2007 Archives
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RIGHT or WRONG? Christian Reconstructionism
Posted: 1/05/07
RIGHT or WRONG?
Christian ReconstructionismI recently heard about “Christian Reconstructionism.” Some facets of it seem to run counter to historic Baptist distinctives. Is that a valid conclusion?
Evaluation of Christian Reconstructionism is difficult for two reasons. First, there is diversity and even division in the movement on key issues. Second, the literary output of the movement is so enormous there is always the possibility of having missed some nuance. Certainly Rousas Rushdoony’s Institutes of Biblical Law and the works of Gary North are important resources for understanding this movement. Many features of Christian Reconstructionism are faithful renderings of Christian doctrine and as such will be favorably viewed by most Baptists. These would include the authority of Scripture, the necessity of salvation by grace through faith and the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to transform our world by the work of the Holy Spirit. At least one major aspect of Christian Reconstructionism will create distance between it and important Baptist distinctives, however—its understanding of the relationship between biblical law and civil government. Christian Reconstructionists insist they do not seek Christianization of the political order by a minority of believers so as to impose a biblical ethic “on a pervasively unbelieving populace.”
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Texas Baptist Forum
Posted: 12/15/06
Texas Baptist Forum
‘Baby Jesus’
Merry Christmas. And, oh, by the way, there is no more “baby Jesus.”
• Letters are welcomed. Send them to marvknox@baptiststandard.com; 250 words maximum. 
“There are people who feel ‘excluded’ by Christian symbolism and are offended by the manger and the angels and the Child, but there have always been humorless, legalistic people. Complaint is an American art form, and in our time, it has been raised to an operatic level. To which one can only say: ‘Get a life.’”
Garrison Keillor
Author and radio personality (RNS)“My sense so far speaking to people is that they are understanding. They’re taking the high road and being compassionate, not condemning her.”
Oscar Isaac
Actor who plays Joseph in The Nativity Story, speaking about the revelation that actress Keisha Castle-Hughes, who plays Mary, is pregnant and unwed at age 16. (USA Today/RNS)“If I really want to last in life, I’ve got to stop and realize there’s a whole journey of life to live. I’ve got to remember it’s not how fast I live that’s important; it’s how well I live.”
Rick Warren
Pastor of Saddleback Community Church in Southern California (www.pastors.com)“Let us pray for brotherhood and for all humanity.”
Pope Benedict XVI
Joining Mustafa Cagrici, the grand mufti of Istanbul, in prayer beneath the dome of the Blue Mosque, one of the most prominent landmarks in the Muslim world, in Istanbul (RNS)As one who has a relationship with God through his Son, Jesus the Messiah, I am disturbed by the image of a baby in a manger that is so prevalent at this time of year. The reasoning for this is that children can relate easily to a baby when being taught about Jesus.
At face value, the statement sounds good. I can buy into the idea of children relating to a “baby Jesus” when they are “introduced” to the Lord. But even children understand the concept of growing up.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Amish response to violence rated top ’06 newsmaker
Posted: 1/05/07
An Amish family arrives to pay their respects at the White Oak farm of Chris and Rachel Miller, who lost two daughters when a gunman killed five girls at an Amish school. (RNS photo by Robert Sciarrino/The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J.) Amish response to violence
rated top ’06 newsmakerBy Jason Kane
Religion News Service
WASHINGTON (RNS)—The Amish community that inspired the world with acts of forgiveness after a Pennsylvania schoolhouse shooting has been named the newsmaker of the year for 2006 by the Religion Newswriters Association and Beliefnet.
The multi-faith spirituality website Beliefnet.com noted the Amish community topped its list of newsmakers for demonstrating “courage, forgiveness, self-sacrifice and love” after a gunman entered an Amish schoolhouse in October and shot 10 girls before taking his own life. The Amish community reached out to the killer’s family, offering monetary and emotional support. Several attended his funeral.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Alcoholism: No easy fix or single remedy
Posted: 1/05/07
Alcoholism: No easy fix or single remedy
By Jennifer Sicking
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
BELTON—Alcoholism presents a multifaceted problem—too varied for one all-purpose remedy or a single approach to ministry for those who battle the disease, said Ty Leonard, psychology professor at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and director of the school’s Community Counseling Center.
For churches that want to help the wounded in their congregations and communities battle addictions, Leonard offered words of advice.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Around the State
Posted: 1/05/07
Around the State
• Houston Baptist University will hold a three-day expression of faith through the arts Jan. 25-27. “Credo: The Arts as Expressions of Belief” will include a concert in Jones Hall with the HBU Choral Union and the Houston Symphony conducted by Krzysztof Penderecki, the Polish composer of “Credo;” an evening vespers service with new musical works; an art exhibit hosted by the Museum of Printing History; and lectures by Marilynne Robinson, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Gilead, and Gregory Wolfe, founder and editor of Image, a national literary quarterly. All events are open to the public and free. For more information, visit www.hbu.edu/credo.
• One hundred and nine students graduated from East Texas Baptist University during fall commencement ceremonies last month. George Mason, pastor of Wilshire Church in Dallas, delivered the charge to the graduates.
• Two hundred seventy-three students earned academic honors at Howard Payne Uni-versity during the fall semester. One hundred and six students maintained perfect grade-point averages, while 96 were named to the Dean’s List and 67 to the Honor Roll.
• Marilyn Edwards has been named the 2006 Faculty Member of the Year at Dallas Baptist University. The award corresponds with her 10-year anniversary of service at the school. She is an assistant professor of psychology and a member of Park Cities Church in Dallas.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Exhibits feed the public’s hunger for biblical history
Posted: 1/05/07
The traveling “From Abraham to Jesus” exhibit walks visitors through the story of 2,500 years in the Holy Land using a combination of antiquities from biblical times and multimedia special effects. (RNS photo courtesy of A. Larry Ross Communications) Exhibits feed the public’s
hunger for biblical historyBy Rebecca U. Cho
Religion News Service
WASHINGTON (RNS)—A box believed to contain the remains of the son of Simon of Cyrene—the man the Bible says carried Jesus’ cross to his crucifixion—is traveling the United States. Meanwhile, curators are preparing the earliest-known manuscript of the Ten Commandments for display next year in San Diego. At the same time, archaic writings testifying to the status of Scripture throughout centuries lie behind glass in Washington, D.C.
With simultaneous exhibits of biblical artifacts on display or in the works across the nation, the museum world and the general public cannot seem to get enough of the Bible.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Documentary explores faith of televangelists’ son
Posted: 1/05/07
Documentary explores
faith of televangelists’ sonBy Shona Crabtree
Religion News Service
WASHINGTON (RNS)—After a year of being closely shadowed by a camera crew, Jay Bakker—the tattooed and body-pierced son of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker—finally is getting his private life back.
But viewers across the country have a chance to watch his year in review on the Sundance Channel in One Punk Under God, a six-part documentary that began airing in December and ends Jan. 17.
Jay Bakker, son of televangelists Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker, is the subject of a Sundance Channel documentary series, One Punk Under God. 01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Book reviews
Posted: 1/05/07
Book reviews
Reimagining Evangelism: Inviting Friends on a Spiritual Journey by Rick Richardson (InterVarsity Press)
“Evangelism as closing the deal on a sales call” is an approach that will become less prevalent as the days progress, according to Rick Richardson. Even Christians find this approach a hindrance in their quest to follow Christ. Instead, normal conversation is the best way to share your faith. Investing in another person’s life provides the opportunity for them to hear and observe your everyday life and fall in love with Jesus through your expressions and example.
What are you reading that other Texas Baptists would find helpful? Send suggestions and reviews to books@baptiststandard.com. Reimagining Evangelism’s premise is that each believer is a missionary sent by God. The task is not delegated to a special few. A missionary understands and applies the gospel within a person’s culture. All church members are to assist others on their spiritual journey. The unfocused spiritual journey of each nonbeliever can become a beginning point for you, as a Christian, to engage others in a lifetime of Christ-likeness.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
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Baptist Briefs
Posted: 1/05/07
Baptist Briefs
African Baptist leader dies. Frank Adams, general secretary of the All Africa Baptist Fellowship, died Dec. 27 in Kumasi, Ghana, after several months of chronic illness. Adams, who also served as Baptist World Alliance regional secretary for Africa, was previously general secretary for the Baptist Convention of Ghana. Adams was a graduate of Baptist Theological Seminary in Rüschlikon, Switzerland, and the Oxford Center for Mission Studies in the United Kingdom. He is survived by wife Selina, two sons and one daughter.
Deadline nears for China pen-pals. The Fellowship of Baptist Educators is seeking about 2,000 students in grades 7 to 12 to answer letters and become pen-pals with young people in China. Jan. 15 is the deadline for requesting letters through the Christian Corresponders project, now in its 16th year. For more information, write John Carter with the Fellowship of Baptist Educators at Samford University, Box 292305, Birmingham, Ala., 35229, e-mail j-fcarter@juno.com or call (205) 822-4106.
01/04/2007 - By John Rutledge
