Throughout the years I have been influenced by many teachers, authors, theologians, etc. There are, however, a few specific persons who stand out for particular reasons. Here are a small few of them (in no particular order):

N.T. Wright

Wright’s writings on the new perspective of Paul has made Pauline studies much more interesting (even though I am still undecided as to where I stand regarding the NPP). Wright’s thoughts on other topics that have been influential even more, such as what he says about heaven, hell  and the resurrection in Surprised by Hope. Perhaps it may just be his accent that makes me vulnerable to what he says. After all, the British accent does sound very learned and academic. I mean, isn’t that why Christopher Hitchens is so popular?

John Piper

Back in the days when I was learning about the Calvinist and Arminian views of God’s sovereignty in salvation, I stumbled across this old chap. Despite my non-Calvinistic belief, I still love to listen to and read Piper. He has shaped my view of the absolute supremacy of Christ in all things more than any other teacher/pastor.

Greg Boyd

What he says politics has quite considerably altered my political view and my entire worldview. Reading Boyd on the atonement was what (in part) led to my significant change in atonement theology. Although, there are some things that I strongly disagree with him on (e.g. open theism).

Richard Bauckham

His works are the reason why I enjoy academic works on the Scripture. After being exposed to a lot of popular books at Christian book stores (which I thought were very learned), I stumbled across Bauckham who showed me the wonderful world of real academic study of Christianity. He is my favorite scholar to read, which is partly due to a strong interest in some of the areas he has specialized in, and also because I think he has very creative, unique, and sound ideas.

No Place for Truth by David Wells

These books represent the best analysis on the present status and recent history of evangelicalism.  This list is meant to be informative and not to be alarmist or disconcerting.  I think the classic Dicken’s line, ‘it was the best of times, it was the worst of times‘ will apply the Christ’s church til He return.  It is implicit also in this list that works commending a Christian worldview, like Nancy Pearcey’s Total Truth, are must reads.  I have also omitted more esoteric debates including books on open theism, federal vision, new perspectives on paul… etc.  The purpose of this list is zoomed out than those specific issues.

1.  No Place for Truth by David Wells  [e, p, s]

How modernity crept in and screwed up evangelicalism.  Absolute classic.

2.  The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind by Mark Noll  [y, l, e, p, s]

The scandal of the evangelical mind is that it is so scarce and scant.  You may also want to read Os Guinness’ Fit Bodies Fat Minds, addressing evangelicalism’s intellectual laziness and preoccupation with the temporary.

3.  The Democritization of American Christianity by Nathan Hatch  [e, p, s]

Fascinating analysis of the democritization of Christianity in America.  His historical analysis is keen and well-researched.

4.  Christianity and Liberalism by J. Greshem Machen  [e, p, s]

This classic work delineates the liberalism of the early 20th century as being a completely other faith than the historic orthodox Christian faith.  86 years later it is still relevant.

5.  God in the Wasteland by David Wells  [e, p, s]

Wells continues where he left off in No Place for Truth, by challenging evidenced consumerism in evangelicalism.

6.  The Courage to Be Protestant by David Wells  [e, p, s]

The title is a play on Paul Tillich’s The Courage to Be.  Tillich’s work was a classic in early 20th century Protestant liberalism.  Wells draws connections between the emergent movement as really being a form of rehashed 20th century era liberalism.  Wells is also scathing on the level and abuse of marketing in modern evangelicalism.  As far as Wells goes, his Above All Earthly Pow’rs s also a worthwhile read:  in terms of analysis Pow’rs is to post-modernity what No Place for Truth was to modernity.

7.  The New Shape of World Christianity:  How American Experience Reflects Global Faith by Mark Noll  [e, p, s]

I am surprised by the lack of press for this book.  Noll examines the history of Christianity in America and draws parallels in key growth areas (Southern hemisphere and the East).  Noll is actually rather positive amid the torrent of bad press on what American Christians are exporting.  This is an important work because we are good to be reminded that American evangelicalism is not the height of church history.  Further, the church is Christ’s and she will prevail.  I think Noll has his fingers on the pulse of what is going on and what is next, we would be wise to listen to what he has to say.

8.  Understanding Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism by George Marsden  [e, p, s]

This is a must read if you seek to understand our history.  Also an important work is Revival and Revivalism by Iain Murray.

9.  Reclaiming the Center:  Confronting Evangelical Accomodation to Postmodern Times by Various Authors  [y, l, e, p, s]

Various heavyweights chime in on the necessity of remaining faithful to the preaching of the Word and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If you like this work, I suggest also Os Guinness’, Prophetic Untimeliness:  Challenging the Idol of Relevance.

10.  Christless Christianity by Michael Horton  [y, l, e, p, s]

This books has caused a bit of a stir.  You can read John Frame’s book review here.  I have yet to read the book, but I thought it a worthwhile mention to engage in present dialogue over the status of the Gospel in evangelicalism.  From what I gather, Horton has guys like Joel Osteen in view when he speaks of a Christianity without Christ.

11.  Young, Restless, and Reformed by Colin Hansen  [y, l, e, p, s]

This book is an important first look at the growing demographic of young Reformed folk.  This is an area that needs further analysis and hopefully a good work will come soon.

12.  Respectable Sins:  Confronting the Sins We Tolerate by Jerry Bridges  [y, l, e, p, s]

Bridges is 100% right when he highlights several sins that evangelicals strangely tolerate:  gossip, anger, pride, jealousy, anxiety, and selfishness to name a few.

13.  Why Johnny Can’t Preach:  The Media Have Shaped the Messengers by T. David Gordon  [e, p, s]

Gordon applies Marshall McLuhan’s keen insights to shed light on the dearth of serious bible teaching in evangelicalism.

14.  Confessions of a Reformission Rev by Mark Driscoll  [y, l, e, p, s]

I think Mark Driscoll is a very important voice in evangelicalism, moreso than many of my fellow Reformed brethren.  This book is a humorous yet insightful look into the story of the planting of Mars Hill Church in Seattle.  There are many lessons weaved into the narrative that are wise and memorable.

15.  Why We’re Not Emergent:  From Two Guys That Should Be and Why We Love the Church:  In Praise of Institutions and Organized Religion by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck  [y, l, e, p, s]

The first book is a solid book on the emergent church.  I also wanted to end this list with on a positive note with Why We Love the Church.  Many times we can get so bogged down in self-criticism that we forget to praise God for all the truly good things he is doing in and through the church in America.

What we need is always adherence to the same three things:  orthodoxy, orthopathos, and orthopraxis.

(c=children; y=young adult; l=lay leader; e=elder; p=pastor; s=scholar)

Galatians 1:6-9, “I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.”

It is a tragedy when those who claim the name of Christ are being duped by the myriads of false teachers who have no desire for truth. An even greater tragedy occurs when false professors and/or their false teachings begin to be endorsed by well-respected ministers of the gospel. However, the greatest tragedy is when well-respected ministers of the gospel not only endorse false teaching and heresy but then allow it to be preached as truth in the midst of those sheep whom they have been supposedly called upon to protect. The man in question is none other than John Piper, pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minnesota.

Before we continue, I want to make it very clear that this is not a private issue, but one that is well out in the open. The false teaching and endorsing of such teachings and heresies is well-documented. This is an open matter and is being addressed accordingly based on the commands we find in Scripture.

I am under no delusions that this will NOT be a popular post with some. However, Defending Contending believes we can no longer be honoring to Christ and His Word if we merely overlook what is happening within the ranks of evangelicalism simply because of who the pastor might or might not be, or how popular he appears to be.

With that in mind, let’s continue by looking briefly at two heresies taking over at an alarming rate. Both of these doctrines are pushing the ranks of the uninformed back towards the open, welcoming arms of Rome again. Sadly, these doctrines are even being embraced or unknowingly being endorsed by even very conservative Baptist churches.

First – Federal Vision in a nutshell believes that when a person unites with the visible local church that the individual becomes one with Christ. Federalists also teach that when an unbeliever partakes of communion (the Lord’s Table) that they are actually feeding upon Christ. Further, they teach that being baptized is the means whereby a person becomes one with Christ. For further information, I would highly recommend this article at The Banner of Truth Trust. FV has been rejected outright by many mainline Reformed denominations.

Second – The New Perspective on Paul (or NPP) believes that Judaism was actually a religion of grace. They teach that salvation is possible by the keeping of the law. They also teach that the righteousness of God is actually referring to His faithfulness and that it has nothing to do with the truth that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the new believer. N.T. Wright is abundantly clear about what he means and what he stands for when he declares that justification is about the mark of what a person already is, and is not about the means whereby one is justified with God. A quote from N.T. Wright, “In theology, therefore, justification is not the means whereby it becomes possible to declare someone in the right. It is simply that declaration itself. It is not how someone becomes a Christian, but simply the declaration that someone is a Christian. It is not the exercise of mercy, but the just declaration concerning one who has already received mercy. This is a crucial distinction, without which it is impossible to understand the biblical material.” For further reading go to this article at Theopedia

Let’s makes this very clear! Federal Vision and the New Perspective on Paul are both heresies that lead back to Rome! Those who teach these are leading people deliberately astray and must be classified as heretics at worst and in need of repentance at best for their false teachings. Both of these teachings are nothing more than a rehash of Roman Catholic doctrine which has damned millions to hell.

Now that the reader understands a little more of the heresies defined above, we move back to John Piper’s progressive downhill slide which looks like this –

1) Mixing oxymorons for many years such as “Christian hedonism”
2) Openly endorsing Mark Driscoll (the vulgar, sewer-mouthed talker) with no known retractions
3) Blasphemously claiming the Lord of Glory was damned upon the cross
4) Openly endorsing the Federal Vision heresy as proclaimed by men like Douglas Wilson, and clearly indicating that Douglas Wilson is NOT preaching another or false gospel
5) Openly endorsing the New Perspective on Paul heresy as proclaimed by men like N.T. Wright, and clearly stating that N.T. Wright is also NOT preaching another or false gospel, but that the NPP is merely a “confusing gospel!

** Edit Note ** Points 4 & 5 have numerous proofs, but here is a video clip from The Resurgence.

“No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.” (2 Cor. 11:14-15)

John Piper is leading many astray by his open endorsements of these men as mentioned above. His own theology comes into question when he publishes questionable material on his site about the doctrine of justification which you can still find on his site at Desiring God – I am firmly convinced that John Piper has slid this view under the noses of evangelicals who have missed the error of a justification that is NOT by faith alone. For more information on this issue and the problems with a recent work entitled Future Grace, you can visit Trinity Foundation.

While we at DefCon have respected John Piper as a man of God in the past, we believe we can no longer endorse any teachings by Piper. Our prayer is that God will bring Piper to a point where he will see the error of his teaching before it is too late and repent. We pray that God will also open the eyes of all those who blindly follow a man who is openly endorsing heresies as being merely a “confusing” gospel. “Confusing” gospels are no true gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ. They damn the souls of men to a Christ-less eternity in hell forever.

The Scriptures exhort us to openly exhort and rebuke those who cause divisions within the faith once delivered to the saints. John Piper is and continues to do this by his strange brand of heterodoxy which has sucked in the unlearned and learned alike. May we ever be alert to the apostasy that the apostle Paul warned will appear in the latter days. It will come from within the midst of what seems to be truth, but it will be mixed with poison. Pastors and their people will swallow it, and before they realize it is too late will be overcome.

Grieving over further apostasy,

The Desert Pastor

Vota, o quedate calla’o, Estas palabras parecen insignificantes en la coyuntura actual, como insignificantes son tanto el “artista” que las repitió y el medio que las diseminó.  No obstante, el silencio en esta ocasión no es una opción.  Tienen razón aquellos que se tirarán a la calle mañana, a ponerle una cara humana a una política que no lo es, a sensibilizar a la opinión pública y a algunos individuos que, en su atomismo, les es indiferente la respuesta a la pregunta: y ahora ¿que voy a hacer?

Desde la primera hora del día miles de personas expresarán su indignación.  Precisan también de recordar y reflexionar; recordar sobre todo quienes estaban en el poder cuando, habiendo podido solucionar las deficiencias fiscales, decidieron expandirlas de manera imprudente. 

Ya habiamos sido advertidos, ‘no hay dinero, no se puede’; las palabras las mencionó Victoria Muñoz en el nefasto debate que eventualmente traería a Pedro Roselló al poder y ocho años de polarización y poca responsabilidad fiscal.  Precisamos también de recordar la esperanza con la que Sila Calderón estimuló a las masas que depositaron en ella su confianza sólo para dejarlas desarraigadas y confundidas después de cuatro años de pobre gobierno.  De igual manera, precisamos de recordar la administración de Anibal Acevedo Vilá y la Legislatura Novoprogresista; fueron ellos los que nos demostraron en todo su esplendor la política de mala fe, y que el ejecutivo, en ese contexto, es una figura impotente (su acto proactivo: contratar veinte mil empleados fuera de la veda electoral, agravando aun más la salud fiscal del Estado).  Todo ello contribuyó al entrecruce crítico en el que nos encontramos.

Precisamos de recordar también el silencio y la docilidad de la legislatura actual en este momento tan apremiante.

Pero salgamos o no a la calle, precisamos de reflexionar lo siguiente:  el empoderamiento y las atribuciones que se toman estas personas (gobernantes, lideres políticos y sindicales) se dan en función de una sola cosa, el voto.  Fuimos nosotros los que los pusimos ahí, de manera irracional, sin pensar en las consecuencias, porque queríamos un cambio.  Y ahí los tenemos.  Así pues, en la reflexión que vayamos a hacer mañana justo a la hora de señalar culpables, no olvidemos en algún momento del día mirarnos al espejo.

Estimado miembro de PRSSA,

Como bien sabes, Puerto Rico atraviesa momentos difíciles, y el próximo 15 de octubre, las mismas uniones que marcharon exigiendo un IVU más alto para nuestro pueblo, y el mismo partido que llevó al país a su peor crisis económica desde la Gran Depresión y que hubiese despedido a 30,000 empleados públicos sin asistencia de transición laboral, han convocado a un paro general.

Pese a que nos solidarizamos con aquellos que han perdido su empleo durante los recientes recortes en nómina gubernamental, entendemos que nuestro gobernador Luis Fortuño está haciendo lo necesario para echar hacia adelante nuestra patria, y pese que son decisiones difíciles, no las podemos seguir evitando. Por esta razón, en estos tiempos de confusión y dificultad, te exhorto a que te unas a nosotros – la mayoría silente – el próximo 15 de octubre y cambies tu Facebook status a “Por Puerto Rico: Apoyo a Fortuño”.

Saludos,

Raúl R. Vidal
Presidente
Puerto Rico Statehood Students Association

In the wake of Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize, I have discovered that conservative Lancaster county frightens me with its beliefs.  The majority of people around me voted for McCain only because they hated Obama and everything he stood for.  Fine; vote however you want… that’s a topic for another blog.  But on Friday morning, I was accosted with the most asinine reasons for hating the President.

“He’s a Muslim leading our country into the hands of the terrorists.”  …wait, what!?  Obama and his family are professed Christians.  Additionally, the man has made a clear stance against terror.  “That’s just a front; he’s going to hand the country over to the Middle East.”  Ummm… why would he do that?  To what end point would that lead us?  And up to this point, I’ve been acknowledging your remarks like they’re actually legitimate… what the heck am I thinking!?  Conspiracy theorists will never be happy with rational answers; so why am I trying to use logic against you?

On the rare case that I can talk these people down, someone else has noticed the fracas by this point.  Much to my delight, it’s usually a religious zealot who jumps in next with “Obama’s the Anti-Christ!!”  Wow.  What the heck can I say here?  At first I had no clue whatsoever, so the church nuts ‘won’ since I had nothing to say.  But that irked me greatly and so I did a little research into what they were claiming.  Apparently the supposed Anti-Christ will be a world leader who rises to power because of his charisma and charm.  Then once in his position for long enough to feel comfortable, he changes all the laws and allows himself to rule forevermore.  But that doesn’t matter because everyone is so enamored by him that they beg him to stay.  Then he burns marks on our foreheads and ships the rest of to slave camps or kills them.  Depends on who you ask.

Even after knowing all that; Obama = Anti-Christ?  Well, now I’m beginning to have my doubts.  Surely anyone with even a touch of charm and charisma is just a harbinger to the end of the world… AMIRITE?  No, I am not.  People, there are points where we just have to let our crazy fantasies go and live life as if nothing strange is about to happen.  Because if he was the AC, shouldn’t the ultra-conservative Christians be okay with that?  They end up in heaven so what do they care?  And from what they’re saying, if he is the AC then the rest of the world is going to love what he does right up until the part where he affirms his allegiance to Satan!

Now, I myself am still subscribing to the belief that President Obama is a decent gentleman with the best interests of his country at heart.  As for the Nobel Peace Prize, I contend that this must have been a slow year.  I disagree with the awarding of the NPP based on ideas… I think we should hold out until those ideas become actions and start actually helping people.  But regardless, this doesn’t change my view of the man who won this year.  He is the President and I’m going to support him if I can and respectfully disagree with him if I don’t.  Either way, I don’t think rumor-mongering is helping.  If you want your opinion to be taken seriously, try presenting it in an intelligent manner with some logic behind it.

Oh, and to left-wing Lancaster County, try to educate yourselves before jumping on your neighbor’s band wagon of Obama-hating.  If you put aside your preconceived notions and listened to the man for what he’s saying instead of who you think he is, I’m thinking that you might actually like some of what your hearing.  Take a minute to stop contributing to the mindless masses and actually do your job of being a well-informed citizen.  Thanks, sincerely me.