Miscellany
In light on my Hebrew final tomorrow morning, I offer these items of interest for people to ponder and discuss:
- At Inhabitatio Dei, Halden has posted twelve theses on ecclesial practices. I strongly recommend them. His list is one of the best posts on the church that I have seen thus far.
- Chris Tilling of Chrisendom is knee-deep in the scary waters of Christian Zionism. His first and second posts are available. And he has also posted one of the most theologically vile items of contemporary fundamentalism that I have ever seen.
- Byron has a very nice series of posts on grace and eschatology. This one is my favorite.
- Patrik has completed his online systematic theology on "A Theology of Decline." And if you have not been following the "theology for beginners" at Faith & Theology, do so now.
- There's more on the ever-popular Randall Balmer. John Wilson of Books & Culture has published his review of Balmer's recent book, Thy Kingdom Come. He criticizes him sharply for not presenting both sides of the issues fairly, though it's clear Wilson does not disagree with many of Balmer's fears and complaints. In other words, Wilson just wants Balmer to speak about the left as he does about the right. This is a fair criticism, though I hope it does not dissuade people from engaging with the problems Balmer recognizes.
- Coleman Fannin has posted a nice reflection on his relation as a Baptist to Roman Catholicism over at GOTT.
- Finally, it's time we thank Keith Olbermann again for being our contemporary Edward R. Murrow. The man has stepped us as the prophetic political voice of our time. After Donald Rumsfeld liked war critics to those who supported fascism in his speech to the American Legion, Olbermann has put Rummy in his place. In his commentary on MSNBC, he declared: "This country faces a new type of fascism - indeed." You can read his commentary here, or watch the video clip. At the end, Olbermann quotes Murrow
"We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. We must remember always that accusation is not proof, and that conviction depends upon evidence and due process of law. We will not walk in fear, one of another. We will not be driven by fear into an age of unreason, if we dig deep in our history and our doctrine, and remember that we are not descended from fearful men, not from men who feared to write, to speak, to associate, and to defend causes that were for the moment unpopular."
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