Blog - Page 306 of 318 - John H Armstrong

On Political Courage

By John Armstrong|2005-11-22T10:09:03-06:00November 22nd, 2005|Categories: Politics|

Judge Frank J. Williams is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the state of Rhode Island. I have come to know him though his leadership of the Abraham Lincoln Forum. Judge Williams is not only a brilliant jurist but a devoted Lincoln scholar. He moderates various sessions at the annual symposium in Gettysburg and did so again last week (November 16-18).

Judge Williams is a man who is filled with enthusiasm for people and life. His sense of humor, apt words at important moments, and brilliant mind are all noticeable to the interested observer. When he introduced historian Jay Winik (author of the award winning book, April 1865) last Friday evening the judge spoke about the need for political courage and how this was demonstrated in April 1865 by Abraham Lincoln, as well as several others. Judge Williams noted four distinct marks that are present where you find real political courage in action:

1. A leader will be firm in their beliefs despite criticism.

2. A leader knows their own mind.

3. A leader is obsessed […]

Did The Catholic Church Kill Lincoln?

By John Armstrong|2005-11-21T21:09:09-06:00November 21st, 2005|Categories: History|

One of the more interesting things about my time at the Lincoln Forum in Gettysburg (November 16-18) last week was the theme of this year’s event: The Assassination of President Lincoln on April 14, 1865. As with the Kennedy assassination in 1963 a host of theories have surrounded Lincoln’s death for over 140 years. For example:

1. Did John Wilkes Booth act alone? There is no doubt at all that he fired the shot that caused Lincoln’s death at 7:22 a.m. on April 15. In this case there is no second-shooter theory advanced by anyone.

2. If the eight co-conspirators arrested in the aftermath were really involved how so? All eight were convicted by military tribunal, not a civil court. Four of the eight who were convicted were hung and four were sent to prison. The four who were hung included the first woman put to death by law in American history. What did these eight individuals know and when did they know it? Were all truly guilty in some way? The sense of the panel, though not entirely universal, […]

Lincoln's Assassination

By John Armstrong|2005-11-17T16:50:08-06:00November 17th, 2005|Categories: History|

I am attending the tenth annual Lincoln Forum Symposium in Gettysburg this week. The event brings together both professional historians and ordinary readers who just love to talk about Lincoln. I am in the second category.

The theme this week is the assassination of President Lincoln, which took place 140 years ago. Theories regarding his assassination, as you probably know, vary considerably. Who was involved, what did they know, and when did they know it? One thing stood out today—equally good historians do not agree on a number of important facts, even though they have the same evidence.

This discussion reminds me of James McPherson’s famous quote that "You don’t judge history through the wrong end of a telescope." The McPherson’s quote should be applied to Christian historians as well. It should be applied even more so to ministers and lay people who misuse Reformation history in the same way. Wanting to make a specific point, in favor of a previously adopted viewpoint, they selectively use sources, fail to get the big picture in focus, and then make their polemical […]

Engaging the New World

By John Armstrong|2005-11-16T08:28:23-06:00November 16th, 2005|Categories: Missional Church|

I wrote yesterday (November 15) about the aging baby boomer generation and the way this massive group of people (78 million) has altered our culture dramatically. The generation that is coming behind the boomers is very different, radically different in many cases. Some see this as a terrible development. I am not of such an opinion.

The younger generation, especially those young adults born since 1976, reflects what is sometimes called the postmodern generation. Older Christians are pretty negative to these developments. You can spot this type of reaction a mile off. It links postmodernism to relativism and then the condemnations and fearful reactions are not far behind. This approach is not only shallow and reactionary, but it fails to see the missional moment we now face, thus the amazing opportunity the church now has with these younger folks.

I’ll not elaborate on the philosophical differences between these various age groups but I will tell you that I regularly teach people from this generation. I also have adult married children in this generation. Personally I love what I see in […]

The Generation That Changed America

By John Armstrong|2005-11-15T09:43:59-06:00November 15th, 2005|Categories: Culture|

Newsweek devoted a cover story this week is to the "boomer" generation (the people born between 1946 and 1964) who are turning 60 very soon! Now there’s a cause for celebration. The richest, most self-centered, most conflicted generation in America’s history is aging, and not so gracefully it seems. The real problem, notes columnist Ruben Navarrette (Washington Post Writers Group), is that this generation simply doesn ‘t have the grace to give up the center stage yet. No surprises here either since this generation believes that it solved almost every problem known to modern man since 1964!

Whether it was Bill Clinton, or now George Bush, our leaders have consciously and shamelessly catered to this huge generation of 78 million for several decades. (President Bush’s startegy for the war on terror and his promotion of the Social Security issue in 2005 both underscore my point about how leaders "market" to this generation.)

USA Today recently concluded a series on aging in America and touched upon almost everything related to getting older in modern America. The conclusion I drew is a really […]

Purpose Makes the Difference

By John Armstrong|2005-11-11T15:40:06-06:00November 11th, 2005|Categories: History|

If history is to have real meaning it must have purpose. It must be going somewhere. If no specific end is in view then all things loose their meaning and life becomes pointless. Humans have known this from time immemorial. And Christians, of all people, need to remind the modern world of this regularly. If all we do is live and die then the work of our hands has no long term importance and all is vain.

The famous Henry Ford once concluded that "History is one damned thing after another." He’s right, if Christ did not rise. Resurrection gives meaning to all things. If the grave is the end then history doesn’t matter. My story is bunk and so is your’s.

The Greeks called this telos, or purpose, the end for which something was made or existed. The Christian faith sees Christ as the true telos, the goal and end of all history. If we would live well, we must stay focused on Christ as the telos of all things. Only then will history not become "one damned thing […]

Why I Am Not an Evangelical

By John Armstrong|2005-11-10T09:00:40-06:00November 10th, 2005|Categories: American Evangelicalism|

I have long defined myself as an evangelical Christian. It seemed to be the best way to say certain things about what I believed, both positively and negatively. This word carries some pretty deep significance historically. And it still carries some really positive meaning for me emotionally in terms of my own training, background and spiritual life. Clearly, in certain circumstances, it still does have some significance for me. But I have decided, at least in the larger world outside of my professional life at Wheaton and in some churches, that I will no longer call myself an evangelical. Why?

1. There is no inherent necessity for using the word as a term of self-description. If it means "gospel-cenered" then I can say that more plainly without using the word itself. If it means that I have a high view of the Bible then my words and actions will show that soon enough.

2. I am further convinced that most non-evangelicals do not have a clue about what I mean when I use this word. For this reason alone I keep […]

A Foolish Consistency

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:40-05:00November 9th, 2005|Categories: Personal|

The American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson is quotable if he is anything at all. His poems, reflections and sheer good sense, mixed with the truly odd at times, are still worth consideration.

I reflected a great deal this past week upon one of his greatest and most commonly cited lines:

"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines."

I find a "foolish consistency" all too common among conservative Christians who would remove the mystery of divine revelation in order to protect what they have come to think of as essential. Usually this fear is rooted in the ignorance of the Christian tradition, not in real knowledge of the truly important matters. Knowing the Christian tradition will actually allow you to know what truly matters and what doesn’t. It will also provide for you a North Pole to which your life’s compass will return time and time again.

It is best that you learn to resist foolish consistency sooner than later. It will definitely free you to worship and ponder […]

Waiting Impatiently in Patience

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:40-05:00November 3rd, 2005|Categories: Biblical Theology|

Besides being a baseball fan, which is well known to regular readers of this site, I also love college football. Afterall, I was a student at the University of Alabama from 1967-1969 and witnessed the famous Bear Bryant’s amazing career first hand. To say that I, and the rest of Bama Nation, enjoy an 8-0 start to this season, and a number four national ranking, is an understatement. And I also have immense respect for Coach Mike Shula, a devout Roman Catholic Christian. He inherited a real mess at Alabama only two plus seasons ago. By the beginning of this season some were already grumbling about his leadership and the losses. Fans, especially Alabama fans, are fickle and impatient. They want to win early and often.

I thought about this success story as I read my local sport page today and came across a wonderful article about another coach on the hot seat, Tyrone Willingham. He is the head football coach at the University of Washington. Willingham, one of the few black head coches in Division IA of college football, is the deposed […]

Some Perspective on the New Perspective

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:40-05:00November 1st, 2005|Categories: Biblical Theology|

I have professor friend, who teaches biblical studies at a large evangelical college, who last week presented a paper at an event called "Beyond Tolerance: Grace." This event brought together several speakers and allowed for some really good feedback from students and others. My friend stressed in his particular paper that racial reconciliation, in the light of Ephesians 2, Galatians 3 and Paul’s Letter to the Romans, was not just a good thing to pursue but rather an effort that required our involvement based upon the gospel itself. He argued that statements of both vertical and horizontal reconciliation are inseparable so that you can’t have one without the other.

In an email my freind asked me to pray for him as several members of the faculty had expressed the concern that he was confusing justification by his particular emphasis on reconciliation. As some readers will recognize this type of thinking is at the heart of one of the major aspects of the present debate over justification language in Paul’s theology. N. T. Wright correctly argues that justification includes the tearing down of […]