Collin Brendemuehl

Many of us have watched the episodes of How Things Work. Kids love them, and many adults equally captivated by the processes at play. There was an historical version of this on public television in past years, though I doubt many thought of it that way at the time. James Burke’s The Day the . . . . Continue Reading »

For John Locke, the world was to be understood through the senses, and only through the senses.  He believed in natural law and natural right.  He believed that people are a blank slate at birth.For John Locke, the world is what he makes it.  He apparently controls the lives of people . . . . Continue Reading »

Today our church entertained a special speaker, Sarah Flashing, who provided us with an interesting perspective on euthanasia and eugenics.  One of her central points was to draw the relationship between the two by exampling how they are inter-related.When eugenics is promoted it is at the . . . . Continue Reading »

As churches large, small, and at-large give consideration to the broad social issues of our day, one complaint that is frequently offered is that the church is doing little or nothing in such-and-such a field. The answer provided to resolve this complaint is that the responsibility must now lie with . . . . Continue Reading »

In A Theology for Christian Education, James Estep and Michael Anthony provide a core understanding of education in the church.  Their point is summarized by a quote from the classic Creative Bible Teaching by Larry Richards:Education is based upon an assumption that what is learned in the . . . . Continue Reading »

Pelosi, Obama, and Friends would like this “health care” legislation assessed as though it is independent of the broader goals of the administration. But this administration, and the Congress that does his bidding, plans for this nation which must not be divorced from the whole — . . . . Continue Reading »

Seems like the obligatory post of the weekend. :-)1.  Ideas Have Consequences by Richard Weaver.  This is the first book that I ever read that taught me how to think.  It presented matters of history and ideas as inter-related.  And it painted a picture of American social change . . . . Continue Reading »

Ok, so my rant about Beth Moore was, well, imprecise.  But there is one characteristic of Moore’s efforts that her critic missed, and it is one which is pervasive among many teachers. While in her case it dove-tailed very nicely with the word-faith approach, it expresses itself quite . . . . Continue Reading »

Sometimes we give ascent to anyone who accepts the label “evangelical” without appraising their actual belief system. For instance, Beth Moore treats the Word as an allegory to apply it to life. As the following analysis provides, she takes the content and does not give it any direct . . . . Continue Reading »

Is Belief in an Unknowable God Justified? is the question raised by James Hanley. It’s a good question. In fact, it is a really good one. And as a bit of icing on the cake, his post is well-constructed, easy to read, concise and precise. It’s nice to have it all in one place.Behind his . . . . Continue Reading »