Posts published in “Bold Christian Writing”

Re-Considering Doug Wilson’s “Covenant with Hagar” Part 1

Re-Considering Doug Wilson’s “Covenant with Hagar” Part 1

By Guest Post on December 1, 2023

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Introduction

Doug Wilson’s “American Milk and Honey” is now available. There’s a great deal in the book worth commenting on, and I anticipate engaging with that material more broadly in the near future. In the lead-up to its release, however, Moscow has not been silent concerning Israel, the Jews, and antisemitism. Not only has Wilson himself blogged extensively on these issues, but just the other week Toby Sumpter threw his hat in the ring with a blog post¹ largely affirming many of Wilson’s convictions. Then Canon Press published a video of Pastor Wilson and company discussing right-wing Twitter’s response to all this with Andrew Isker.² While a number of Wilson’s arguments deserve further analysis, I’d like to dedicate this article to examining one of the more curious features of his account; the so-called “covenant with Hagar.”

Ireland’s Quest for Identity

Ireland’s Quest for Identity

By Guest Post on November 30, 2023

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Alienism, Violence, and Power.

by The Prudentialist

Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald said that the stabbing that occurred in Dublin is “just a shocking, unexpected, random incident” as protests and fires were started in reaction to an Algerian Migrant knife attack outside of Gaelscoil Colaiste Mhuire, a school for young children, leaving a teacher in her 30s and a young girl in critical condition still in the hospital. As the news broke out, riots took place, the media cycle was up in arms about “Hate” while anyone with a functioning mind was asking why was there an Algerian stabbing children in Ireland?

Pentecost Was The Greater Crossing of the Jordan

Pentecost Was The Greater Crossing of the Jordan

By Andrew Isker on November 29, 2023

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The Christian Story Takes Israel’s History and Fulfills It

by Pastor Andrew Isker

Introduction

The Day of Pentecost is one of the greatest events in the entire Bible. There is a reason that the church throughout the world has celebrated it yearly for the better part of two thousand years. It is the event that establishes the authority of the church of Jesus Christ, laid on the foundation of the apostles and Christ the chief cornerstone. It is from this event that the army of God goes forth into the new and greater promised land—the entire world—to conquer.

It is not random that the narrative structure of the Book of Acts parallels the conquest of Joshua.—what you must understand is the New Testament deliberately takes the history of Israel and shows that something even greater has come in Jesus Christ.

Divining the Dream Machine: Part 1

Divining the Dream Machine: Part 1

By Guest Post on November 27, 2023

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Science-Fiction, Hollywood, and the Technology of Antichrist

by Thomas Millary

Sci-Fi and False Signs

In his seminal work, Orthodoxy and the Religion of the Future, Fr. Seraphim Rose condemned “the spirit of science fiction.”¹ His critique of that literary genre is found within the chapter “Signs from Heaven: An Orthodox Christian Understanding of UFOs.”² Fr. Seraphim incisively argued that the so-called ‘UFO phenomenon’ would be a major component of the emerging religion of the future, the religion of Antichrist. By examining the descriptions of supposed ‘alien encounters’ and the beliefs of UFO enthusiasts, he demonstrated that an Orthodox perspective can only consider this phenomenon to be demonic. Before launching into this critique, he contextualized it by looking at the sector of pop-culture which had done the most work to prime society to accept outlandish spiritual beliefs about extraterrestrials. He turned to the popularity of science-fiction to answer the question “What were men prepared to see in the sky?”³

It’s Never Over

It’s Never Over

By Andrew Isker on November 23, 2023

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by Pastor Andrew Isker

A Handful of Christians with the Entire World Against Them Changed History

The holiday of Thanksgiving is one of the last remaining aspects of traditional America that has survived the cultural revolution. For most Americans it is simply a part of normal life: a day off, a day to eat turkey, stuffing, and cranberries, a day to watch football and spend time with family. But the holiday itself has its origins in the Puritan founding of America, and this alone is reason for the ongoing cultural revolution to seek its destruction.

The Conquest of the Apostles

The Conquest of the Apostles

By Andrew Isker on November 21, 2023

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The Book of Acts as the New Testament Book of Joshua

by Pastor Andrew Isker

Introduction

The Book of Acts or the Acts of the Apostles is the second book of Luke’s Gospel. Some people sort of treat it like an appendix to the gospel; “the really important stuff happened in the gospels, this is story of what happened afterward.” When I was younger, that attitude made me wonder, “why didn’t everything just end right at the Resurrection and Ascension? Why did history keep going? Why was there another 30 plus years pictured here in the Bible? Why has there been nearly another 2000 years?” History does not stop with Jesus’ crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension. A new world with a new history begins.

This book is a book of conquest. The army of God marching out to conquer the world. And we will soon see just how much it intentionally parallels the Book of Joshua, where God’s people entered the Land of Promise and put it to sword and fire. Here, the army of God, sets out to take the new Land of Promise—the entire world.

Peter Thiel is Right About Atoms

Peter Thiel is Right About Atoms

By Guest Post on November 20, 2023

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by David Gornoski

To save the West, we must rethink what an atom is. That’s my vision. So you can understand my disaffection when yet another catty, confused dallier attempted to capture venture capitalist Peter Thiel’s worldview for the dying establishment media, this time in The Atlantic story: “Peter Thiel is Taking a Break from Democracy.” The article by Barton Gellman attempts to explain Thiel’s recent renunciation of political donations as a result of being burned out by the lack of return politicians provide his vision to move America towards growth, particularly in, as Thiel calls it, the world of atoms. The article misses the bigger point Thiel makes about the dangers of stagnation in favor of catering to the Atlantic audience’s mirror-induced paranoias about Trump, fascism, and strange libertarian wealth lurking in the shadows to impose its will on the world. Make no mistake, most of the political world misunderstands Thiel’s critique of the West’s lack of innovation. This disinterest in the topic of atoms reveals how shallow politics is at solving any serious problems.

Just what IS Israel?

Just what IS Israel?

By Guest Post on November 17, 2023

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The Relationship Between Christians and Jews

by Ronald Dodson

It is a question that is suddenly quite relevant, as the cyclical violence that has plagued the Levant has sparked again after the attack on Israel by Hamas on October 7^th. It was a brutal move by the operative wing of the political leaders of Gaza, the enclosed refugee camp that has housed Palestinians since 1949. In recent years it has become completely enclosed with extremely limited egress and ingress. Both Israel and the Gazans have killed mercilessly in attacks and “defensive actions” in recent years, with this last move by Hamas the largest in scope and brutality in recent history. As a result, politicians are eager to make proclamations of unity with Israel, a unity of utmost vigor. To wit:

Finding Fruitfulness in Faith: Lessons from the Barren Fig Tree

Finding Fruitfulness in Faith: Lessons from the Barren Fig Tree

By Andrew Torba on November 13, 2023

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The Parable of the Barren Fig Tree is found in the Gospel of Luke (Luke 13:6-9). This parable, told by Jesus, is about a man who had a fig tree planted in his vineyard. When he came looking for fruit on it and found none, he said to the keeper of the vineyard, ‘For three years now I have been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven’t found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?’ However, the vineyard keeper asked for patience, suggesting to leave it for one more year, during which he would dig around it and fertilize it. If it bore fruit next year, fine; if not, then it could be cut down.

Abortion is the Sacrament of Trashworld

Abortion is the Sacrament of Trashworld

By Andrew Isker on November 8, 2023

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by Pastor Andrew Isker

This week the State of Ohio voted by a nearly ten-point margin to enshrine abortion as a constitutional right. Ohio is not a far-left blue state like California or New York, it is a conservative red state that Donald Trump won by almost the same margin in 2020. The results of this ballot amendment have shocked many in the pro-life movement.

The Church Is Israel

The Church Is Israel

By Guest Post on November 6, 2023

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by TheUncreatedLight

A common belief in some American Evangelical circles (not all) is that the nation state of Israel is the Israel spoken about in the Bible, these are the “true Israelites” so therefore it must be supported at all costs, etc. But does that align with the Bible? Who really is Israel? And why? May God grace my words in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Church Situation In Ukraine

The Church Situation In Ukraine

By Guest Post on October 31, 2023

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by TheUncreatedLight

Since I get a plethora of questions from people are confused about Ukraine, the acronyms for the churches, what’s happening, etc. I have decided to make a full on explication that I can just reference to everyone who asks. This is not about the war itself between Russia & Ukraine, but specifically the Church situations occurring in Ukraine. I will try to keep it as brief as I can, as if speaking to someone who knows nothing of the situation. May Jesus Christ bless my words to be His, in grace and love. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.