Truth Tribe with Douglas Groothuis

I found my church home in Evangelical Anglicanism in early 2007. My denomination is The Anglican Church in North America (ACNA). It is not part of the Episcopalian denomination. But as I reflect on my church life, I am grateful to several churches for their faithfulness to God. My list is not inclusive of all the churches I have attended. Having been a Christ-follower for over forty-seven years, I...

God’s creatures ought to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:23) through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit so that the nations may be glad and sing for joy. This is because God rules the peoples with equity and guides the nations of the earth (Psalm 67:4). God wants to be known, and, thus, to be properly worshipped as our Creator and Redeemer. Worship is the paramount issue for human exist...

I came to love liturgy late, but I am not going to leave it. This is because God has worked these patterns of ritual meaning deep into my system. Liturgy is simply too good not to share with the wider church. Let me explain. Culture structures life through patterns and repetitions. We typically stand when the national anthem is played. I shake hands with a bookstore salesman who I know. Mark and I...

Jesus exhorted us to love God with all our minds (Matthew 22:37-39). The project of explaining, commending, and defending the Christian worldview is not limited to experts. Rather, it is the call of every Christian as a Christian (1 Peter 3:15-16). Arguing that Christianity is objectively true, compellingly rational, and existentially engaging over the whole of life is essential to Christian witne...

Discouragement, the Demonic, and Victory in Christian Ministry (Acts 13:1-12) Over many years of teaching and writing, I have noted a pattern with many of my students and one that I have experienced in my own life of ministry: The possibilities for great achievements often bring discouragement and even spiritual opposition. The Christian must press on and press through in order to mature spiritual...

In my many years of studying and defending Intelligent Design (ID), I have noticed at least nine common mistakes made by critics. These errors disallow a proper evaluation of ID theories as scientific explanations. Much of the ink spilled in opposition to ID can be erased by noting these fallacies. Most if not all of these mistakes are mentioned in Stephen Meyer’s stellar defense of ID, called Ret...

The beloved Christian writer and defender of Christianity, C. S. Lewis, wrote an essay called, “What Christmas Means to Me” in 1957, my birth year. I am stealing his title, but cannot claim his literary standing; nor is my essay much like his, Nevertheless, the musings of another old Christian philosopher about a Christian holiday we cannot avoid might prove worthwhile. They can even help civilize...

This podcast is excerpts from the chapter, “Exploring Virtual Community”, chapter eight, from Douglas Groothuis, The Soul in Cyberspace (Baker, 1997). I have added some commentary along the way.  1. The need for civility 2. Computers, love. and community 3. “On the Internet, nobody knows you are a dog.” 4. Cyberspace, Sensibilities, and Community On the philosophy of the Internet, see also Quentin...

It is not name-calling to say that the roots of CRT are found in Marxism. But the issue goes deeper. To some, the label “Marxism” or “Marxist” means little or nothing, since they are ignorant of the philosophy’s origins, teachings, and outcomes. This is true for many who did not live as adults through any part of the Cold War between the US and the USSR (1947–1991). This is the generation that kne...

This podcast is taken from Douglas Groothuis, Fire in the Streets (Salem, 2022). Even if we grant that the free-enterprise system has done a disservice to black people [which I do not], it does not follow that socialism would be any better for them—or for anyone else. Remember that a realistic view of politics is that of the constrained vision [of Thomas Sowell], which aligns with the Judeo-Christ...

Spiritual formation, becoming more like Jesus Christ in thought and deed, requires a renewed mind (Romans 12:2) that avoids worldliness (1 John 2:15-17) and pursues godliness (Matthew 5:1-18). Our sanctification through the Holy Spirit requires an ongoing dependency on God wherein we grow in the knowledge of God, how his Kingdom operates (Matthew 6:33), ourselves (James 1:25), and our place in the...

Douglas Groothuis, Ph. D., is a Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary and the author of nineteen books, including Fire in the Streets  (a critique of critical race theory or wokeness) and  Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith . Find more from Dr. Groothuis at www. DouglasGroothuis.com . Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising o...

Soren Kierkegaard on the Self and God   “The greatest hazard of all, losing one’s self, can occur very quietly in the world, as if it were nothing at all” - Soren Kierkegaard. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?—Jesus, Mark 8:36. The Human Condition: Who Are We? A. Philosophical problem : philosophical anthropology i. What is our nature? ii. What is our pro...

This program is a synopsis of my most recent book, World Religion in Seven Sentences (InterVarsity Press, 2023). Get Dr. Groothuis' book here: https://www.ivpress.com/world-religions-in-seven-sentences   "Most of us will never become scholars of the major world religions. But as society becomes more pluralistic and technology increases our awareness of and interconnection with countries all over t...

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,     and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding (Proverbs 9:10) The concepts of fear and hate need some examination, given how absurdly abused they are in common culture. Supposedly, any idea based on fear is irrational and all hate is hateful. But appropriate fear and appropriate hate are necessary parts of a good life. Let me explain. 1. Approp...

Douglas Groothuis, Ph. D., is a Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary and the author of nineteen books, including Fire in the Streets  (a critique of critical race theory or wokeness) and  Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith . Find more from Dr. Groothuis at www. DouglasGroothuis.com . Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising o...

While the explosive and devastating riots of 2020 were sparked by the death of George Floyd, there was an ideological underpinning for much of the violence and verbiage of that summer of hate, carnage, ideological blindness, and outrage. It is called Critical Race Theory (or CRT), an ideology at odds with the truth of the Christian worldview on a number of counts. We will only address the theory o...

Douglas Groothuis, Ph. D., is Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary and the author of nineteen books, including Fire in the Streets  (a critique of critical race theory or wokeness) and  Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith . Find more from Dr. Groothuis at www. DouglasGroothuis.com . Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opp...

I.    Meta-Apologetics A.    Apologetics: Defending the Christian worldview as objectively  true, compellingly rational, and existentially pertinent to the whole of life (1 Peter 3:15-6; Jude 3) B.    Meta-apologetics: thoughts about how to engage in apologetics, strategies and values. II.    The Christian Apologist’s Moral Compass A.    All are called to check their moral motives and develop godl...

I.    Prayer for Those Who Influence Public Opinion (Book of Common Prayer)  Almighty God, you proclaim your truth in every age by many voices: Direct, in our time, we pray, those who speak where many listen and write what many read; that they may do their part in making the heart of this people wise, its mind sound, and its will righteous; to the honor of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. II.    The M...

Several years ago, after giving a message on New Age spirituality at a church in Berkeley, California, I was approached by a distraught middle-aged woman. She asked if I was familiar with Jungian therapy. After I said that I was, she spoke briefly of her mental problems, which were being treated by a Jungian analyst. Looking at me intensely, she asked, “As a Christian, should I be treated by someo...

Ecclesiastes has saved my Christian life too many times to count. In the summer of 1999, this sometimes vexing book—perhaps the black sheep of the Christian canon—was the only book of sacred Scripture that I could stand to read. This is not a testimony to my Christian virtue but to the existential and theological power of this piece of wisdom literature. Ecclesiastes offers us an abundance of topi...

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up - Galatians 6:9. Acedia - the sin of sloth or laziness -- is the enemy of moral achievement and the agent of cultural bone rot. Isaiah exposed this in his day when he lamented, “So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot...

Last week I went through ten authors and a number of books that have shaped my life and thinking. I include the full list below. This quote from Neil Postman highlights the significance of reading. One must begin, I think, by pointing to the obvious fact that the written word, and an oratory based upon it, has a content: a semantic, paraphrasable, propositional content. This may sound odd, but sin...

  W. Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy and The Pursuit of God . Blaise Pascal, Pensées , many editions. I prefer the Penguin ed. See also the collection The Mind on Fire . Carl Henry, God, Revelation, and Authority , 6 vols., Confessions of a Theologian . S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, Abolition of Man, Miracles, God in the Dock , Screwtape Letters . Francis Schaeffer, all of his books, but especiall...