Articles for tag: Relativism

August 4, 2015

By Mark A. Taylor Any college teacher, particularly one who is a Christian, will tell you this: Many, maybe a majority, of college students today come from troubled families. Chris DeWelt, an Ozark Christian College professor, described the students he knows: “Most . . . bring with them much more than just computers, clothes, and small fridges. They often bring baggage that is not so easily identified or addressed.” It”s true on secular campuses too. In his interview this month, longtime campus minister Gary Hawes says, “The largest percentage of students we are involved with today come from either dysfunctional

June 9, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

Culture & Public Square Reconciliation

Truth in Labeling

By Mark A. Taylor If you”re buying fashion, you look for the right label. But when you”re relating to people in a polarized world, labels can be as damaging as they are discouraging. I, for one, am tired of the expectation that I”ll believe and behave according to the label someone else places on me. Must I, for example, echo the rhetoric of either the blue state or red state where I live? Must I agree with every statement and every position of the presidential candidate I vote for? Must I commit to either a conservative or liberal position in

February 6, 2014

Christian Standard

Bible Study Theology & Bible

Deep Impact: The Cultural Challenge of Biblical Illiteracy

By James Riley Estep Jr. You”ll find it in almost every hotel room, usually in the top drawer next to the bed. While most studies indicate a majority of Americans hold the Bible in high regard, those same studies indicate Americans are increasingly ignorant of what”s in the Bible. A lack of biblical literacy is a challenge for the American culture and also the American church. It poses a crucial test for the Christian community”s identity, distinctives, and ministry in the 21st century. Increasing Unfamiliarity with the Bible George Gallup and Jim Castelli have concluded, “Americans revere the Bible

December 10, 2010

Christian Standard

Apologetics & Worldview

Emerging for the Rest of Us

By Josh Tandy In 2003 I was in college and reading Brian McLaren”s A New Kind of Christian. It was unlike anything I had ever read in Christian literature. The book simultaneously bothered and encouraged me. I thought I understood about half of the issues discussed, but I actually grasped far less. Despite my ignorance, I was hooked””even though I didn”t fully know why. To varying degrees I think many church leaders, whether paid or unpaid, have had a similar experience with their first contact with the emerging church movement. Perhaps you were like me and had no context to

February 1, 2009

Christian Standard

Apologetics & Worldview

Is It Time to Move Beyond Truth? (Part 3)

by Robert C. Kurka In the first article in this series, we explained a nonfoundationalist approach to theology given shape by Stanley Grenz”s and John Franke”s 2001 book, Beyond Foundationalism. As we noted then, their work contributed a number of helpful insights to those committed to making an impact upon the postmodern world. But it is also fraught with a number of serious problems restorationists should consider. Last week we looked at two areas where Beyond Foundationalism encounters critical difficulties: the Bible itself and church history. We conclude this week by considering two more of these areas: philosophy, and missions

January 7, 2007

Dan Kimball

Mission & Evangelism

More Than a Generation Gap (an Excerpt from The Emerging Church)

Dan Kimball challenges the assumption that young people will “return to church” as they age, arguing many now lack Judeo-Christian roots. He urges churches to rethink ministry in a post-Christian, pluralistic, postmodern culture.