Resources by Patrick J. O'Banion

"Life Writing in Reformation Europe: Lives of Reformers by Friends, Disciples and Foes" by Irena Backus

Luther threw inkwells at the devil. Calvin dictated books to his secretary during bouts of insomnia. Young Theodore Beza gave up his legal studies to write poetry full time in Paris. Such historical anecdotes have resonated for some five centuries now. Have you ever wondered whence they came? Occasionally, we get them from the horse's […]

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Thursday, 11 June, 2009 by Patrick J. O'Banion
Is Providence "Practical"? A Historical Anecdote

Even committed confessional Protestants can view the doctrine of providence with mixed feelings. Yes, it is biblical. Yes, it glorifies God. Yet it raises difficult questions about the existence of evil and our ability to make free choices. And, after all, what practical difference could this doctrine make in our daily lives? In the late […]

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Wednesday, 06 June, 2007 by Patrick J. O'Banion

Popular Posts

The Meaning of “God”

Jan 22, 2021

Modernity, Pluralism, and Doubt Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Charles Taylor’s monumental A Secular Age was the simple observation that modern believers and unbelievers experience the world in much the same way. Whether raised by a homeschooling family who taught you to be a six-day creationist, or the child of an irreligious couple in San […]
Unhappily Married or Happily Divorced? The False Dilemma

Jan 25, 2021

Whatever we believe the Scriptures say about legitimate grounds for divorce, the assumption that marital dissolution should not be common among those who claim to follow Christ and Biblical teaching is reasonable. The pertinent passages recognized in the New Testament at most allow for divorce and remarriage only for egregious violations of the marital covenant […]
Biblical Nonconformity

Feb 19, 2021

Nonconformity is all the rage. Our culture applauds rebellion against social norms and encourages boldly standing apart. Sometimes this nonconformity is minor. It looks like fuchsia hair, living in a tiny house, eating only fruit and veggies. Other times nonconformity is something more extreme. The most immediate example is gender nonconformity. Biologically sexed males and […]
The Model for Christian Manhood: Introduction

Jun 16, 2021

When I used to lead women’s ministry at Mars Hill Church in Seattle, I helped organize our yearly Women’s Retreats. The men, however, never had Men’s Retreats. They had Men’s Advances. Retreats, as they saw it, were for sissies. Nevermind that the larger church adopted the concept of retreat from Jesus’s example in the Gospels. […]

"Life Writing in Reformation Europe: Lives of Reformers by Friends, Disciples and Foes" by Irena Backus

Is Providence "Practical"? A Historical Anecdote