Charles M. Wood on believing with doctrine Concepts … are essentially capacities. To have been taught a concept and to have mastered it is to be capable of doing something one could not do…before. The wisdom that comes with the absorption of Christian teaching is in large part the possession and deployment of a distinctive set of […]
Richard Rollefson on Paul Holmer on Knowing God Although God is not an object, it does not follow that the language of faith is not a referring one. Again, because words do not refer by themselves, individuals have to learn to use the language of faith referringly. But the referring use of this expression means […]
Brian D. McLaren on Parables Why did Jesus speak in parables? Why was he subtle, indirect, and secretive? Because his message wasn’t merely aimed at conveying information. It sought to precipitate something more important: the spiritual transformation of the hearers. The form of a parable helps to shape a heart that is willing to enter […]
Wayne Booth on appealing to the authority of “WE” CON: Against the use of “WE” Something is wrong in these confident “we’s,” something worse than a mere stylistic tic. I am shocked at the confidence my younger self sometimes shows in reporting how “we” respond. Who are we, here? “We” flesh-and-blood readers are unpredictable, and […]
Robert Barron on hearing and speaking the Word Some people can hear musical notes, but they are incapable of discriminating clearly and consistently between a melody that is in tune with the accompaniment and one that is off-key. They hear “music,” but they can’t discern between relatively good and bad tones. Something similar obtains in […]
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