In Part 1, Paul Yandle described a challenge to his faith in Scripture brought on by study in the archives. Here he explores some aspects of his life experience that made that challenge especially strong, then tells the story of what he came to realize through it. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2) Reflection One of the biggest mysteries of all is the fact that God works in the seemingly mundane. Though I was a Christian by the … [Read more...] about Scholar’s Compass: Surely the Lord Was in the Rare Books Room, Part 2
Inerrancy
Scholar’s Compass: Surely the Lord Was in the Rare Books Room, Part 1
"He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him." (Isaiah 53:2) If you are committed to the life of the mind or serious inquiry you will probably find that some of the questions that challenge your faith the most come while spending time alone doing research. And in academe, there are ample opportunities for solitude. In my case, one such moment took place in the rare books room of the main library for the university from which I received my master's degree. … [Read more...] about Scholar’s Compass: Surely the Lord Was in the Rare Books Room, Part 1
Book Review: Peter Enns Double Header
Bob Trube, Senior Area Director for InterVarsity's Graduate & Faculty Ministry in the Ohio Valley, is in the top 1% of contributors to Goodreads. Even before this announcement, I had been following Bob's excellent Goodreads reviews, Furthermore, inspired by The Best Christian Book of All Time, I had already asked Bob if he'd be willing to contribute reviews to the ESN Blog. AND Bob said, "Yes" :) In light of the recent conversation regarding the writing of Peter Enns, I asked Bob's permission to start with his … [Read more...] about Book Review: Peter Enns Double Header
Best Christian Books of All Time Reviews: Knowing God, Pt. II
Last week I wrote the first part of what will be a several-part review of J.I. Packer's Knowing God. This week I'm going to take a look at the remaining chapters of Part I before moving on and moving through a bit of Part II. Knowledge and Idolatry Chapter 3, "Knowing and Being Known," deals more directly with the distinction between knowledge about and knowledge of (which I highlighted in last Thursday's post). I like to call the former "factual" and the latter "intimate." Concerning the latter, Packer … [Read more...] about Best Christian Books of All Time Reviews: Knowing God, Pt. II