Blog - Page 192 of 318 - John H Armstrong

The Novels of George Eliot and The Mill on the Floss

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:21-05:00May 16th, 2009|Categories: Books|

Mary Ann Evans is best known by her famous pen name: George Eliot. In her time Mary Ann became the most famous British novelist of the era, and accordingly made a lot of money as a writer. When she died in 1880 she was something of a major celebrity.

The youngest child of Robert Evans and Christiana Pearson Evans, Mary Ann had four siblings: Robert, Fanny, Chrissey, and Isaac. Mary Anne shared an especially close relationship with her brother Isaac. When Mary Ann was sent away to boarding school she first turned to books as a source of amusement. She was always considered a serious, sensitive, and introspective child.

In 1828, after finishing her experience under one tutor, Mary Anne went to study at the school of a Mrs. Wallington. Here she met the woman who was to be the most influential figure of her early life, then unmarried Maria Lewis. She was exceptionally kind and held strong evangelical […]

The Acts of the Apostles: A Commentary (David G. Petersen)

By John Armstrong|2009-05-15T05:00:00-05:00May 15th, 2009|Categories: Biblical Theology|

I do not normally review critical, academic commentaries on this site. The new Pillar New Testament Commentary on the Book of Acts is a worthy exception to that rule. David G. Petersen, a senior research fellow in New Testament at the well-known Moore Theological College in Sydney, Australia, has completed a fifteen year project and the result is surely on of the finest modern commentaries on Acts in decades. The author, with I. Howard Marshall, of Witness to the Gospel: The Theology of Acts, Petersen does a masterful job of dealing with the important questions of the text in light of current scholarship. He also draws from the fields of narrative criticism, theological analysis and incorporates insights into historical-social background. He is at his very best when he reverently and carefully studies why Luke presents his material in the way that he does, showing again that a very high view of divine inspiration should not preclude serious work in context and writing styles used by the biblical authors. […]

The Wisdom of Doc Holliday

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:21-05:00May 14th, 2009|Categories: Film|

Readers know that I love film and visual art. One of my favorite Westerns is Tombstone (with Kurt Russell as Wyatt Earp and Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday). Tombstone tells the story of only one segment of Wyatt's illustrious life (a span of only a few years) but it includes the role of his two brothers and the infamous Doc Holliday, Wyatt's true-blue friend.

Wyatt Earp (1848-1929) was an honest-to-goodness law man. He was also a farmer, buffalo-hunter, gambler, miner, saloon keeper and boxing referee. The Earp legend appears to be mostly real, at least in the broad strokes. Maybe this is why so many books and movies have been made about Wyatt.

He is best known for the famous shoot-out at the O.K. Corral, where Doc Holliday and his brothers, Virgil and Morgan Earp, were also involved. […]

Purple State of Mind

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:21-05:00May 13th, 2009|Categories: American Evangelicalism|

Purple State of Mind is a social documentary film (DVD) made by Christian theologian Craig Detweiler and former-Christian John Marks, the author of an engaging critique of evangelical Christians in America: Reasons to Believe: One Man's Journey Among the Evangelicals and the Faith He Left Behind (Harper Collins, 2008). This DVD is the result of four different dialogs, shot in four different locations, between Craig and John. Craig and John were roommates at Davidson College in the 1980s and remain friends, though their journey has taken them in totally opposite directions, at least spiritually. Craig arrived at Davidson a non-Christian while John was already having his serious doubts. As freshmen they explored faith deeply. This continued for several years and then their paths went in very different directions.

Craig Detweiler is now an associate professor of theology and […]

A Wonderful Day at New Hope

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:21-05:00May 12th, 2009|Categories: Personal|

Some of you know that my son Matthew is a church planter in Streamwood, Illinois. This past Lord's Day I had my first opportunity to preach for Matt, who is away on vacation with his family. I will preach for him again next Sunday, May 17, the day after he returns. This means that we will share ministry together in this public way for the first time ever. I can't begin to describe what a joy and honor this will be for me as his father.

I was introduced last Sunday (May 10) by Matt's father-in-law, Ed Vega. Ed shared how he knew me and then when and how he met Matt for the first time. He said, after first meeting Matt, "I would love to see my daughter marry a young man like Matt." When I first heard about Adriana Vega I called her pastor and said, "Tell me about this young woman." My friend said, "John, she is as […]

Star Trek: A Popular Movie That Actually Lives Up to the Reviews

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:22-05:00May 11th, 2009|Categories: Film|

I saw Star Trek last evening. It was pure fun. I would not call it a "great" movie but I did enjoy it. I am not a "Trekkie" and yet I had some sense of the old series and the basic characters and story line. Who can ever forget the pop cultural line: "Beam me up Scottie." And the Starship Enterprise is truly cool. I love the battles, action and "future oriented" stuff.

Rotten Tomatoes almost never gives a film a plus-90% rating that gets a hundred-plus reviews or more on opening weekend. Well, Star Trek had 96% when I last checked it last night. It doesn't have a great storyline, or even great acting for that matter, but it was well worth the time to relax and see a very good science fiction film. The language is a bit offensive but by today's cultural standards quite tame. I would not take small children (I saw a few and […]

An Update on My Friend David Stopke

By John Armstrong|2009-05-10T21:30:56-05:00May 10th, 2009|Categories: Personal|

For those who have prayed the news about David Stopke is getting better every day. He is likely to go to Denver this week for more medical treatment. He has recovered from his neck surgery and has even sat up. The breathing tube is still in place so he cannot talk yet. But his spirit is good and it seems quite clear that he will survive this terrible shooting. Will he regain any movement below his neck? We are hopeful but time will tell. Thanks for praying for this precious family and my friend Dave. Please do not stop now.

A Day for Worship

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:22-05:00May 10th, 2009|Categories: The Church|

Worship is almost taken for granted on this day, at least in most Christian traditions. The early church seems to have originally gathered on Saturday in the synagogue as well as the first day, Sunday, in homes. In time the church separated from the synagogue and for the most part we have met on the first day, the day of resurrection, ever since. There is a lot of debate about everything I have just stated but it is generally followed by most historians and theologians, excepting those committed to the Sabbath, or seventh day (Saturday). Mainstream churches in the East and West follow the Sunday celebration, with some churches now providing a Saturday evening service time. (According to Jewish time Saturday evening is the beginning of the first day!)

The ancient church had a marvelous term to describe the new day, calling it the "eighth day of the new creation." That sums up a lot of the theology behind the change from […]

Is the Number of Protestants Converting to Roman Catholicism Growing?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:22-05:00May 9th, 2009|Categories: Roman Catholicism|

If you read the conservative Catholic magazines and Web sites as much as I do you get the impression that the number of Protestant converts to Catholicism is growing rapidly these days. One such publication listed the short story of four recent "political" converts. The first, Newt Gingrich, I commented about on this site just a few weeks ago. Another I have also mentioned before, Tony Blair. Blair was received into the Catholic Church in a private ceremony in December 2007. Then there is Kansas Senator (R.) Sam Brownback, who was raised a Methodist. Brownback later joined a non-denominational church. In a 2006 interview in The […]

The Beeson Pastors School: A Summer Treat for Ministers

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:20:22-05:00May 8th, 2009|Categories: The Christian Minister/Ministry|

Conferences and seminars for pastors abound, especially during the summer months. These kinds of events spring up like clockwork, much like the welcomed daffodils and tulips I see growing in the Midwest right now. In the various magazines, and on numerous online sites, ministers are encouraged to attend such gatherings. Each one appeals to the minister to consider their event as unique time for teaching and refreshment. I have spoken at a number of these kinds of events over the years. And prior to speaking widely myself, since around 1990, I enjoyed attending one or two pastors events like these each year.

I have not become a cynic about such events but I now see that most of these seminars and conferences are “personality driven” events. If you loved the "big person" (always a male in the circles I traveled in) then you just had to attend or you might miss out on something very important. I found that if you get the biggest names to speak, create an intensely loyal following for a high profile successful pastor/author, slay […]