Some Thoughts on Epistle Reliability

The Gospels read like unembellished eyewitness accounts of Jesus’ life (per C.S. Lewis and Richard Bauckham, among others), and I’ve devoted other posts to the historicity of, and Luke’s reason for writing, Acts (see here and here).  But what about the various New Testament epistles? [Footnote:  The remaining New Testament book, Revelation, is also an … [Read more…]

“The Most Reluctant Convert” (film)

This movie tells the story of C.S. Lewis’s early life and, in particular, his conversion from atheism to Christianity.  It ends with the completion of the conversion in the early 1930s (so there is no discussion of Lewis’s own apologetic works, his BBC broadcasts, his marriage to Joy Davidman, and so forth).  The movie stars … [Read more…]

G.K. Chesterton, “Tremendous Trifles”

I checked out this book after reading a convincing recommendation of it by a young online pundit — and I’m glad I did.  The whole book is online here: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/8092/8092-h/8092-h.htm#link2H_4_0012 G.K. Chesterton is, of course, an important Christian writer and apologist, his writings influencing, among others, C.S. Lewis.  Now, this particular book is simply a … [Read more…]

Two “Old” Books: “Resurrection” by Leo Tolstoy and “The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America” by Richard John Neuhaus

C.S. Lewis wrote, “It is a good rule, after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between.”  And if you’re looking for an old book, I just finished reading two that I’m happy to recommend.  I hasten to add that neither of them would … [Read more…]

R.C. Sproul, “The Holiness of God”

R.C. Sproul is an important American Reformed theologian, and John Piper calls this book a “classic.”  One fan of Dr. Sproul told me that a great value of this book is that the holiness of God reminds us how unholy we are.  Along those lines, I noted, “Fear, discomfort, other-ness:  That and not simple adoration … [Read more…]