As I do the math, there are five great mysteries in theology: 1. Creation out of nothing (ex nihilo): How did God create being out of non-being? Being transcendent in...

Prolegomena

3Comments

How to Find Scholarship You Can Trust

When I first became committed to the things of the Lord, I was a sponge. I took whatever anyone was giving so long as they said they loved Jesus. I bought whatever was sold as...

by C Michael Patton

Apologetics

Epistemology

Prolegomena

29Comments

The Emptiness of Reason

I am an emotional guy. I can’t believe I can say that so easily. Four years ago I could not have admitted to this. In fact, four years ago, I may not (ahem . . .) have...

Why I Lack Certainty About Christianity

Belief does not come easy for me. I have a little “unbeliever” who has set up camp in the back of my mind, and he has no idea when, or how, to shut up. He is...

Don’t Take Yourself So Seriously

I remember, many years ago, talking with a friend of mine about another friend. There was something about this guy that we did not like, but we could not put a finger on it....

by C Michael Patton

Calvinism

Current Issues in Theology

Fourteen Characteristics of Theological Legalism

Without question, one of the most disturbing trends in the world of theology is that, far too often, grace is eclipsed by theological legalism. Twice today I encountered this...

The Father, Son, and the Holy Bible

The problem with many Evangelicals is that we can come dangerously close to worshiping the Bible. As Evangelical theologian James Sawyer once said in jest, we worship the...

by C Michael Patton

Apologetics

Current Issues in Theology

Prolegomena

214Comments

Eight Issues that Do NOT Make or Break Christianity

Please note, there is quite a bit of misunderstanding about what I am trying to say in this post. I have written a very illustrative post to help clarify some of this. It can...

by C Michael Patton

Prolegomena

39Comments

How Protestants Can Justify the Doctrinal Development of the Reformation

How can Protestants justify a belief in the doctrine of justification by faith alone, when it was “invented” in the sixteenth century? How can we believe in...

by C Michael Patton

Prolegomena

89Comments

Distinguishing Between Essentials and Non-Essentials

Here is a chart to help distinguish between those things that are essential (cardinal) and those things that are non-essential (non-cardinal). There is an explanation below....

by C Michael Patton

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