AP scores a hit with scoop on ISIS’ destruction of Iraqi monastery
“Certainly, journalists can’t do enough to explain what’s up with this orgy of monument desecration that ISIS and Al Qaeda enjoy doing. But there’s a deeper issue here…”
– Julia Duin at Get Religion looks at coverage of the destruction of the 1400 year old St. Elijah’s Monastery of Mosul monastery. (Image: CCTV.)
‘ISIS destroys Iraq’s oldest Christian monastery’
“Satellite photos obtained by The Associated Press confirm what church leaders and Middle East preservationists had feared: The oldest Christian monastery in Iraq has been reduced to a field of rubble … St. Elijah’s Monastery stood as a place of worship for 1,400 years…”
– Report from Fox News.
C.S. Lewis — a secret Government Agent?
“As I browsed eBay not long ago, I came across a 78 rpm recording of a lecture by C. S. Lewis.
I assumed that it was a mistake or that the seller was trying to defraud an unwitting public. I knew Lewis well enough to know that he had never made a 78 rpm recording for general distribution, much less one produced by something called the Joint Broadcasting Committee…”
– News of an interesting discovery, from Christianity Today.
(Image: Christianity Today.)
What was the Star of Bethlehem? — is this the answer at last?
“Readers should be appropriately skeptical any time they hear about a new theory revealing the true star of Bethlehem.
But reading the comments below from various experts – in biblical studies and apologetics and science and cometography – should encourage readers to give Colin Nicholl’s groundbreaking work, The Great Christ Comet: Revealing the True Star of Bethlehem, serious attention…”
– Justin Taylor on a fascinating new book – and there’s an 85 minute interview of the author, Colin Nicholl, by Eric Metaxas.
From the book:
“When it comes to claims of major advances in the understanding of long-debated Biblical mysteries, many people are naturally very skeptical. We have all seen too many television documentaries on mysteries of the Bible. A grandiose claim is made at the start of the program, and we wait patiently – or, more often, impatiently – through commercials and a long, drawn-out build-up for the narrator finally to unveil the supposedly great discovery. When the program does eventually get there, almost without exception we end up rolling our eyes and regretting that we have just wasted an hour of our lives. The most common, but by no means the only, problem is that key details of the Biblical text have been twisted or ignored in order to accommodate the featured hypothesis.”
– from this excerpt (PDF) on the Crossway website.
Don’t forget Charles Simeon
“I first became aware of the extraordinary influence of Charles Simeon on the Church of England when I was an undergraduate at King’s College Cambridge where he was once vice-provost. Sadly, at the end of the 20th century he had largely been forgotten in that college. It would be an even greater sadness, however, if he were to be forgotten by the Church of England as a whole, especially evangelicals…”
– Tom Watts, at Church Society’s blog, reckons we must not forget Charles Simeon.
(Charles Simeon was a key figure behind the decision to send a Chaplain on the First Fleet – and also in the founding of the Church Missionary Society and in evangelical witness at universities in the UK and abroad.)
Happy 97th Birthday, Billy Graham
“This is the best documentary I have seen on Billy Graham, the most famous and significant evangelist since George Whitefield…”
– Justin Taylor provides links to a 120 minute documentary on Billy Graham.
Is the Reformation Over?
“There have been several observations rendered on this subject by those I would call ‘erstwhile evangelicals.’ One of them wrote, ‘Luther was right in the sixteenth century, but the question of justification is not an issue now.’ A second self-confessed evangelical made a comment in a press conference I attended that ‘the sixteenth-century Reformation debate over justification by faith alone was a tempest in a teapot.’…”
– Dr R.C. Sproul writes of the danger of forgetting the reason for the Reformation.
See also: Dr Carl Trueman, “Why the Reformation Isn’t Over”.
What is Reformation Day?
“What is Reformation Day? To answer that question, let’s ask another question. When is Reformation Day? It’s October 31; it commemorates the events of October 31, 1517…”
– Ligonier Ministries’ Stephen Nichols answers the question at Five Minutes in Church History.
Reformation Sunday 2015
It’s Reformation Sunday this weekend, and the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals has some free (and some paid) downloadable resources for your edification.
When Billy Graham (almost) gave up on the Bible
“…what do we do when we experience doubts that might cause us to give up on Christ, or even to radically alter our views about the Christian faith? …
Having recently read his autobiography, I found it very interesting to learn how Billy Graham faced a crisis of this kind…”
– A most encouraging piece from Moore College’s Dr. Peter Orr. Read it all.
(Photo: Archbishop Marcus Loane and Billy Graham at the 1979 Crusade. Courtesy Ramon Williams / Worldwide Photos.)
Biography of Sir Marcus Loane launched in Sydney
A large crowd gathered in Sydney on October 14th for the launch of a substantial biography of Sir Marcus Loane, Archbishop of Sydney 1966-1982.
From Strength to Strength – A Life of Marcus Loane, was written by Canon Allan M. Blanch, who is also an Emeritus Vice-President of the Anglican Church League.
The book was launched by Dame Marie Bashir.
From Strength to Strength promises to be an important contribution to Australian Church History. It also introduces Sir Marcus to new generations of Christians who, until now, may have known little about this towering figure.
A paperback edition is now available for order through the publisher’s website.
Top photo: Allan Blanch at the book launch.
Related: Archbishop Marcus Loane photo gallery.
A Tale of Two Archbishops — ACL Synod Dinner talk 2015
Dr Ed Loane from Moore College spoke to a packed ACL Synod Dinner at the Chapter House on Monday 12th October, 2015.
His topic: A Tale of Two Archbishops: Christian Unity in the Ministries of Archbishop Temple and Archbishop Mowll.
What were the key differences between these two towering figures? What lessons can we learn? Listen to Ed’s fascinating talk which has many contemporary applications:
Or right-click this link to download the 9.7MB mp3 file.
Update: You can also read Dr. Loane’s notes, in this PDF file.
Archbishop Howard Mowll, painted by Alfred G. Reynolds, 1958. On display at Mowll Village, Castle Hill. (Click the image for the full painting.)
Below: Attendees chat over dessert and coffee.
Related links: ACL Membership application.
The Synod Survival Guide.
What does the Bible say about Mary?
From Moore College’s Priscilla and Aquila Centre:
“What does the Bible say about Mary, mother of Jesus? Is she the second Eve? Find out at the last Priscilla & Aquila Centre Evening Seminar this year. Peter Jensen, Former Archbishop of Sydney, will look into this topic.
When: Wednesday 21st October 2015 7:00 – 9:00pm
Where: 15 King Street, Newtown
Pre-registration is necessary, register online here.”
‘Reserve Bank governor Sir Harold Knight offered distinguished service in war and peace’
“Sir Harold Murray Knight KBE, DSC was an Australian economist, best known as the third governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia, serving from 1975 to 1982. …
Though his career in central banking featured prominently in his life and demanded much of his time, “it was not what motivated him or gave his life meaning,” his son, Dr Andrew Knight, said. His strong, personal Christian faith drove his core values and led him to devote decades of leadership to the Scripture Union, the Crusader Union, the Bible Society and the Anglican Church.”
– The Sydney Morning Herald has published this obituary of Sir Harold Knight.
(Image: Portrait of Sir Harold Knight by Bill Leak from the RBA Collection via SydneyAnglicans.net.)
‘What shall I render unto the Lord?’ — Richard Johnson’s text
In his farewell address before leaving the office of Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott quoted from Psalm 116, the text read by Chaplain Richard Johnson during the first Christian service in Australia.
Who was Richard Johnson? What was his passion? Learn about him here – and read of his concern for the inhabitants of the Colony in his parting message (PDF) –
“I have told you again and again, that Christ is the way, the truth, and the life, and that there is no coming to God with comfort, either in this world, or in that which is to come, but by him. He has told you so himself. And the apostle assures you, that there is no other name under heaven, given unto men, whereby they can be saved. Look unto him, and you shall be saved; if not, you must be damned. This is the plain truth, the express declaration of the Bible. Life and death are set before you.
Permit me then, as your minister, your friend, and a well-wisher to your souls, to press these serious and weighty considerations home upon your consciences once more. I hope and believe that I have asserted nothing, but what can be proved by the highest authority, the word of the living God.
They certainly deserve your closest and most careful attention, since it is plain beyond a doubt. that upon your knowledge or ignorance, your acceptance or rejection of this gospel, your everlasting happiness or misery must depend.”
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…