In January of this year, the Barna Group and the Impact 360 Institute presented the results of a deep and exhaustive look at the population that has been coined “Gen Z,” the generation born between 1999 and 2015.[1] The summary of their research, while perhaps not completely surprising to parents, youth pastors and leaders, and those who regularly engage with youth culture, is notable for the picture it presents about the beliefs that are at the center of this generation’s identity.
Views about heaven abound. Some are helpful. Some are not. When it comes to the Bible, some passages about heaven come with surprises. One of those is the vision of the martyrs in Revelation 6:9-11.
Looking out the window, I see the dark outline of the temple slowly emerge against the pale light of the eastern sky. Some of the women are stirring and I suppose they are leaving for the tomb. The remaining torch casts a flickering shadow against the far wall and the noises of soft groaning and steady rocking are the only sounds that disturb the dark silence. I have not slept this night, nor have most of the others.
Should we understand the Triumphal Entry as a royal, messianic event? The most obvious indicator that the answer is “yes” may be the reference to the "Son of David" in Matt. 21:9. Additionally, in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, both Matthew and John explicitly quote Zech. 9:9.
The CPT has commissioned multiple worship pastors to write worship music that teach and celebrate the historic Christian doctrine of creation. The first of these songs was written by Caleb Widmer, a worship pastor from Oak Creek, WI. We are very proud of the work that Caleb has done, and we are excited to be able to share this resource with you.
“Behold, the handmaid of the Lord! Be it unto me according to thy word” (Luke 1:38, KJV) ... I daresay that when many read Luke 1:38 today, they immediately think of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, or at least Hulu’s acclaimed screen adaptation of it. With thirty-six nominations and thirty-three wins, including the Golden Globe for Best Drama Television Series, “handmaid” now evokes the chilling story of Offred in fundamentalist Gilead. The men in charge of this nation are, of course, not truly Christian, but in the age in which we live, we cannot really blame our neighbors unfamiliar with the Gospel for drawing connections.
The Center for Pastor Theologians, in partnership with the John Templeton Foundation, is pleased to announce two student paper contests. The paper topics correspond to the 2017 and 2018 conference themes. See below for details about the topics, rewards, and rules for submission.
Fan response has been very strong to the new Star Wars movie, positive and negative. At some point, I will put an entry on my own blog about the narrative and aesthetic complaints. But as I skimmed through some of the fan-rants-turned-think-pieces, I noticed patterns of complaints that made me think of American churches.
ARTICLE: Life Is Hard, Be Humble: Thomas Aquinas on Humility
NATHAN BARCZI
PODCAST: Becoming a Pastor Theologian
BEN BURKHOLDER
ARTICLE: Christians and the Virtues
BENJAMIN BURKHOLDER
NEWS: Announcing Two New Learning Cohorts
CPT NEWS UPDATE
