Resources

I've been feeling a little under par lately (I know, under par is actually good. I didn't coin the expression.), so I haven't been very productive. I haven't been wasting my time entirely, though. One of the things I've been doing while doing nothing is listening to The History and Theology of Calvinism by Dr. Curt Daniel, available free of charge as mp3 or pdf files. The book appears to be out of print.

The theological system called "Calvinism" is widely misunderstood. I would venture to say that the vast majority of those who oppose it really know little about it. I would even say that there are many who call themselves Calvinists who have simply inherited it or accepted it because someone they respect believes it. Don't be one of those people!

There are many common misconceptions about Calvinism, and two in particular that have annoyed me. First, I don't know how often I've heard or read words like these: Calvinism began when John Calvin wrote his "Five Points of Calvinism," which he arranged in the acrostic "TULIP." I've even read that in books by Calvinists! That, of course is incorrect. For those who don't know, the "Five Points" were written after Calvin's death by the Synod of Dordt. Not only were they not arranged to spell "TULIP," they were not systematized in that order. Second, I'd love to have a nickel for every time I've been told that "John Calvin burned Servetus at the stake." These are only a couple of historical issues Dr. Daniel covers.

The History and Theology of Calvinism is an excellent presentation of both the history and the theology of this system, and I highly recommend it. Whatever you believe, don't believe it ignorantly!

Several weeks ago I received Volume 1 of the DVD Series Modern Parables: Living in the Kingdom of God. Last week, I finally finished viewing it. Modern Parables is billed as "cinematic theology," and so it is. Through modern-context dramatizations, six parables of Jesus are explained and shown to apply as well in our day as they did in ancient times.

Each parable is presented in two lessons. The first is a short (13–21 minutes) drama. To be honest, I was somewhat skeptical when I began watching. Too often, attempts at dramatizing Bible stories wind up reducing their texts to mere moral stories, missing the greater truth and actual theme (e.g. Veggie Tales). Thankfully, Modern Parables do not fall into that trap. I thought they were quite faithful to the Scriptural themes and free from gratuitous embellishment.

The second part of the lesson is a brief exposition and application of the Biblical passage, each presented by one of six pastors (listed here). These lessons are quite well done, thorough for their length (8–14 minutes), and accurate.

A Teacher's Guide and Teacher Prep CD is provided, and Student Books are available.

I have included a couple of trailers from my favorite lessons (you can view them all here).

I enjoyed these videos and believe they could be used very effectively in a variety of settings. I will be watching them again with my family and recommending them at my church. The DVD box set includes three DVDs, a Teacher Prep CD, a Teacher’s Guide, and one Student Book. Additional books can be purchased at modernparable.com. Two complete lessons are available for you to try here.

Click here for more information or to purchase Modern Parables.