'Net Stuff

Some theological items I've found recently around Our Friend Mr. Internet.

Gender Roles: here's an interesting blog post about Galatians 3:28 from a complementarian perspective, with numerous comments from an egalitarian, joined by more complementarians, and more egalitarians. The discussion is civil and respectful (mostly), and will be enjoyed by koine Greek readers. (Which I'm not, but still...) It serves as a good introduction to the major interpretive questions surrounding this and other key NT texts, as well as to some of the most common research sources.

Slavery in the South: a monograph co-written by Reformed pastor, classical education advocate, and Federal Vision impresario Doug Wilson. Just discovered it today, and haven't read it myself yet. Outrageous? Un-PC? Embarrassing? Correct?

Oh, that wacky Worldwide Church of God! What will they think of next? Here's "The Surprising God Blog". Let's start with the blog title: I think it's supposed to refer to the bloggers finding God's gracious ways surprising, but grammatically it could just as well scan as how the blog itself is surprising ("you won't believe our new blog!"). Or even better, that the blog is about "surprising" God by sneaking up behind Him. Anyway, it's a "Christ-centered theology" blog for WCG pastors, and others who meet the Orwellian anonymous comment-submission requirements in the right-hand margin. (WCG alumni will feel right at home) Heavy on Barth and Torrance, of course, plus a new theologian du jour Robert Farrar Capon, who appears to be in favor due to his quasi-universalism.

Parlez-Vous "Prairie Muffin"? This manifesto will challenge your views of Christian womanhood on many levels.

Have fun!

Wow!?! Um, WTH? Wow!

I have not yet breathed a word in this blog about my former membership in the Worldwide Church of God (WCG).

It's a long and complex story that I may write about sometime. Or at least I may take on small chunks of it. Today, though, I thought I would share a link to this oddity of a website, and particularly this alarming page. But before you follow either link, a small word of explanation:

Plain Truth Ministries (PTM) is the nondenominational and independent media ministry that used to be the publishing arm of WCG. PTM apparently owns the rights to the name Plain Truth (WCG's infamous publication of years gone by) and today offers both discipleship materials and a radio show hosted by former WCG bigwig Greg Albrecht. I'm not sure what Greg's current relationship with WCG is (he used to be an ordained WCG pastor) and his current bio is a bit vague.

Whether he still has a relationship with WCG is not my thing today, though. I'm morbidly fascinated with the page above, which purports to be "Pastor" Greg's online church. He's got sermons, worship music, some sort of mechanism for pastoral prayers, and ... wait for it ... online Communion! Yes, a simple click on the pretty picture of the (leavened!) loaf and chalice brings you to a page of instructions on how to eat-drink-for-this-is-Christ's-body from the privacy of your own laptop. Strikingly absent is any mention of unworthy receiving (I Corinthians 11:27-32) or any need for accountability among those who call themselves Christians. Your old church keep you away from the Table for unrepentant sin? Have no fear, Christianity without Religion is here!

Now, I do have some sympathy for PTM's focus because, to be sure, legalism is a constant snare throughout the Church. There have always been those would confuse Scripture's requirements with their own scruples, and the Bride of Christ will remain in this impure condition until the Return. Yet the ditch on the other side of the road is just as dangerous. The idea of an e-Church, an anonymous portal where the believer can receive Word and Sacrament without rubbing shoulders with other saved sinners, is appalling.

How is individualism an improvement over legalism?