CultureWatch

Bill Muehlenberg's commentary on issues of the day...

On Capital Punishment, Part 1

Oct 11, 2007

The recent squabble within Labor Party ranks as to whether the Bali bombers should be executed raises the old issue of capital punishment, and the biblical and ethical concerns surrounding it. How should the believer view this issue? Can a

A review of The Big Questions. By Jonathan Hill.

Oct 8, 2007

Lion, 2007. Available in Australia from Koorong Books.

This book combines two main areas: philosophy of religion, and historical theology. It examines the big questions that philosophers and theologians have wrestled with for millennia. These include, who is God?; is

A review of Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview. By Albert Wolters.

Oct 5, 2007

Eerdmans, 1985. Available in Australia at Koorong Books.

This is a gem of a book. First published in 1985, it has been reissued several times since then, with the newest edition appearing in 2005.

The gist of the book can

On Delivering a Hard Word

Sep 27, 2007

When the Apostle Paul was at Ephesus, he told the leaders of the church in his farewell message that he did not refrain from declaring the whole counsel of God to them (Acts 20:27). He was willing to tell it

In Praise of Dogmatism

Sep 13, 2007

We live in an age in which taking a strong stand for anything is frowned upon. About the only thing many people today are willing to strongly affirm is the claim that we should not strongly affirm anything. To have

A review of The Gospel of Matthew. By R.T. France.

Sep 4, 2007

Eerdmans, 2007.

This is the third important conservative commentary on Matthew to appear in the past decade; the other two being by Keener (1999) and Nolland (NIGTC, 2005). These three are massive commentaries (each one over 1000 pages), and taken

No, We Do Not Worship the Same God

Aug 19, 2007

In a predominantly secular culture, theological distinctions are easily lost. Indeed, they are seen as irrelevant altogether, not only for secularists, but for many believers overly influenced by secularism. Thus it may seem like a petty squabble as to whether

Long Live the King

Aug 16, 2007

Thirty years ago today Elvis Presley died. He influenced a generation, not only with his swivelling hips, but an endless supply of number one hits. His premature death at age 42 shocked the world. Countless fans today still visit

What to Make of Allah

Aug 16, 2007

Often the church is its own worst enemy. Sure, there is plenty of opposition and animosity towards Christianity, but sometimes those calling themselves believers can do as much damage or more to the Christian faith.

Consider the case of a

In Praise of Praise

Aug 15, 2007

I confess. I am writing this article for selfish reasons. You see, anyone who is in the public spotlight to a fair degree will be subject to two things: bouquets and brickbats. Praise and criticism. Compliments and complaints. Blessings and

Learning to Live With Limits

Aug 9, 2007

For most of human history people have accepted the fact that life is “nasty, poor, brutish, and short”, to use Hobbes’s phrase. But advances in science, medicine, technology and other areas have resulted in a redefinition of what it is

On Other Worldviews

Jul 30, 2007

We live in a pluralistic world, with a plurality of ideas, philosophies, beliefs and religions. How are we to treat these various belief systems and worldviews? Just how should the believer interact with those of differing faiths, or no faith

On Being a Prophet

Jul 21, 2007

These are not good days for prophets, Then again, I guess they never were. Jesus could complain about this 2000 years ago: “A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house” (Matthew 13:57).

A review of God’s Judgments. By Steven Keillor.

Jul 19, 2007

IVP, 2007.

This is a thought-provoking book, one which is sure to provoke a bit of controversy. Steven Keillor is an American historian, who also happens to be a Christian. He argues that a primary way of understanding Christianity is

A review of What Have They Done with Jesus? By Ben Witherington.

Jul 17, 2007

HarperSanFrancisco, 2006.
Available in Australia from Koorong Books.

The most important person in human history is still the subject of countless discussions, books, conferences and theories. Not a day goes by when he is not debated, analysed, and discussed. And

Righteous Indignation

Jun 16, 2007

The phrase ‘righteous indignation,’ which has been around for quite some time, is meant to convey the idea of getting a bit agitated, even upset, with certain acts of unrighteousness. It really has to do with looking at the evil

Jesus and Judgment

Jun 14, 2007

We live in a culture that is biblically illiterate. Most people have no or very little idea of what is actually in the Bible. Unfortunately, that assessment is true of many Christians as well. Not all believers have a strong,

The Clash of Worldviews

Jun 7, 2007

Ideas have consequences, and worldviews matter. If we happen to have a bad worldview, it will lead to bad results. For example, Hitler picked up the bad ideas of Darwin and Nietzsche, and the world experienced some really bad consequences.

Another Gospel, Again

May 27, 2007

I really should stop being surprised. But I guess hope springs, and clings, eternal. Every time I see an article in the mainstream media about Christianity, I foolishly hope that perhaps at least one of them might actually represent something

About CultureWatch

We live in an age where we see evidence of cultural decline, the erosion of values, the decline of civility, the denial of truth and the elevation of unreason. Many people are asking, “Where is our culture heading?” This website is devoted to exploring the major cultural, social and political issues of the day. It offers reflection and commentary drawing upon the wealth of wisdom found in the Judeo-Christian tradition. It offers reflective and incisive commentary on a wide range of issues, helping to sort through the maze of competing opinions, worldviews, ideologies and value systems. It will discuss critically and soberly where our culture is heading. Happy reading!

Bill Muehlenberg

CultureWatch

Bill Muehlenberg's commentary on issues of the day...

On Capital Punishment, Part 1

A review of The Big Questions. By Jonathan Hill.

A review of Creation Regained: Biblical Basics for a Reformational Worldview. By Albert Wolters.

On Delivering a Hard Word

In Praise of Dogmatism

A review of The Gospel of Matthew. By R.T. France.

No, We Do Not Worship the Same God

Long Live the King

What to Make of Allah

In Praise of Praise

Learning to Live With Limits

On Other Worldviews

On Being a Prophet

A review of God’s Judgments. By Steven Keillor.

A review of What Have They Done with Jesus? By Ben Witherington.

Righteous Indignation

Jesus and Judgment

The Clash of Worldviews

Another Gospel, Again

Copyright

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