I’m John Stackhouse–and so Is He
May 30, 2009
[Warning: The following post will likely be of interest only to Canadians, and even then . . .]
Prompting a media frenzy–frenzy, I tell you–John Stackhouse was recently named editor-in-chief of the Toronto Globe and Mail newspaper, one of Canada’s two “national” newspapers (along with the National Post). My life thereby just got slightly more complicated.
For I’m John Stackhouse, and so is he. And we’re hard for some people to distinguish, at least on first encounter. I mean, what are the odds that a country as small as this one would generate two people with the same first name and this odd surname whose lives and careers actually overlap as much as ours do? So let’s get this thing straight once and for all.
Did Jesus Really Exist?
May 28, 2009
From time to time I get asked this question–Did Jesus really exist? Recently, a student of mine in a University of Manitoba class more than a dozen years ago wrote to me to ask the same question. So here are two answers: one short, and the other long–in the form of two book recommendations:
No serious scholar that I know of disputes the idea that Jesus existed–only nuts on the fringe who advertise their own books at the back of magazines! The gospels have been fought over for a few centuries as to just how much they record that can be taken as historically accurate, but no one in that long dispute has ever doubted that there is someone, Jesus, behind them as the source of at least the authentic sayings and stories.
A Trial Begins
May 22, 2009
Monday morning, May 25, a trial begins that will make history in Canada with reverberations for the worldwide Anglican Communion. Four Anglican congregations here in the Vancouver area have petitioned the Supreme Court of British Columbia to rule on who are and who aren’t the genuine trustees of their buildings and property.
Why have they done so? They have done so because their bishop, Michael Ingham, has told them as clergy and as congregations that he wants them to obey him and the local synod or get out. Obey on what? Well, depending on whom you ask, that’s a matter that is either simple or complicated. You can read what the main dissenting church says about the matter here, and read what the diocesan authorities say here (about same-sex blessings, the precipitating factor) and here (on the court case).
The trial will be short–three weeks of hearings are scheduled. The verdict might come quickly, but likely will come only after some weeks of deliberation. In my opinion, this is likely the key court case that will establish the determinative precedent in law across Canada in similar matters of dispute in the Anglican Church of Canada
Because I have been already been participating in the trial as an expert witness via affidavit and will likely testify in court, I won’t say more at this time. But this matter clearly requires God to bless the proceedings and particularly Judge Stephen Kelleher with clarity, perspective, creativity, courage, and prudence.
The trial is open to the public and attendance has been encouraged by the plaintiffs trying to hold on to their churches: Law Courts, 800 Smythe Street, May 25- June 12, Monday – Friday, 10am-12:30pm and 2pm-4pm.
Don’t “Expect a Miracle”
May 20, 2009
Amid the many lessons people are drawing from the financial crisis we’re all enduring, one lesson emerges as particularly poignant: Don’t expect God to save you from bad financial decisions. He might, but he well might not, and he clearly hasn’t done so in many, many cases.
Christianity Today magazine has featured poignant stories of pastors losing their homes and churches losing their buildings in the American subprime mortgage fiasco, pastors and churches particularly prone to “expect a miracle,” as charismatic leader Oral Roberts has proclaimed for decades.
No, God has made an orderly world both in terms of physics and in terms of economics. Yes, sin gums up the works and exceptions do occur at least for a time, but certain truths remain in both spheres: You don’t get something for nothing, and what goes (artificially) up must come down. (For some helpful historical perspective on the primary cultural cause of the mortgage disaster, see here.)
Seminary: Who Needs It? (Encore Presentation)
May 16, 2009
A number of people have found worthwhile an earlier post of mine on whether or not to attend seminary, so I’m now posting it as a page, accessible immediately from the top right-hand corner of the home page.
Amazon is up to its old tricks, somehow conflating promotional material from a book by the great English preacher John R. W. Stott with material from your servant’s newly released second edition of Can God Be Trusted? Faith and the Challenge of Evil. For a giggle (as we reserved Anglo-Canadian types are wont to say), check out the “Editorial Reviews” part of this page.
Then buy several copies of my book. It’s not as good as John Stott’s, but you’ll already be on the correct page…
Kruse on Stackhouse
May 8, 2009
Michael Kruse, a blogger whom I have not met but who has kindly defended my work on at least a couple of other people’s blogs (notably Scot McKnight’s), is discussing my book Making the Best of It: Following Christ in the Real World on his blog. I’ll likely stay out of it to let Michael do his thing with his blogfriends, but I am honoured by Michael’s careful attention to what I’m trying to do in that book. Not every reader has been so careful, alas!
