Wyatt Graham

Faith | Books | Culture

The Same God Who Works All Things by Adonis Vidu (a Review)

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One reason why Christians believe in the doctrine of the Trinity is because the Father, Son, and Spirit share the same power, and by this power, the three inseparably operate. In particular, God alone has the power to create–creatures do not. For this reason, since the Father, Son, and Spirit create, they share the same power. Their activities reveal a shared power, a power only applicable to God. 

What I have described in brief is one way how the inseparable operations of God lead to trinitarian thinking. For that reason, Adonis Vidu’s recent work The Same God Who Works All Things describes a reason why we confess God as Triune. His subtitle reads Inseparable Operations in Trinitarian Theology. These inseparable operations refer to what I have detailed above: how the Father, Son, and Spirit—God—inseparably operate.  [Read more…] about The Same God Who Works All Things by Adonis Vidu (a Review)

Contemplating God with the Great Tradition by Craig Carter (A review)

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Craig Carter has written the second of his three-part work on Scripture, classical theology, and metaphysics. In this second volume, Carter argues primarily from Isaiah 40–48 that Scripture itself gives rise to pro-Nicene patterns of speaking of God. In other words, the Bible itself teaches the transcendence of God. The philosophical attributes of God (simplicity, etc.) then correspond but are augmented and improved upon by special revelation.  [Read more…] about Contemplating God with the Great Tradition by Craig Carter (A review)

Episode 43: Hans Boersma on Sacramental Ontology and Scripture

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In this episode, I talk with Hans Boersma on sacramental ontology and Scripture. Basically, we talk about how creation exists sacramentally in relationship with God and how Christians have and can approach Scripture. 

Here is his Amazon (.ca) page with books.

Make sure to subscribe to the podcast on Spotify and/or Apple Podcasts. Also, see the host page at Anchor and the Youtube page. And bookmark this page to see every episode. [Read more…] about Episode 43: Hans Boersma on Sacramental Ontology and Scripture

Our View of the Virus Affects Our View of Persecution

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Our view of the coronavirus can affect how we understand persecution in Canada. If I view the pandemic as severely harming society and if I see restrictions as preventing that harm, then fining someone for breaking health regulations generally makes sense. I would not see it as persecution for righteousness’s sake. 

On the other hand, if I do not see the pandemic as a genuinely harmful virus and if I see restrictions as useless (and so harmful due to economic and mental strain), then government interventions could look like unjust persecution. 

Obviously, views on the virus slide along a wide spectrum. So this basic binary does not cover every situation. But I think it highlights something important when it comes to current discussions on what constitutes persecution for righteousness’s sake (Matt 5:10). [Read more…] about Our View of the Virus Affects Our View of Persecution

Is Science Our God?

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I have seen “science” twice now as “Science,” a stable and unerring form of truth. It is seen also to offer salvation through technology, namely, vaccines. Just note the social media celebration around the jab.

I appreciate science. I like vaccines. I am thankful for medicine and technology as part of God’s common and good grace to humanity. But we humans create idols of what is good. John Calvin rightly describes us as idol factories.  [Read more…] about Is Science Our God?

A Reformed Harmony between Church and Civil Authority (The Leiden Synopsis)

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After the Synod of Dordt (1618-1619), faculty from the University of Leiden spent years disputing reformed orthodoxy to create a synopsis that defined the norm of reformed orthodoxy.
 
During these disputations, Johannes Polyander (1568–1646) rejected the Roman Catholic position, as expressed in the Council of Trent and elsewhere, that “clerics are entirely and unconditionally exempt from the yoke of the political magistrate” (§50.21).

[Read more…] about A Reformed Harmony between Church and Civil Authority (The Leiden Synopsis)