Were Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Legal? By: Dr. Thomas W. Francis Jr. Introduction The purpose of this article is to answer the question, “Were Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Legal?” To answer this question, this article will, first, consider the use of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs) in the larger historical context by... Continue Reading →
Micah and His Personal Priest: When every man creates his own religion. (Judges 17:1-18:31) WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? Micah, whose name ironically means, “Who is like Yahweh,” ignores the religious precepts revealed by God and attempts to establish his own cultic system. First, he had idols built with money that had been dedicated to the... Continue Reading →
If I could turn back time (an old 80s song just popped into my head), I would have a lot to tell the younger me. Although there are some clear advantages to being a young man, those strengths cannot compare to the wisdom that one acquires throughout life. One of the downsides to being young... Continue Reading →
Who tempted the man and woman to disobey God by eating of the forbidden tree? Although popular Christian authors often take for granted the identity of Eden’s serpent, some scholars believe that the serpent is either Satan[1] himself or at least a representation of Satan.[2] This view suggests that the modern reader should assume the... Continue Reading →
The following article is in response to a series of questions that I've received from young pastors and/or men training for pastoral ministry. This article is part of series of blogs wherein I attempt to provide an overview of the advice that I've given to younger pastors and seminarians. Pastoring & Personal Finances It is... Continue Reading →
The Vedic Sacrifice of Praja͂pati: A Sacrificial Prototype or Ancient Prophecy?At the core of both Hindu cosmology and theology is the belief that only sacrifice can preserve the universe. The forefathers of Hinduism, the Aryans, viewed the universe as created, sustained, and existing in a constant state of sacrifice.[1] These beliefs are recorded in the oldest... Continue Reading →
What would I tell the young man who surrendered to the preaching ministry almost twenty years ago? I would insist, in addition to studying the Scriptures (i.e. theology, scriptural interpretation), that he become a student of (1) how people learn and (2) how to communicate effectively to them. Sadly, many pastors have ignored non-theological disciplines,... Continue Reading →
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? As the cycle of rebellion, oppression, and deliverance continues, a new deliverer is introduced: Gideon, the farmer. The Midianites and Amalekites raids of Israelite farmlands caused Gideon to hide in a winepress to beat out his wheat, which certainly makes him look like a coward. However, when the angel of the... Continue Reading →
What is Poimenology? On the one hand, it is a word that I made up by adding the Koine Greek word for pastor (ποιμήν or ποιμένα, lit. shepherd) to the scientific phrase "ology," which means "the study of" a field or discipline. Conversely, I believe that as a field of study pastoral ministry has been erroneously... Continue Reading →
