400 Free eBooks

Looking for some holiday reading?

Monergism has 400 free eBooks for download. Many older texts.

Large fine for refusing to supply same sex wedding cake upheld in Oregon

“There have been a number of ‘wedding industry’ religious freedom cases arising in the United States and the UK over the last few years.

On 28 December 2017 the Oregon Court of Appeals, in Klein v. Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries … upheld a $135,000 fine levied on the Kleins, wedding cake makers, for declining to make a cake for the wedding of Rachel and Laurel Bowmen-Cryer.

The case is another example of religious freedom (and, arguably, freedom of speech) being over-ridden in the name of ‘dignitary harm’ to same-sex couples. It is a good example of the issues being presented to the current Ruddock Inquiry into Religious Freedom being conducted in Australia at the moment. …”

– At Law and Religion Australia, Assoc. Professor Neil Foster takes a look at the Oregon wedding cake case.

He writes, “Attempts to learn from overseas experience and provide a clear legislative solution to the issues were defeated in the passage of the legislation enacting same sex marriage for this country.” He encourages Australian readers to make their views known to the Ruddock Enquiry.

The Gospel and the Anglican Tradition — new book from Martin Davie

Anglican theologian Martin Davie’s new book, “The Gospel and the Anglican Tradition” is due to be published next month. Here’s one commendation:

“The sweep of Martin’s new book is breathtaking. It conveys an encyclopaedic knowledge of church history, biblical theology and the worldwide Anglican tradition. Anyone wondering why they should be part of the Anglican church will find a very comprehensive answer here.

However, the book is much more than an apologia for Anglicanism. It is written to appeal for unity in the gospel. Martin affirms that order and truth belong together – but shows that both of these hinge, and have always hinged, on a clear understanding of the gospel. He takes the view that while diversity can be hugely beneficial, disagreement over the content of the gospel can never be.

Given that this is his message, some readers might be surprised to find him quoting so freely from the GAFCON Jerusalem Declaration and an ACNA document. His purpose, however, is to show that these stand in the mainstream of Anglican theological tradition and are thus a great reforming influence for our own day.”

– Rt. Revd Rod Thomas, Bishop of Maidstone.

Published by Gilead Books.

(Australian availability – should be updated closer to publishing time.)

See also:

Why the Arguments for a Third Way do not Work – Martin Davie (GAFCON website).

Can we agree to disagree? – Martin Davie, Crossway. (PDF)

Review of the Report from the Marriage Commission of the Anglican Church of Canada.

Why I can’t in conscience write for the Church of England Newspaper any more

“I have been contributing articles regularly for the Church of England Newspaper (CEN) for the past ten years and have found its editor Colin Blakely very congenial to write for.  He is courteous to his writers in contrast to the editors of a couple more thoroughly evangelical publications I have written for.

It is a personally wretched decision for me to have to stop writing for Colin. But his decision to become a trustee of the Ozanne Foundation, which is actively campaigning to change the received biblical teaching of the Church of England on sexual ethics, has made this necessary. …”

– The Rev. Julian Mann, Vicar of the Parish Church of the Ascension, Oughtibridge in Sheffield Diocese, explains his decision, at Anglican Mainstream. (Photo: Julian Mann with Archbishop Ben Kwashi.)

Related: Workers and Wolves – William Taylor on Romans 16:1-23.

Update: Kevin Kallsen and Gavin Ashenden discuss the Ozanne Foundation fallout at Anglican Unscripted #358 – Just Jesus, not ‘just love’ silly.

Senior CofE bishop to front campaign for LGBT inclusion

“The Bishop of Liverpool, Rt Rev Paul Bayes, is to chair a new charity aimed at promoting greater acceptance of LGBT people by working with religious organisations around the world. He has said

He has been named as chair of the Ozanne Foundation, whose director Jayne Ozanne is a high-profile Anglican activist for LGBT inclusivity. …”

– Report. (Photo: Diocese of Liverpool.)

One of the Trustees of the pro-LGBT organisation is Colin Blakely, Editor of The Church of England Newspaper, while Steve Chalke is a member of the Council of Reference.

Related:

As Christ is to His church – William Taylor (Video, 2013).

Confidence in God and the word he has given us – Mark Thompson (February 2014).

Appointment of American Bishop leads to split with Nigerian Diocese – Reform statement (May 2016).

Thousands spoke his language in the Amazon. Now he is the only one.

“Now Garcia lives alone in a clapboard house behind the town’s water tower, spending many of his final days drinking.

Desperate to speak and hear whatever Taushiro he can, he sits alone on his porch in the morning, reciting the only literature ever written in the language – verses of the Bible translated by missionaries who sought to convert the tribe years ago.

Ine aconahive ite chi yi tua tieya ana na’que I’yo lo’, he reads aloud one morning. It is the story of Lot from the Book of Genesis. …”

– The Sydney Morning Herald republishes this article from The New York Times, where the online version is much fuller, and the NYT has a must-watch video.

The story is a sobering reminder that the gospel is for every tribe and every language, and that all need to hear.

Four things you can’t do without Systematic Theology

“Systematic theology builds on the results of biblical theology.

Biblical theology is the exegetical discipline that seeks to grasp the entirety of Scripture as the unfolding of God’s plan from Genesis to Revelation. Starting with Scripture as God’s Word written through human authors—our final authority (sola scriptura) for what we think about God, ourselves, and the world—biblical theology seeks to “put together” the entire canon in a way that’s true to God’s intent.

Systematic theology then applies the truths gained in biblical theology…”

– As part of Crossway’s promotion of their new ESV Systematic Theology Study Bible, The Gospel Coalition  has published this article by Stephen Wellum.

Matthias ebooks half price until 31 Dec 2017

Matthias Press is selling their ebooks at half price until 31st December 2017.

Their website states, “Please note that the price of ebooks shown on the product page is the normal price, but a 50% discount will automatically be applied to all epub/mobi purchases.”

Meet the Nativity – A Christmas Comedy in Four Parts

The final cut of Meet the Nativity is now available on their website.

Christmas in a time of change

“Christmas and its message have never been more relevant than at this moment in time. 

There have been such rapid changes over the past decade—technological, cultural, social, and political changes—that the current level of nervousness and uncertainty is only to be expected.

There is a growing tone of fear and anxiety in much commentary both here and around the world. …

Change and uncertainty exist at so many points as 2017 draws to a close that it is easy to understand why some are overwhelmed.

Yet it was precisely into a world of change and uncertainty, of military muscle and politically motivated injustice, where long-held verities were under challenge and immorality was endorsed at the highest level, and where economic disadvantage seemed to be permanently entrenched by those with power, that ‘the Word became flesh and dwelt among us’. …”

– Be mightily encouraged by this brief article from Moore College Principal, Dr Mark Thompson. Well worth sharing widely.

Archbishop of Sydney’s 2017 Christmas message – tweet it to your friends

Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
2017 Christmas Message

Twitter now seems to be the preferred method of communication for at least one of our world leaders.   Read more

The Condition of the Stable

“As we enjoy the sounds and smells of our Christmas — roast turkey, excited children, and the amicable throng of the communion table — they are different from the first Christmas. Its outward smells and signs are dung, urine, and the sounds of fear as a child is born under reprobate appearance.

But nothing we have can match the glory of that Bethlehem Christmas. For here the Son of God has come into the world …”

– A Christmas editorial from The Australian Church Record, December 1986.

A Church Near You

The Church of England has a dedicated website to find your closest Anglican church – with the message that, for most people in the UK, their local church is less than a mile away.

If you are looking for an Anglican Church in Sydney this Christmas, check out Sydney’s own ChurchNearYou.com.au.

‘Get with the Program’ — The Church of England votes to ordain Women Bishops — 2014

“Writing about the age of John Milton, the British author A. N. Wilson once tried to explain to modern secular readers that there had once been a time when bishops of the Church of England were titanic figures of conviction who were ready to stand against the culture.

‘It needs an act of supreme historical imagination to be able to recapture an atmosphere in which Anglican bishops might be taken seriously,’ he wrote, ‘still more, one in which they might be thought threatening.’…”

– This 2014 piece from Albert Mohler is worth re-reading to remember how much has changed in such a short time in the Church of England.

And do pray for those gospel-minded leaders in the C of E, that they will be filled with wisdom, and will stand firm in the faith.

Related:

St. Helen’s Bishopsgate relationships with other deanery churches ‘temporarily impaired’.

Anglican Unscripted #357 – Welby revokes Carey’s Permission to Officiate.

NTE17 talks

AFES has posted the main session talks from the 2017 National Training Event in Canberra – talks by Richard Chin and Gary Millar – on its Vimeo account.

Very encouraging.

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