Parchment & Pen Blog

New Elective for The Theology Program Starts Feb 16 A course examining the religions of the Jehovah’s Witnesses and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) as examples of contemporary heretical religions that purport to be Bible-believing forms of Christianity. Students will become conversant with the religions’ history, organization, claims, doctrines, and practices. [...]

Over the coming weeks I am going to post what have been the most popular posts here on Parchment and Pen over the last three years. (No particular order). Top Theological Pick-Up Lines NOT to Use: 20. “I am not overweight. The word ‘glory’ in Hebrew is kabod which according to HALOT literally means ‘heaviness.’ [...]

The other day while on Facebook, I saw a status update of one my facebook friends proclaiming the goodness of God and how He will grant us the desires of our heart.  I confess my reaction was tinged with some cynicism as I reflected on my own desires that have seemingly been ignored despite earnest, [...]

I have said that there is no compelling reason to say that the Bible teaches the so-called supernatural sign gifts have ceased. I have also said and demonstrated that the history of the church evidences a de facto cessation of the sign gifts. As well, I have said that, despite being open to the gifts, [...]

Thesis: We have the tendency, left without theological discipleship and accountability, to make God into who we think he ought to be. When that version of him fails, it is not as if the true version has failed, but only the version we created. Therefore, we have not really left God in a proper sense, but [...]

Regrettably, I must pause and submit another excursus. While it might seem to some to be a frustrated reaction having to reiterate an important issue, I am actually glad to have to do so since the issue of this post is so central to my argument. (So scratch my initial “regrettably”!) Just about every objection [...]

No one likes to be told they are wrong. Correction and critique are things we go out of our way to avoid. Those who can ask the tough questions about your life—probing deep when they suspect some spiritual sickness—are not often not welcome friends. We don’t pick up the phone when they call. We avoid [...]

The Theology Program Spring 2009 Semester Please note, this is online students only. To find more about the online program, go here. Introduction to Theology Course Description Instructor: C. Michael Patton, ThM. Online meeting dates: Tuesday 7pm – 8pm EST, Jan. 13th - Mar 17th ,2009 Course Requirements: Minimum 3 hours per week – online class time, reading assignments [...]

I received this email today. It is from a former pastor of 20 years who left the ministry in 2000. He is now an agnostic (does not know if there is a God). I recently heard a statistic which says that 80% of those who are in seminary will no longer be in ministry within [...]

Back in 2006, N.T. (Tom) Wright—the prolific author, New Testament historian, and bishop of Durham—came out with a book that seeks to grapple with evil from a biblical perspective: Evil and the Justice of God (InterVarsity Press, 2006). I, along with fellow Christian philosopher Mike Rea (Notre Dame), had the privilege of responding to Wright’s [...]

The third in the series of four ‘living eulogies’ is dedicated to my mom. I know, I know: it’s absolutely shameless of me to extol the virtues of my own mother when the rest of you don’t have your own blog so you can’t. Life isn’t fair; get over it. At the same time, I [...]

I have thus far discussed what it means to be charismatic equating a charismatic with one who adheres to a continuationist view of the “supernatural sign gifts.” In other words, a charismatic is one who believes that gifts such as prophecy (speaking on behalf of God), working of miracles, healing, tongues, and, if you so [...]