This is a list of recent blog posts which I found interesting. That I found them interesting doesn’t mean I necessarily agree with or endorse all of the ideas presented in the posts, but that I found them to be intriguing and thought-provoking. They may benefit you as you prayerfully consider your area of shepherding and stewardship, which has been given to you in trust by the Lord. (They are listed in no particular order of interest.) Please post your comments to discuss  any article that strikes your interest. If you have recent blog posts to nominate, please send the link and your reasons for nominating that post to

A Round-up on the Death Penalty

It all started last Sunday night with a very good discussion around the back porch regarding the legitimacy and usefulness of the death penalty. Over the course of the next several days a few very good articles popped up relating to the topic of the death penalty, and since my interest in the subject was piqued, I decided to pass along what I found.

Life Is Cheap in Norway: C. S. Lewis on the Sentence of Anders Breivik

Anders Breivik’s sentence for killing 77 people in Norway on July 22, 2011 is outrageous. He was deemed sane and sentenced to serve 21 years in prison, “in a three-cell suite of rooms equipped with exercise equipment, a television and a laptop.”

60 Second Summary: Death and Rehabilitation

This article is a summary of the lengthier paper that follows. Here's a quick recap and excerpt:

Although Professor Ryan does not mention Burgess's book (or Kubrick's movie) in her article, she reintroduces us to a view of rehabilitation that has been all but forgotten yet corresponds with the Christian view of dignity. We tend to think of rehabilitation as a means of restoring a criminal to society. And modern defenders of capital punishment focus almost exclusively on the deterrent or retributive values of the death penalty. But as Ryan explains, when the death penalty was first imposed in this country, it was meant to encourage offenders' repentance. "Rehabilitation was one of the primary reasons that capital punishment was imposed in early America," notes Ryan, "and there are several stories of brutal murderers being rehabilitated on death row."

Death and Rehabilitation

 The longer dissertation can be accessed and downloaded here. Long. Technical. Boring. This article is for the book worms among us and not those looking for some casual Saturday afternoon reading.

Is This the High Priestly Palace Where Jesus Stood Trial?

 Speaking of death penalties, God issued a death penalty against Christ for the sake of mankind's rehabilitation. He executed all sin on the cross by punishing His own Son with death. When we talk about the death penalty and debate its usefulness in our society, try not to forget that the greatest death penalty ever exacted was carried out by Father against Son on a hill called Golgotha. This article is a fascinating look at the archeological remains of the room where Christ most likely stood trial before the Sanhedrin. Very fascinating and well worth your time to read! (There are pictures!)

A Word to My Calvinist Friends

Calvinism, Arminianism, Molinism, Biblicism or none of the above. The war of the -isms can go on forever it seems. But I thought Trevin Wax had a thoughtful critique against his five pointer friends. Wax considers himself a four-pointer Calvinist, and I think he writes a good rebuttal. I like to see guys from the same side of the aisle engage in this kind of dialogue. I find it interesting, thought-provoking, and enlightening.

Get to Know Abraham Kuyper

 I love this guy! He's one of my favorite dead theologians, and I especially liked his work on the Doctrine of Pneumatology. For the uninitiated, that's the Doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Give it a read and get to know this pastor-turned-politician theologian from a by-gone century.

Worshiping at the Altar of Family

This is a great article on the possible evangelical over-emphasis of family. All things must find their balance with Christ at the gravitational center.