The Crusades

 

At First Baptist Baxter, we took a brief look at the Crusades from an apologetic viewpoint.

Philippe_Auguste_arrivant_en_Palestine

“Philippe Auguste arrivant en Palestine” by Mahiet, Master of the Cambria Missal

 

Here are some resources to consider if you are interested in reading more about the Crusades:

Books:

  1. Stark, Rodney. God’s Battalions. Reprint. HarperCollins, 2009.
  2. Madden, Thomas F. The Concise History of the Crusades. 3rd ed. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield, 2013.

Blogs and Articles:

  1. DeYoung, Kevin. “Yeah, Well, But What About the Crusades?Kevin DeYoung.
  2. Madden, Thomas F. “The Real History of the Crusades.” ChristianityToday.com.

Imaginative:

  1. “Crusades – Facts & Summary.”HISTORY.com. (A resource if you are looking for the culture’s current understanding of the Crusades. In a word – “confused.”)

 

The point of the whole study is not to win an argument. It is that we effectively move people from arguing about the Crusades to an understanding of the gospel. We can do that by correcting fallacious thinking, but ultimately by answering the deeper questions.

Atheism

Here is one of the many reasons to read

Wilson, N. D. Death by Living: Life Is Meant to Be Spent. Thomas Nelson Inc, 2013.

Atheism is an idea. Most often (thank God), it is an idea lived and told with blunt jumbo-crayon clumsiness. Some child of Christianity or Judaism dons an unbelieving Zorro costume and preens about the living room. Behold, a dangerous thinker of thinks! A believer in free-from-any-and-all-godness! Fear my brainy blade! Put candy in their bucket. Act scared. Don’t tell them that they’re adorable. Atheism is not an idea we want fleshed out. Atheism incarnate does happen in this reality narrative. But it doesn’t rant about Islam’s treatment of women as did the (often courageous) atheist Christopher Hitchens. It doesn’t thunder words like evil and mean it (as Hitch so often did) when talking about oppressive communist regimes. His costume slipped all the time—and in many of his best moments. Atheism incarnate is nihilism from follicle to toenail. It is morality merely as evolved herd survival instinct (nonbinding, of course, and as easy for us to outgrow as our feathers were). When Hitchens thundered, he stood in the boots of forefathers who knew that all thunder comes from on high” (Wilson, Death by Living, kindle loc. 294).

Some wisdom on romance novels

Quote

In light of 50 Shades of Grey, Amish Romance Novels, and a whole host of other writing, I think we could take some wisdom from Victor Hugo in Les Misérables,

It was at the epoch when the ancient classical romance which, after having been Clelie, was no longer anything but Lodoiska, still noble, but ever more and more vulgar, having fallen from Mademoiselle de Scuderi to Madame Bournon-Malarme, and from Madame de Lafayette to Madame Barthelemy-Hadot, was setting the loving hearts of the portresses of Paris aflame, and even ravaging the suburbs to some extent. Madame Thenardier was just intelligent enough to read this sort of books. She lived on them. In them she drowned what brains she possessed…Now, one cannot read nonsense with impunity.

There’s a book for that…Homosexuality and the Believer

Book: Hubbard, Peter. Love into Light: the Gospel, the Homosexual and the Church. Ambassador, 2013.

619QRcXh-cL._SL1500_Point: The answer to SSA (same-sex attraction) is the Gospel – shared, taught, and lived out.

Agreement: This is the best treatment I have read on the issues of homosexuality and the church’s response to it. I will be referencing this work again.

It would be worth another read and I would recommend it to someone who:

  • Struggles with SSA
  • Has a friend or relative who struggles with SSA
  • Goes to church and wants to truly love others
  • Wants to know more about the big issues behind same-sex Marriages

Some Helpful Posts:

“My Spouse Doesn’t Meet my needs” – This post argues you have the wrong “needs”

“Is there Hope for Dealing with Anger?” – The Bible says “yes!”

“Christianity in 25 Objects” – If you aren’t following this series by Challis, you are missing out on a great way to learn church history.

Ice Castle:

Pretty neat, but I am sure glad it has melted!

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