Australia — whose land?
Posted on August 12, 2009
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Dr. Peter Adam, Principal of Ridley College in Melbourne, last weekend delivered the John Saunders Lecture for 2009. His topic was ‘Australia – whose land?’.
“So all lands belongs to God, and he distributed them to many nations, setting the time and places where they would live. The land is God’s land. To respect and honour God is to know that he made Australia, and to treat the existing indigenous peoples who were here in 1788 with respect. The appalling theory of terra nullius treated people as if they had no significance. This was an insult to them, and an offence against God their maker. …”
The text of his lecture has now been made available on the Ridley College website (PDF – direct link).
The historic episcopate: a response
Posted on August 12, 2009
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“I appreciate the feedback on the historic episcopate, following my blog of last fortnight, reflecting upon article 3 of the ACNA constitution.
3. We confess the godly historic Episcopate as an inherent part of the apostolic faith and practice, and therefore as integral to the fullness and unity of the Body of Christ. …”
– Bishop Glenn Davies expands his earlier comments about one article of the ACNA Constitution (PDF) – at SydneyAnglicans.net. (Photo: Russell Powell.)
Bishop Stuart Robinson — encouragement in connecting
Posted on August 12, 2009
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Bishop Stuart Robinson in the diocese of Canberra and Goulburn has begun recording regular video messages to help keep in touch with people across his diocese.
You can see the first one (July 2009) at YouTube.
The power of God
Posted on August 10, 2009
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“The statistics concerning the Church of England continue to make grim reading. The decline in attendance has not abated, the number of clergy continues to fall and there are signs that even if there were more clergy many dioceses cannot afford to pay their stipends. The Church is also losing influence in the national life …
There is much ground for pessimism and it may be that we are witnessing the judgement of God on our Church and nation. Our first response to such things must always be to repent and to cry out to God for mercy. But we are called to do more, and part of what we must do is reform the Church. …”
– David Phillips, General Secretary of Church Society, writes the editorial in the current issue of Cross†Way. (PDF file.)
Cranmer & Hooker on the saving power of the word
Posted on August 10, 2009
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“The first two of Ashley Null’s lecture series on repentance in classical Anglicanism have been superb. So far he has spent time unfolding the place and nature of repentance in Thomas Cranmer’s thinking and then in the thinking of Richard Hooker. …”
– ACL President Mark Thompson blogs about Ashley Null’s lectures.
Let’s swap bank accounts
Posted on August 9, 2009
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“I once heard the following illustration from one of the finest preachers in Wales:
Two brothers were talking one day. One of them had made a great success of his business career and had amassed a fortune. The other brother had made one bad decision after another and in the end racked up debts that he had no way of paying for. …”
– A useful sermon illustration at Martin Downes’ Against Heresies.
Whither Evangelicalism?
Posted on August 9, 2009
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“… I’d be inclined to say that the singular characteristic that stands out most among contemporary evangelicals is their distaste for drawing any clear lines between truth and error. They don’t like to handle doctrine in a polemical fashion. They especially don’t want to be thought “negative” when it comes to declaring their doctrinal convictions. …
D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones saw this trend coming and warned against it. In 1971, during a visit to Australia, he gave a series of lectures that were compiled and published as a booklet, ‘What Is an Evangelical?’ If you haven’t read it, you should. …”
– Phil Johnson writes of evangelicalism in North America. Is Australia far behind?
Church would defy loss of exemptions
Posted on August 8, 2009
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The Presbyterian Church in Victoria will defy the law and take the consequences if Parliament removes religious exemptions to the Equal Opportunity Act, a spokesman said yesterday.
The Reverend David Palmer, head of the church’s ethics committee, warned a parliamentary inquiry into the exemptions that changes would create significant conflict between church and state. …
– from Thursday’s The Age. See also Jeremy Halcrow’s post at SydneyAnglicans.net.
The Narcissism Epidemic
Posted on August 7, 2009
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In last weekend’s edition (August 2nd 2009) of the White Horse Inn, Michael Horton spoke with Dr. Jean Twenge, author of Generation Me, and co-author of The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement.
It’s worth hearing – at the White Horse Inn website.
Tong: Defending my take on Schori
Posted on August 6, 2009
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My last blog remarked on Presiding Bishop Schori’s breathtaking rejection of the gospel of salvation, “the great Western heresy – that we can be saved as individuals, that any of us alone can be in right relationship with God”.
The blog drew some debate about my use of Scripture but I take comfort from the report of Bishop David Bena’s sermon at an ordination where he attacked Schori by saying…
– Read Robert Tong’s post at SydneyAnglicans.net.
Societas 2009
Posted on August 6, 2009
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The Moore College students’ magazine, Societas, is now available for 2009.
The Wrighteousness of God
Posted on August 6, 2009
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“Bishop Wright’s views on Paul, Israel and justification have been known for many years, and have often been debated in scholarly circles.
As this latest book makes clear, those views have not been widely accepted—indeed, they have been openly opposed by almost everyone engaged in the field, from the most conservative Evangelicals to the most ardent liberals. …”
– In his editorial to the June 2009 issue of Churchman, Gerald Bray gives a helpful summary of Bishop Tom Wright’s teaching, and the response of John Piper and others. It’s available from Church Society as a PDF download and is worth reading.
New Christian newspaper planned
Posted on August 5, 2009
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Two well-known Christian media men, John Sandeman and David Maegraith, have teamed to produce a mass market monthly Christian newspaper — Eternity.
They say, “Eternity will produce news with a Christian worldview, drawing on the resources of Christians and churches around Australia. The paper is independent of denominations and is privately operated.”
The first issue is planned for October 2009 – see details at their website.
A House Divided?
Posted on August 5, 2009
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“Rowan Williams’ proposal for a ‘two-track’ Anglican Communion is a theological disaster. Beyond this, it is almost certainly unworkable.
The reason for this is simple — both sides in this controversy see the question of homosexuality as both unavoidable and fundamental. Both sides see the question as far too important to remain unsettled. Neither side can accept the permanent disagreement of the other. …”
– Albert Mohler writes at his blog.
See also, “Are we about to go to war?” by Peter Ould and some comments by John Richardson. (Photo: ACNS.)
God the Peacemaker: Graham Cole on the Atonement
Posted on August 5, 2009
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Graham Cole’s most recent book is a biblical theology of the Atonement – God the Peacemaker: How Atonement Brings Shalom.
It gets a mention at Between Two Worlds – and there’s an interview with Graham.
What we believe
The message at the heart of Christianity is really quite simple…