This is the fourth installment of The Collaborative blog series on Common Grace. As you have read along, at times you may have been tempted to descend into the valley of despair. It can be depressing to confront the truths of today’s church that has been, and continues to be, embittered by cultural disobedience and … Read more
COMMON GRACE: WHY COMMON GRACE (4/5)
COMMON GRACE: TODAY’S UNHEALTHY DUALISM (3/5)
There are, no doubt, numerous deficiencies in the church, her leaders, and this author as a result of cultural disobedience. One of the devastating effects of disobedience results in functioning dualism that is crippling the church’s understanding of herself, and her role in society—not to mention confusing and frustrating the public square. We will see … Read more
COMMON GRACE: THE STATE OF TODAY’S CHURCH (2/5)
This blog is the second in a five-part series of articles on Common Grace. In this series on the state and future of the American church, I propose a renewal of the doctrine of common grace, which, while not a silver bullet, is an appropriate antidote to the ills plaguing today’s American church. We must … Read more
Common Grace: Waning Grace? (1/5)
This blog is one of a five-part series of articles on Common Grace. Common Grace is not often a topic for sermons or conversations, and yet it is vital if we hope to “live by faith not as a single act, but something habitual and permanent.” (David Clarkson, Works) Americans have good reason as of … Read more
CULTURE EATS ABORTION LEGAL STRATEGIES FOR BREAKFAST
Management guru Peter Drucker famously said, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” He spoke of one’s corporate culture hijacking a new approach in the marketplace or in the office. The adage also applies to any institutional or national culture that seeks to evolve. Leading deep change at my own institution right now brings this truism to … Read more
The Romanticism of Uncontacted Peoples Isn’t So Romantic
In Death of a Missionary Tunku Varadarajan criticizes the motivation and seeming foolishness of missionary John Allen Chau, the young man recently killed by the North Sentinel Islanders as Chau attempted to bring them the Christian Gospel. Varadarajan defends an anthropological theory popular with many concerning uncontacted people groups. The uncontacted peoples theory argues that … Read more
Pastoral Care Via the Lens of Whole Life Discipleship
At the corner of Liberty and Albercorn in historic Savannah, Georgia, stands a monument to the work of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Mercy. Serving the city since 1845, the sisters pioneered the creation of schools, orphanages, and hospitals, most of which still thrive today. Over the years the sisters served students, orphans, slave children, … Read more
Book Review of Mako Fujimura’s ‘Culture Care’
A Review of Mako Fujimura’s ‘Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty For Our Common Life’; Intervarsity Press, 2017 By Case Thorp “It’s not enough to just build tools. They need to be used for good,” said a repentant and scared Mark Zuckerberg before the Senate Judiciary and Commerce committees. Facebook embodies today’s cultural zeitgeist, and its disregard … Read more
Museum of the Bible Lifts Up the Dignity of Work
The recent opening of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C. brings great attention to this central book for two major faiths: Judaism and Christianity. Wisely, the museum attempts to explain the book itself through its history, impact, and narrative. Dogmatic attempts to explain and apply the meaning of the Bible are carefully avoided;, … Read more
Ticonderoga Pencils & the Common Good
The Ticonderoga pencil is a simple tool for writing. To its manufacturers, it is the “the #1, most recognized, and revered pencil throughout America and the world.” A bit plucky for a pencil, perhaps? For our work at The Collaborative, the Ticonderoga pencil is an instrument that signifies much of what we aim to achieve. We use … Read more
