When Scottish theologian P.T. Forsyth published his Positive Preaching and the Modern Mind about 120 years ago, he called for effective prophetic preaching. He sought to counteract the influence of rationalistic German theology flooding the UK. Christian ministers, he said, did not descend from the Greek orator but the Hebrew prophet.
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Fifty years ago it was Professor Ehrlich whose his dire warnings about the world’s population explosion filled many with fear.
Then it was the Y2 bug, endangering all world systems dependent on the Internet. Now it is climate-warming hysteria. In 1844, Benjamin Disraeli, England’s Prime Minister declared that “The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes.” Theodore Roosevelt, in his campaign for the presidency in 1912, added his comment that “Behind the visible government there is an invisible government … that owes the people no loyalty and recognises no responsibility.”
A widely held view today is that Islamic terrorism perpetrated by ISIS, and other Muslim brigades is pay-back for the Crusades of the Middle Ages. Contributing to this myth is State Education in Victoria.
edit. Greg Sheridan in God is Good for You- a defence of Christianity in troubled times, (everyone should read it) says some provocative things about Christian schools. After exploring things churches are doing to impact society, he says, “a bigger challenge for all Christian churches is to use Christian schools more effectively to teach the content of their religion.”
The theology of Church-State issues never gets a mention these days. Clearly it’s a subject Presbyterians (or others) do not consider important. Do theological colleges include these issues in their curricula? I think not. This is lamentable but predictable. Lamentable, for Reformed theologians have developed a sizable body of theology of the State which is now neglected. Also predictablegiven its neglect by classic systematic works. See how much space is given to it in selected classic works:
Leon Podles is a Catholic historian. His book,The Church Impotent – the Feminisation of Christianitysays his church has lost the fight to retain men at church. The reason? “men don’t like church. To be more precise masculine men have a problem with Christianity, at least in its Western forms.” Yet in Eastern Orthodox churches men participate in services and other religious activities as much or more than do women, while in Roman Catholic and Protestant churches the women outnumber the men, sometimes by wide margins.
The Weekend Australianfor May18 wisely observed the profound difference between Shorten and Hawke. Hawke brought Australia together. Shortendividedit. Hawke governed by consensus; Shorten engaged in class war. However, Morrison will act by consensus.
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About this blogWelcome to my blog where you can read about books, bods and battles for the truth. Your comments are invited.
About me...Minister, pastor, evangelist, convention speaker, college lecturer, private pilot, invitee to minister in India, Singapore, Indonesia, Kenya, Cyprus USA and China, CEO of a Sydney church Retirement Village and author of four biographies - these are some areas in which I have served Christ for more than 60 years. Called to preach at age 16 I have served mainline and independent churches in all States save the NT. Decades of ministry, have led me to conclude that "judgment has begun at the church of God". Where will this end?
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