Alan Maben

Of the Lord's Prayer, Calvin wrote: For he [Christ] prescribed a form for us in which he set forth as in a table all that he allows us to seek of him, all that is of benefit to us, all that we need ask. From this kindness of his we receive great fruit of consolation. […]

When it comes to work, many Christians feel as though they have much in common with the mythological figure Sisyphus. Sisyphus, having angered the gods, is condemned by them to the task of eternally pushing a boulder up a mountain. As soon as he reaches the summit with his burden, the boulder rolls past him […]

Like the ancient Gnostics faced by the early church, society today has adopted an escapist, anti-materialistic, anti-intellectual, anti-institutional, anti-sacramental spirituality. This is as true for non-Christians, with New York business executives attending New Age seminars taught by Stanford instructors. Both the past and the future are perceived as irrelevant intrusions into the present moment of […]

Praised by many evangelicals as a great preacher, Charles H. Spurgeon is considered a successful and “safe” example of a “non-theological” ministry. His works are recommended as a means to lead many aspiring pastors into developing their own successful ministries. His Lectures to My Students are often used for this purpose, emphasizing the “practical” aspects […]

Like the ancient Gnostics faced by the early church, today’s society has adopted an escapist, anti-materialistic, anti-intellectual, anti-institutional, anti-sacramental spirituality. This tendency has been evident both in the secular, Greek strain of Western history (Plato, Neoplatonism, etc.) and in the religious adaptations of that strain (mysticism, much of monasticism, the abundance of taboos designed to […]