Posts by Samuel Parkison
Is theology theological? Herman Bavinck answers
Herman Bavinck has become a household name for many in the reformed, evangelical world. But who was he? How did he conceptualize his role as a theologian in the 19th and 20th centuries? What goes into making the renaissance man that was the enigmatic Herman Bavinck? In this episode of the Credo Podcast, Matthew Barrett…
Read MoreWhat hath Greek Philosophy to do with Christianity?
It was the church father Tertullian who famously quipped, “What hath Athens to do with Jerusalem?” Many Christians today have joined Tertullian in pondering this question, and have concluded that the answer must be “nothing.” Greek Philosophy, it is assumed, offers nothing whatever to Christianity, and the Christian faith is obscured and tarnished by the…
Read MoreDo the Church Fathers still speak today?
How can the church fathers, who lived so long ago and in such a different context, benefit twenty-first-century Christians? Surely, we might be tempted to think, the world of the early church is too alien to inform those of us who live today, especially on topics such as corporate worship and Christian living. In this…
Read MoreIs anthropology a Christological affair?
What is the best starting point for developing a theology of humanity? Should we begin with the secular sciences? What about the creation narrative, especially when that biblical narrative points to Christ, the image of the invisible God? If he is the Second Adam and true and perfect humanity, might we begin with him? In…
Read MoreWho Cut Us Off from the Good, the True, and the Beautiful?
If it is true that the average evangelical suffers from an anemic theology, then it is equally true that the average evangelical suffers from an anemic imagination. Too often Christians, particularly those burdened with a desire for more theological precision, think that reading classic works of literature is at best a waste of time and…
Read MoreWhy I Love Philosophy
What does philosophy have to do with theology? Isn’t Christianity a faith of the heart, and not a faith of the head? And for that matter, isn’t philosophy an impractical discipline, completely unrelated to everyday life? In this episode, Matthew Barrett talks with Nicholas Wolterstorff about his journey into academia as a philosopher, as told…
Read MoreSurprises of Old Testament Use of Old Testament: Part 5
This post concludes this series with another surprise that came out of researching and writing a reference work for students and ministers of the word on the use of scripture within Israel’s scriptures entitled Old Testament Use of Old Testament.[1]. (See parts one, two, three, and four). Unexpected Observation Five: Well-known Teachings as Culminations of…
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