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I’m A Calvinist (And That Hardly Matters)
Read more: I’m A Calvinist (And That Hardly Matters)Without knowing it, I grew up believing in a quasi-Wesleyan form of Arminianism. When I went to college, and was exposed to Calvinism for the first time, I was very hostile. I was undoubtedly the most obnoxious Arminian on campus my freshman year. Eventually I came to a point where I decided to be open-minded.…
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Happy Anniversary! Amazon Gift Card Giveaways!
Read more: Happy Anniversary! Amazon Gift Card Giveaways!One year ago today The Two Cities officially entered the blogosphere. Since that time the blog’s contributors have produced more than 260 posts and received more than 1,300 comments. We’re grateful for the response we’ve received from our readers and hope to continue to produce stimulating articles that encourage further engagement. As a token of our appreciation…
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The Idol You Were Made To Be
Read more: The Idol You Were Made To BeWhether you know it or not you’re an idol. Many people have role models and they call these people idols. At the moment the world is watching the greatest athletes competing in the Olympics. Many of these athletes are ‘idolized’ in their home countries. This year American television audiences are gearing up for the tenth…
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How to find Westvleteren: Directions to Vleteren for those making the pilgrimage
Read more: How to find Westvleteren: Directions to Vleteren for those making the pilgrimageMany beer connaisseurs claim that the best beer in the world is made in a small town in western Belgium called Vleteren. This beer is known as Westvleteren. It is brewed by Trappist monks in their monastery and the proceeds support various charities. It is incredibly rare and hard to find in Belgium, let alone…
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Christian Beer and the Question of Weed
Read more: Christian Beer and the Question of WeedThis week I’m in Amsterdam for the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Yes, that’s right, a Bible conference in Amsterdam. I can already say that this city is one of my favorites. It is absolutely wonderful. The canals and architecture are picturesque and make me wish I intended to stay longer. Of course,…
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On F Bombs and Christian Music: A Reflection on P.O.D.’s Newest Album, Murdered Love
Read more: On F Bombs and Christian Music: A Reflection on P.O.D.’s Newest Album, Murdered LoveLast week the Christian rap-metal band P.O.D. (Payable on Death) came out with their eighth album, Murdered Love. When I first heard that P.O.D. was releasing a new album I was quite excited. There was a time when P.O.D. was my all-time favorite band. Indeed, they functioned like a doorway for me into the world of…
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The Hunger Games: When in Rome… Do as the Romance Do?
Read more: The Hunger Games: When in Rome… Do as the Romance Do?I’m usually a step behind most pop-culture phenomenons. So true to form I just finished my reading of The Hunger Games series and watched the first movie. Here is my one-sentence synopsis of the series for those who care to know: The first book sucks you in, and the last book, well… sucks. Despite that…
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My new article in Westminster Theological Journal with Dr. Jon Lunde
Read more: My new article in Westminster Theological Journal with Dr. Jon LundeA few weeks ago I posted a link to an article that I co-wrote with Dr. Jonathan M. Lunde for the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society. That article was on the use of Isaiah in Ephesians 5.14. This new article — “Paul’s Creative and Contextual Use of Psalm 68 in Ephesians 4:8,” Westminster Theological Journal 74.1 (Spring 2012): 99-117 — functions…
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Prometheus: A Summer Movie That Asks The Right Questions
Read more: Prometheus: A Summer Movie That Asks The Right QuestionsHave you seen Prometheus yet? If you haven’t you may want to stop reading. However, if you’ve decided you don’t want to see Prometheus, then consider this blog post an invitation. I was able to see Prometheus on June 1 since it had an early release in the UK. I’ve been waiting to write about…
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(UN)Christian Music
Read more: (UN)Christian MusicLast week I reviewed mewithoutYou’s new album, Ten Stories. As I wrote the review I thought about the idea of “Christian Music.” This is something that I’ve been wrestling with for a while. For some Christians, they only listen to “Christian Music” and deem it a sign of impiety to do otherwise. I imagine this…