Ransomed from every language, Part 2
Last May, I wrote a post that suggested that in heaven all the redeemed might speak our individual languages, rather than learning some universal, heavenly language. I was thinking more about this thought this morning, and, being in the process of reading gobs of Augustine on his theology of love for an upcoming paper, I [...]
Seen on a Church Marquee Sign
“Running low on faith? Stop in for a fill-up!” Is there anyone who would actually be enticed to go to a church because of a sign like that?
New (Sort of) Harry Potter Book
J. K. Rowling is apparently (re-)publishing another book from the Harry Potter universe called The Tales of Beedle the Bard, which is a collection of Fairy Tales “translated” from ancient runes by Hermione Granger. (Rowling references this work in The Deathly Hallows.) According to the Wikipedia article, she had created seven handwritten and illustrated copies [...]
Wells Fargo Buys Wachovia
Even though there aren’t any Wells Fargo banks in Alabama, I have nevertheless endured over two years of doing without a local bank during my time in seminary through a combination of direct-deposited paychecks, cash-back purchases at grocery stores, and mailing any other checks to my home bank in Hastings, NE. I was planning on [...]
Augustine on Coercing People into the Kingdom
Does anyone doubt that it is preferable for people to be drawn to worship God by teaching rather than forced by fear of punishment or by pain? But because the one type of people are better, it does not mean that the others, who are not of that type, ought to be ignored. Experience has [...]
Augustine on Sparing the Wicked
Augustine took the view that the Church should advocate in the secular realm on behalf of the wicked, that governments might not punish the wicked for what they deserve. This inspired a letter from someone claiming that to do so would, in effect, give approval to the actions of the wicked. Augustine responds in a [...]
