Review of Justin Brierley’s ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’
Is Christian faith dying in the Western world? Have the “new atheists” succeeded in souring Christianity for thinking people? There are actually some fascinating signs of a resurgence of interest in Christianity. John Whittaker reviews Justin Brierley’s The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity […]
Did the Gospels Borrow from Pagan Mythology?
Mythology in the Greco-Roman world had dying and rising god-men—Apollo, Asclepius, Hercules, Tammuz. Serapis was called Lord. Half the Greek gods were said to be born of virgins. Hercules ascended to heaven. Just how unique is Jesus’ deity? What’s original about Jesus as being born of a virgin and being the Son of God? Is […]
Is God Silent? Making Sense of “Divine Hiddenness”
Is God silent when we can’t sense him? Although many who seek God find him, others experience him as hidden and absent. What are we to make of this “divine hiddenness”? Often, we struggle to believe in and trust God, not necessarily because we fail to recognize His existence or suppress evidence of His existence, […]
Review of ‘The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God’ by Justin Brierley
The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again is the culmination of years of conversations with numerous leading thinkers about matters of faith. For more than a decade, Justin Brierley was the host of the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast, which brought unbelievers and […]
Jesus Is God the Son? Exploring the Logic of Jesus’ Deity
Christians believe that Jesus was a human and God. He was somehow a God-man, God “incarnate.” But does this belief make logical sense? If you’d like to delve into some of the major reasons Christians believe that Jesus was both God and human, you might click here. But even if you conclude that this is […]
Doctrinal Misalignment: A Relational Approach
*Editor’s Note: This article is a helpful illustration of how two people can confront doctrinal misalignment in a relational way. The specific scenario deals with the miraculous gifts of the Holy Spirit. Please note that within RENEW.org there is a spectrum of views regarding the miraculous gifts, and there is not an official RENEW.org position. […]
10 Biblical Truths About God, Life, and You
In times of chaos and confusion, it’s wise to look for biblical truths to hang onto. Maybe, for you, life is just really, really busy and you feel like you’re speeding through the calendar at speeds that should get you pulled over. Or maybe life is really stressful. Or maybe painful: maybe you or your […]
Preaching That Engages the Skeptic: How (Part 3)
This is my third and final article on engaging the skeptic in our preaching. Let’s take a second to review: First, why do we need to engage the skeptic in our preaching? It’s because skepticism about Christianity is rising both inside and outside the church. That was Part 1. Second, what works and doesn’t work […]
