Dr Paul Allen

Truly understanding someone you deeply disagree with is exhausting. It’s a labor of love. A friend with different politics recently brought up a subject about which I know “my side’s” position but not my own. I sensed he was attacking my tribe, but I couldn’t speak intelligently enough about the topic to have a worthwhile debate. I found my mental energy flagging as soon as this friend brought up the topic. The same fatigue occurs sometimes when it comes to biblical and theological questions. I sometimes sit staring at myscreen wondering whether I have the energy to tackle a given question. I take comfort from two proverbs: Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. (Prov  17:27 –28) In other words, I don’t always have to have an answer. I cannot have a well-considered and widely-read case for every view in my c...

Lot leaving Sodom, Woodcut from the Nuremberg Chronicle (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The West has been undergoing as dramatic a shift in its ways of thinking and living as at any point in history. Many describe this turned corner as the rise of postmodernism, which is replacing modernism as the contemporary worldview. That new standards of public morality, ethics, and law have been advanced is not surprising, given the downward spiral of appreciation for any outward role for religion in life. At least from the standpoint of culture and law, our society no longer tolerates public endorsement of Christianity; rather, the only acceptable public positions are distrust of, or outright antagonism toward, religion in general and Christianity in particular. Ethical issues that have become matters of public morality—such as abortion, state lotteries, euthanasia, and homosexuality—have become storm-centers of debate. Until recently, homosexuality referred to disgusting practices that brought ...

Icon depicting the First Council of Nicaea. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) When do you think the following observations were made? Ministers today seem more concerned with political power in society than spiritual fervency in the church, while pop culture contributes to the moral decay among the youth. While marked by an increasing ethnic diversity and various religious beliefs, the nation’s established religious groups –– particularly Protestants –– demonstrate a sterile spirituality. One pastor bemoans the obsession with gambling and rudeness, while churches are attended at convenience. College campuses teem with students chasing after the latest philosophies, the more unbiblical the better. The more educated a person you find, the less likely you are to discover a Christian. Meanwhile, churches are filled with people who listen to pastors preach then contradict the sermon by the way they live. You may think these descriptions came from the blog of some concerned Chris...

ROBERT FAW , correspondent: From baptism by immersion to the fervent Bible-based preaching, Sojourn Community Church in Louisville, Kentucky , looks and sounds like many other Southern Baptist congregations. What you cannot see, however, is that this Baptist church is infused with Calvinism—the teachings of a 16th-century Swiss theologian, John Calvin , whose tenets were practiced by America’s Puritans in the 17th and 18th century. PASTOR DANIEL MONTGOMERY : We want a robust, full, holistic understanding of the person and work of Jesus Christ , and Calvinism and the doctrines of grace really give us that picture. There’s been a rise in Calvinism for sure, and I think the return to the doctrines of grace or Reformed theology is really a desire to return to more foundational truths. FAW : John Calvin’s basic belief is the absolute sovereignty of God , that everything and everyone is God’s will, including who is saved. Al Mohler is a Calvinist and president of the Southern Baptis...

Below is an analysis and commentary on the SBC membership and baptism trends. LifeWay just released the data and sent my commentary out, so I thought I would post it here. I'd ask the patience of my friends from other (or no) denominations, but since this is national news, it is worth the time to share here. Southern Baptist are the largest Protestant denomination in America and its future impacts all of evangelicalism, even globally. The article talks a lot about trends-- and one in particular. It's called a membership change trend-- and you really need to get to know this trend if you want to understand the future. It's a long and consistent trend. I give more details about it here and have been expressing concern about it for quite some time . We've been talking about this trend for several years. Here is 2008 , 2009 , and 2010 . A few years ago, some leaders wanted to argue about the reality of membership decline since it was small and just one year... then two...

Cover of Pope John Paul II It is coming. Among the largest religious media blitzes in U.S. history---scheduled to air more than 400 times during a three-week run---these commercials will depict humanity's experience of hopelessness before presenting redemption in Jesus Christ as the answer. Millions will view them on major television networks from December 16 through January 8. The program is called  Catholics Come Home . The primary audience---men and women who grew up Catholic, and are now inactive or "lapsed"---is 27.5 million strong, according to the  Pew Forum . They constitute roughly 10 percent of the U.S. population, making them the second-largest religious demographic in America behind Roman Catholics at 77.7 million and ahead of the Southern Baptist Convention (at 16 million plus). These former Catholics are among your church's elders, nursery workers, and often compose a sizable portion of your congregation. The Message of  Catholics Come Home If yo...