David T. Koyzis

On the 65th anniversary of the second and last time a nuclear weapon was used in warfare, we would do well to remind ourselves of the criteria traditionally used in evaluating whether or not a given conflict conforms to the principles of just warfare. These principles are generally divided into ad . . . . Continue Reading »

As a followup to yesterday’s post, Church renewal: a cautionary note, here is Dietrich Bonhoeffer from Life Together, a life-changing book I read in my youth with great appreciation:Every human wish dream that is injected into the Christian community is a hindrance to genuine community and . . . . Continue Reading »

There has probably never been a time when the cry for renewal of the church has not been in the air. Although the periods of genuine reformation have been few, the church has never lacked her Luthers and Calvins, even when few people were willing to listen to them. What of the present? We seem to . . . . Continue Reading »

Perhaps readers of Evangel also read On the Square, but if not, permit me to direct your attention to a wonderful article by Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, which, but for a few sentences here and there, could easily have been written by an evangelical Christian of the Reformed persuasion: Fire . . . . Continue Reading »

My esteemed Redeemer University colleague, Robert Joustra, offers insight after his recent attendance at an event sponsored by the Center for Public Justice in Washington, DC. His thoughts are worth sharing here:I spent last week with the good people at Civitas, talking about graceful politics. . . . . Continue Reading »

The Genevan Psalms in Turkish? Incredible but true. Here’s the story:The versifier was one Wojciech Bobowski, who was born in Lvov 400 years ago this year and died in 1675. Musically-gifted, Bobowski was a Polish Reformed Christian who was kidnapped at age 18 by Tatars and sold as a slave to . . . . Continue Reading »

Yesterday I wrote that Québec, Canada’s province pas comme les autres, has always had an established religion. At one time it was Roman Catholicism; now it’s official secularism. Justice Gérard Dugré had the courage to label truthfully the provincial government’s . . . . Continue Reading »

It is difficult to recall that, prior to half a century ago, Québec’s French-speaking population was almost entirely Roman Catholic, with high rates of church attendance and a high birth rate. Its intellectual élite, typified by Fr. Lionel Groulx, saw Québec as having a mission . . . . Continue Reading »

First Things’ “other” blog, First Thoughts, has editors listing the ten worst hymns and the ten best hymns. Whether this is a useful exercise is up to readers to judge. What is lacking is a set of criteria by which to judge what constitutes good and bad hymns. I note that most of . . . . Continue Reading »

The community of Christians worshipping at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho, is part of a small denomination called the Confederation of Reformed Evangelical Churches. They are liturgically distinctive in that they have developed their own way of singing the biblical psalms under the guidance of Dr. . . . . Continue Reading »