Parchment & Pen Blog

I am toying with something here and would love to see some discussion. Ambient orthodoxy: those beliefs that enjoyed common confession throughout the history of the church, but have not experienced any serious challenge. These matters are normally not found in the creeds and may even be lacking from some extended confessions. In other words, [...]

Have you ever been called a heretic? Have you ever had someone say that your faith is “unorthodox”? Have you ever wondered what it meant to be “orthodox”? No, I don’t mean Greek Orthodox or Eastern Orthodox. I am talking about orthodoxy which carries the meaning of “straight or right teaching and worship.” The answer [...]

Sam Storms has joined the Theology Unplugged cast! Here is our second installment of a three part series called “How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be?”

How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be 3 [ 36:51 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sorry, forgot to post this Friday. Part three will be posted this Friday. Sam Storms has joined the Theology Unplugged cast! Here is our second installment of a three part series called “How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be?”

How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be 2 [ 35:39 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Sam Storms has joined the Theology Unplugged cast! Here is our first installment of a three part series called “How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be?”

How Long Should Your Doctrinal Statement Be 1 [ 34:49 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

“I can’t wait to get out of this body and off this earth to live with Jesus forever.” “The things on earth are all evil. Material possessions, earthly relationships, and concerns about your health are all worthless compared to what we will experience in heaven.” “Death is freedom for the soul.” “Christ was a divine [...]

Have you heard something like this: “When Christ was in the Garden of Gethsemane asking for relief, it was the human side of him speaking.” Or how about this, “When Christ said that he did not know the day or the hour of his coming, that was the human person talking, not the divine.” Or even [...]

I cannot tell you how many times I have been called a heretic. It simply comes with the territory of teaching theology. I have been called a heretic by anti-dispensationalists, Catholics, egalitarians, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and, of course, my anti-Calvinistic friends. The word “heretic” seems to be well worn these days. With so many different beliefs [...]

We talk a lot about this: essentials and non-essentials. In fact, at the Credo House of Theology (our headquarters), right when you walk in the front door you will see written on the wall in Latin the words in necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas. Translated into English, this means, “In essentials, unity; [...]

One of my former teachers used to say that we are all allowed one pet heresy. I am not sure that this is generous enough, but his point is good. I believe that we each have beliefs that are wrong. If we knew which ones we would change them so yours is something you are [...]

I guess that I will take the test again. I thought that I took it before, but I guess it got lost in the crash. I will break it up into three parts. Progressives: I know what you are going to say . . . typical fundamentalist. Fundamentalists: I know what you are going to [...]

How does one determine if someone is a heretic? Is this a word that should be used today when Christianity seems to be so pluralistic with regards to levels of commitment, beliefs, and practices? Today’s theological word of the day (which I write ) says this about heresy: “An opinion, belief, or doctrine that is [...]