.S. Firefly=awesome! My wife and I started watching this for the second time around last…

  • Bishop of Glasgow and Galloway on the current Anglican unpleasantness

    I don’t typically comment on the doings of the Anglican Communion (I’m at best a part-time Episcopalian and you can get plenty of that stuff elsewhere), but I thought this address by the Primate of the Scottish Episcopal Church was good. Maybe it’s just the Scotsman in me that’s partial to it. 😉

  • A Christian nation?

    This interview with John McCain has caused a minor furor on account of his claims that the “the Constitution established the United States of America as a Christian nation” and his saying that he would hesitate to vote for a Muslim candidate for president. Now, assuming this accurately represents Sen. McCain’s views rather than being…

  • God’s glory is etched on his creation

    I’ve been reading this abridged Institutes of the Christian Religion that I referred to in the last post and liked this passage quite a bit: Since complete happiness is knowing God, in order that no one should be prevented from finding that happiness, he has kindly put in our minds the seed of true religion…