Speaking of the Civil War . . .

How many times have you been reading a text in which the author refers to a famous battle as though you could immediately recall all the details, the outcome, the key figures, and the order of battle?

This website is a great resource when you find yourself needing a quick refresher on Washington's crossing of the Delaware, or how Benedict Arnold outmanoeuvred the British at Saratoga.

History Animated provides very helpful and interesting animations of battles from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War and both Atlantic and Pacific theaters of World War Two.

I know, it is for school kids . . .  But it is well done and a good place to kill an hour or two "reviewing." 

Check it out History Animated

Allen Guelzo on the Civil War

It is my contention that every American should know something about the American Civil War.  Ken Burn's wonderful PBS documentary is the place to start, but certainly not the place to finish.  The documentary is visually compelling, but pretty thin on substance.  Besides, if you go no further than the Burn's documentary you cannot advance to Civil War "buff" status.  Those of you familiar with the Seinfeld-Costanza dialogue on this topic will know what I mean.

The Civil War looms large even today.  The war was a national trauma.  The scars remain.  Those who have walked the Antietam battlefield and stood at the end of "bloody lane" can only imagine the carnage which took place there.  Those of you who have been to Gettysburg have seen something of the size and extent of the war's various battles.  The scale (the battlefield covers miles) and huge number of monuments from individual states and their regiments reveal the fact that this was a national war.  Men who likely never left their hometowns before, died in droves in far away Pennsylvania.  The national cemetery (where Lincoln gave his famed address) is a grim reminder of this fact.  

More importantly, the Civil War provides the historical context for virtually all contemporary discussions of race, state's rights, and even economics.  The Civil War gave us several presidents (i.e., Grant, Hays, and Garfield), left us with a more centralized and powerful federal government (for good or ill), gave us some of our greatest heroes (Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain comes to mind, as does Clara Barton), two of our greatest generals (Lee and Jackson), and some of our most controversial figures (i.e., John Brown, Abraham Lincoln) as well as notorious villains (John Wilkes Booth and Nathan Bedford Forrest).

For many years I have recommended James McPherson's Pulitzer Prize winning book on the Civil War, Battle Cry of Freedom (Click Here).  I still recommend it.  It is well written, covers the subject quite well (for a survey), and is especially strong in recapping the War's many brutal and bloody battles.  Everyone should read it.  It will get you started as my own Civil War library will attest.

But Allen Guelzo's new book on the war, Fateful Lightening, is also a must read.  Guelzo gives us a much more wide-ranging survey than does McPherson.  Guelzo's volume is not as strong on the details of battle, but he does something from which the average reader choosing a single volume survey will greatly benefit--a thorough explanation of the causes of the war, an important discussion of the debate during the war over slavery and its future, as well as an important treatment of the turmoil created in the war's aftermath (reconstruction).  

Guelzo writes well, and has a wonderful knack for how much human interest material to include, so as to continually remind the reader that this was a war fought by real folk who underwent tremendous personal suffering and manifested remarkable courage.

If you've seen Ken Burn's PBS documentary and stopped there, press on!  You still need to read Guelzo or McPherson (probably both).  Of the two (and it is a close call), read Guelzo.  You can find it here:  Guelzo on Amazon

A Bit of a Delay (Update)

I was hoping to be able to announce when my contribution to the Lectio Continua expository commentary series would be released, and that I would be able to provide price and ordering information.  But alas, there has been a glitch during the editing process and the book's release will be delayed a few more weeks.

I taught on First Corinthians for over a year (back in 2004-05) during our Wednesday night Bible study at Christ Reformed, and I preached through the entire book back in 2010-11.  First Corinthians is an important book and outside of Calvin's commentary, the venerable commentary by Charles Hodge, and the crisp volume by Leon Morris in the Tyndale series, there has not been much Reformed reflection upon this remarkable and important letter.

That is too bad because Paul addresses a number of issues in First Corinthians which are still with us today.  How do we as Christians relate to the surrounding culture--which is largely pagan and sexually immoral?  Paul addresses the way in which worship should be conducted, and how the Lord's Supper should be administered.  He addresses matters of marriage and family, civil litigation, and church discipline.  He speaks at length about gifts of the Spirit and related issues such as speaking in tongues.  He also speaks in great detail about eschatology and the resurrection of the body.

In any case, I hope my humble effort serves, in part, to fill this gap, and perhaps generates some renewed interest in the epistle and the important issues it addresses.

I will certainly keep you posted when I get further publication info from the publisher.

Update on Friday, February 1, 2013 at 08:38AM by Kim Riddlebarger

The manuscript is undergoing its final proof-reading and then its off to the press.  Should have publishing information soon!

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 28-February 3)

Sunday Morning (02/03/13):  As we work our way through the Gosepl of John, we are in John 5, and we will be addressing our Lord's comments about the resurrection unto life (John 5:19-29).

Sunday Afternoon:  I will be leading our afternoon catechism service which begins @ 1:15 p.m.  We have come to Lord's Day 52 (question and answers 127-129) which deals with the final petition in the Lord's Prayer.  

Wednesday Night Bible Study 7:00 p.m. (1/30/13):  We are studying those New Testament passages in which the Lord's Supper is discussed--this week we will be working our way through 1 Corinthians 11.

The Academy 7:30 p.m. (2/1/13):  We are discussing Michael's Horton's theology text The Christian Faith.  We are currently in chapter 4, discussing the inspiration and authority of Scripture.

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"My Father is Working" -- John 5:1-18

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon

Click Here

This Week's White Horse Inn

For God so Loved the World

In John chapter 3 Jesus tells Nicodemus that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” What does this verse mean, and how has it been misunderstood in our day? What is the meaning John 3:16, and how does it relate to our understanding of both salvation and condemnation? Why do some respond positively to the gospel while others reject the good news? The hosts will discuss these questions and more in their continuing survey of the Gospel of John.

Click Here

From Biblical Metaphor to National Myth

For those of you interested in American church history and/or modern politics in light of the two kingdoms debate, you will certainly profit from Richard Gamble's recent book, In Search of the City on a Hill:  The Making and Unmaking of an American Myth.  You can find Gamble's book on Amazon here.

Gamble discusses in great detail the historical context for John Winthrop's famous 1630 sermon "A Model of Christian Charity" given onboard the Arbella before his group arrived in the New World.  As Gamble points out, near the end of his famous sermon Winthrop used the image of a "city on a hill" (found in Matthew 5:14) in a very conventional and biblical way (as an image of the church's witness and pastoral ministry).  Winthrop intended far less by his use of this metaphor than many have assumed. 

How then did this simple biblical image (as used by Winthrop) become such a powerful and ubiquitous political metaphor (dare I say political "myth") in which America (and American exceptionalism) is now, supposedly, the proper point of reference?  Gamble carefully explains the three hundred year evolution of the biblical metaphor into a uniquely American national myth.  The story may not be pretty to those who care about how Scripture is to be handled and interpreted, but it is certainly interesting nonetheless.

One particularly important point in Gamble's volume is his discussion of the use of the "city on a hill" metaphor by several early Puritans (and folk like Jonathan Edwards).  The "city on a hill" image was invoked as support for the supposed existence of a national covenant between God's chosen people living in America (the church) who served as a light to the world.  It was argued that God's providential purpose for America's founding was similar to Israel's role as God's national covenant people under the old covenant.  Gamble discusses the merits (few) and demerits (many) of this view, and points out that at the time a number of seventeenth contemporaries argued against this misuse of national covenant language.  Israel had a national covenant with God.  America does not.  Nor do Christians living in America then or now!  Being members of the covenant of grace in the midst of the civil kingdom will have to do!

This is an interesting and important book and is highly recommended.

There is a helpful interview with the author here:  Interview with Richard Gamble

A New Book from Michael Horton -- A Pilgrim Theology

Here's the publisher's blurb for Pilgrim Theology

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The 2011 award-winning publication The Christian Faith garnered wide praise as a thorough, well-informed treatment of the philosophical foundations of Christian theology, the classical elements of systematic theology, and exegesis of relevant biblical texts. Pilgrim Theology distills the distinctive benefits of this approach into a more accessible introduction designed for classroom and group study.

In this book, Michael Horton guides readers through a preliminary exploration of Christian theology in “a Reformed key.” Horton reviews the biblical passages that give rise to a particular doctrine in addition to surveying past and present interpretations. Also included are sidebars showing the key distinctions readers need to grasp on a particular subject, helpful charts and tables illuminating exegetical and historical topics, and questions at the end of each chapter for individual, classroom, and small group reflection.

Pilgrim Theology will help undergraduate students of theology and educated laypersons gain an understanding of the Christian tradition’s biblical and historical foundations.

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Here's ording information from the White Horse Inn website.  There are lots of great places to order it, but you can get it quicker and autographed by ordering it from the White Horse Inn.

The White Horse Inn store is now ready to ship copies of Michael Horton’s newest book Pilgrim Theology: Core Doctines for Christian Disciples. Before you head off to Amazon, know that they aren’t going to ship until February 5. Oh, and there is one other thing, only the WHI store will send you the book signed by Dr. Horton!

Order autographed Pilgrim Theology here

This Week at Christ Reformed Church (January 21-27)

Sunday Morning (01/27/13):  We are continuing our series on the Gospel of John, and we will be taking up the account of Jesus healing on the Sabbath (John 5:1-18).

Sunday Afternoon:  Ken Samples will be leading our afternoon catechism service which begins @ 1:15 p.m. 

Wednesday Night Bible Study (1/23/13):  We are studying those New Testament passages in which the Lord's Supper is discussed--this week we will be working our way through 1 Corinthians 10.

The Academy:  The Academy will resume on Friday January 25 (@ 7:30 p.m.), with our special guest, Michael Horton, discussing his theology text The Christian Faith.  For more info, Click Here

For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website:  Christ Reformed Church

"The Man Believed the Word" -- John 4:43-54

Here's the audio from this morning's sermon (the fifteenth in a series of sermons on John)

Click Here