The American Vision

For 20 years I have been debating the topic of eschatology. It started with Dave Hunt (four debates) after the publication of my book The Reduction of Christianity (co-authored with Peter J. Leithart) and has included debates with Thomas Ice (nine debates), Paige Patterson, Robert L. Thomas, Ed Hindson, John Sweigart, Michael Wechsler, and countless radio shows where callers would rapid-fire quest [...]

In 1988, John MacArthur wrote The Gospel According to Jesus, a controversial book in certain circles because he relied heavily on the views of Calvinistic writers to deal with the lordship salvation controversy. My respect for MacArthur grew because he was not afraid to take on those in his own dispensational camp who were teaching “defective theology” about discipleship. The book got [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-120208-b.jpg" ““Article”) When people are pushed to live consistently with their worldview assumptions, all kinds of revelations come to light. Toni Vernelli was sterilized at age 27 to “reduce her carbon footprint” and “protect the planet.”[1] If pressed, I wonder if Vernel [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-120208.jpg" ““Article”) On January 21, 2009, James White of Alpha & Omega Ministries will be debating Bart Ehrman, the James A. Gray Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, on the following question: “Can the New Testa [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-112508-b.jpg" ““Article”) American Vision gets a great deal of mail. Much of it is unsolicited. Most of it is interesting and helpful. A few pieces are downright goofy. Consider the catalog from Global Vision Worldwide that I recently rediscovered. The people at Global Vision: Advance reverence for [...]

A story is told that during the days of the Cold War a two-car automobile race took place between the United States and the former Soviet Union. An American newspaper reporter described the result of the race this way: “American car beats out Soviet competitor.” The Russian newspaper reported the same automotive contest from a slightly different perspective: “Soviet car finishes second; American c [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111908-b.jpg" ““Article”) When error comes, it always rides in on the wings of truth.[1] Nikita Khrushchev (1894-1971), Premier of the former Soviet Union, described a time in the Communist republic’s history when a wave of petty theft was sweeping through the government-owned plants. To curtail th [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111808.jpg" ““Article”) Calvinism was set off from Christianity in gen­eral precisely be­cause it has always advocated a comprehensive bib­lical worldview. Quot­ing Francis R. Beattie, Calvinism was de­scribed as “the richest systematic expression of revealed truth yet made, . . . the richest produ [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111708.jpg" ““Article”) As a student at Reformed Theological Seminary in the 1970s, I was taught that certain cultural applications flowed from a consis­tent appli­cation of Calvinism. Calvinism is synon­ymous with a comprehen­sive biblical world-and-life view not just the doctrine of predestinatio [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111408-b.jpg" ““Article”) Under the Marxists, education had to be centralized in order to reshape the minds of the young so that they could more easily conform to the new social and political ideology. The State would become the educator, the new parent. While in a Christian context, schools act in [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111308-b.jpg" ““Article”) With America’s self-conscious move toward unfettered socialism and fascism, some Christians will undoubtedly rev up the prophecy presses and inform the world that the end is near-again! History is a sober teacher of such foolishness. In 1927, Oswald J. Smith wrote Is [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111108-a.jpg" ““Article”) Nearly every social commentator appeals to the conservative Christian community to be tolerant of other religious traditions. After all, we live in a religiously pluralistic society. The assumption is that religion is a benign choice, little different from picking one car [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111108-b.jpg" ““Article”) Jack Kerouac (1922-1969) defined a generation with his book On the Road and its “spontaneous prose” writing style. What was Kerouac searching for? What was he saying that gripped so many young people and sent them on a similar transcendental road trip? Kerouac never unders [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-111008.jpg" ““Article”) “You can’t change just one thing” and “You can’t beat something with nothing” are foundational to American Vision’s mission. While American Vision has been working for 30 years to set the intellectual and apologetic foundation for the development of a comprehensive Christian [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-110708.jpg" ““Article”) I offer a “Modest Proposal” in light of a majority of people in Colorado, California, and South Dakota voting down abortion restrictions. The proposal has been made by some that children are a burden. Population experts tell us that we are heading for critical mass where pop [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-110308.jpg" ““Article”) The newspaper and news sources in general can be depressing reading these days. No matter who wins tomorrow’s election, America and the world are in for uncertain times. Instead of ruminating over the negative possibilities, Christians should see what will come as opportunit [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-102808.jpg" ““Article”) The city of Pittsburgh**[1]** is the jewel of Western Pennsylvania. This wasn’t always the case. On some of its “better” days more than a generation ago, Pittsburgh was noted for its smoke-filled skyline. While the steel industry brought prosperity to the region, it also bro [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-102108.jpg" ““Article”) The newspaper and news sources in general can be depressing reading these days. No matter who wins in November, America and the world are in for uncertain times. Instead of ruminating over the negative possibilities, Christians should see all of what will be coming as opport [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-102008.jpg" ““Article”) Hermeneutics, the science and skill of interpretation, is most often applied to the Bible. But hermeneutics can be applied to any written document. For example, the Constitution is a piece of literature that requires interpretive skill to determine its meaning. I was reminde [...]

![“Article](“http://assets.americanvision.org/mediafiles/article-image-101408.png" ““Article”) In addition to those who are arguing for third parties, others are claiming that Christians have no business being involved politically. The following email I received is a typical example of someone who says no to all politics and social action: “Would you not see that the [...]