“Thinking Theologically About Church Planting” series by Dale Little

Canadian theologian Clark Pinnock has developed a theology of religions which follows the hermeneutical method of unpacking a sub-theme within Scriptures, namely God’s salvific work among the “pagans,” rather than the major plot line of God’s work of salvation in and through his chosen people.
[1] Clark H. Pinnock, “Clark Pinnock’s Response to Part 3,” in Reconstructing Theology: A Critical Assessment of the Theology of Clark Pinnock, ed. Tony Gray and Christopher Sinkinson (Carlisle, Cumbria, UK: Paternoster, 2000), 261-62.
Thus Pinnock appeals to the necessity of using peripheral and often less clear passages or personages of Scripture in order to build his case.
[2] Clark H. Pinnock, “The Finality of Jesus Christ in a World of Religions,” in Christian Faith and Practice in the Modern World: Theology from an Evangelical Point of View, ed. Mark A. Noll and David F. Wells (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988), 157-58; and Clark H. Pinnock, A Wideness in God's Mercy: The Finality of Jesus Christ in a World of Religions (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992), 22.
The resultant theology of religions is dependent upon Biblical texts which are open to varied and debatable interpretations. Read More…

“Women of the Bible” series by Ann Little
Exodus 2:1-10, Numbers 26:49, Hebrews 11:23

Moses may have been called by God to be the savior of the Israelites, but before he was able to fulfill this calling, he was saved several times by faithful women. In the last post we explored the story of the courageous midwives. If they had obeyed Pharaoh, Moses would have been killed at birth. Today let’s look at Moses’ mother, Jochebed and her courageous part in Moses’ story. Read More…

“Thinking Theologically About Church Planting” series by Dale Little

One of the tasks of churches is to engage the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ, or perhaps better, the gospel which is Jesus Christ. The gospel engages culture when fundamental cultural values are challenged by the gospel. For instance, when it is demonstrated that personal meaning and purpose are best discovered and experienced within the kingdom of God and therefore within those microcosms of the kingdom which we call churches, the gospel has challenged the cultural understanding that personal fulfillment is found in such items as individual wealth and pleasure. The gospel is in a position to engage culture because, among other reasons, the gospel is distinguishable from culture. Churches manifest the gospel, and the God of the gospel, by clothing the gospel with community. These communities or churches therefore acquire the essence of the gospel, making them distinct from the culture and therefore able to prophetically address the culture. Read More…