The Genesis Creation Days and Christianity’s Two Books

Dr. T. David Gordon is one of my favorite biblical scholars and theologians. He serves as professor of religion and Greek at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. I was honored to have him as a special guest on two provocative Straight Thinking episodes. In the interview, Dr. Gordon critiques the calendar-day (or solar-day) interpretation of Genesis’ creation days and explains historic Christianity’s affirmation of the two books of Christian revelation (nature and Scripture).

• “Genesis Creation Days: An Interview with Dr. T. David Gordon, Part 1”
• “Genesis Creation Days: An Interview with Dr. T. David Gordon, Part 2”

Dr. Gordon’s paper on the Genesis creation days (and many other topics) can be found here: http://www.tdgordon.net/theology/.

Ten Questions with Ken Samples

In “Ten Questions with Ken Samples,” Christian apologist Dayton Hartman asks me about a variety of subjects from baseball to philosophy to church involvement to books. Topics include:

• The thinker with the most influence on my own theology
• The importance of staying involved with a local church
• The age-of-the-earth debate
• Recommended reading for those interested in the age of the earth and/or human origins
• The importance of having a “thinking faith”
• Rising interest among American Christians in apologetics
• Advice for aspiring apologists

Take a look at the article and see if you think my answers are as good as Dayton’s questions.

Podcast Review: Christmas Edition

In between the merry-making and festive traditions, Christmas is, for many, also a time of reflection on the meaning of Christ’s first coming and on gratitude to God for the blessings in our lives. My fellow RTB scholars and I share our views on this time of year, what we value about it, and even address some of the mysteries surrounding the Christmas story in this collection of holiday-themed podcasts.

Straight Thinking

• “Three Reasons Why I Love the Advent Season” — To accompany my article on the Christmas season, I review my personal reasons for cherishing Advent. I hope these reflections will inspire others to think about what they value about this time of year.
• “New Year’s Resolutions for the Mind: 2010” — It’s a safe bet that many of us will be adding healthy eating and exercise to our list of resolutions, but let’s not forget the importance of getting our minds in shape as well. In this podcast I recommend six historic Christian books for your reading list. These works will not only challenge you intellectually, they will also take you through Christian church history.
• “New Year’s Resolutions for the Mind: 2011” — This time around my recommended reading list for the new year features three more books to challenge you intellectually and spiritually. This list includes works by some of my favorite Christian thinkers: C. S. Lewis, Blaise Pascal, and St. Augustine.

I Didn’t Know That!                                                               

Last year the RTB scholars took a break from our usual I Didn’t Know That! format to reflect on different biblical principles like grace and patience that have impacted our own faith and that influence all believers.

• “Special Christmas Edition: Hugh Ross on God’s Intimate Care”
• “Special Christmas Edition: Jeff Zweerink on Patience”
• “Special Christmas Edition: Kenneth Samples on Grace”
• “Special Christmas Edition: Fuz Rana on Love”

Bonus: Addressing the Christmas Star

We all know Christmas is not without controversies and mysteries. One of the most puzzling features of the biblical Christmas account is the journey of the Magi and the star of Bethlehem. In a special edition of I Didn’t Know That! Hugh Ross, Jeff Zweerink, and I review a popular explanation for the Christmas star featured in The Star of Bethlehem, presented by lawyer Rick Larson.

 

UFO Interview with Biola Magazine

The following interview article was featured in 2005 summer edition of Biola Magazine (reprinted with permission).

What Should Every Christian Know About UFOs?

Cultural fascination with UFOs has taken off. A 1996 Gallup Poll found that half of Americans believe UFOs are real, and 12 percent claim to have witnessed a UFO.

Appearances on Issues, Etc.

I’ve had the privilege of appearing several times on the talk radio program Issues, Etc. You can listen in on past interviews here.