Kingdom Triangle Discussion

New J.P. Moreland Website

2010-09-02T15:25:00.000-07:00

We are happy to announce www.jpmoreland.com as the new and official home for J.P. Moreland's content. We anticipate that it will be a dynamic clearinghouse of his material from both the past, present and the future!

Knowledge For Life : Dallas Willard 2010

2010-01-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

REGISTER NOW!

Knowledge For Life : Dallas Willard 2010

April 17th.

If you live in the Southern California area, you will not want to miss this day-long conference with Dallas Willard.

An exciting opportunity to grow in the significance of spiritual knowledge, and how it can flourish our lives in Jesus!

Register here: www.vcfanaheim.com

2010 Dallas Willard Conference in Southern California

2009-12-04T10:05:00.000-08:00

A longtime friend and mentor of JP Moreland's, Dallas Willard, will be doing a conference at JP's church, the Anaheim Vineyard in Southern California. Dallas also wrote the Foreword to Kingdom Triangle.

When: April 17, 2010 (Saturday)
Where: Anaheim Vineyard (directions)

The all-day Saturday conference will center on this theme from Dallas:

"Knowledge for Life: Learning to Trust & Grow in Spiritual Knowledge."

In January, at www.vcfanaheim.com, tickets for the conference will go on sale.

In part, the conference will echo similar themes in Dallas Willard's Knowing Christ Today.

JP writes:

Dallas Willard’s Knowing Christ Today is a stunning achievement. I could not put it down. It is the foundational book for all of his other works on the spiritual life, and a must read for all who wish to grasp the appropriate framework for knowing and following Jesus in the contemporary setting. Far too often, Christians interested in the intellectual aspects of Christianity do not pay much attention to the distinctively spiritual formation side of things. But just as importantly, those who are committed to spiritual formation frequently set aside the more philosophical, cognitive side of the journey. Both sides in isolation are truncated and, fortunately, with the publication of Knowing Christ Today, the intellectual and spiritual facets of walking with Jesus are brought together in one place in such a way that their essential inseparability is laid bare for the reader in a life-changing, persuasive way. This is one of the most important books published in my lifetime, and I urge everyone to read it with care. However, I am happy to announce that those of us in the So Cal area do not need to rest with merely reading the book; no, we can attend a critical conference at which Willard himself will interact about the themes and implications of his book and handle questions from the conferees. I am deeply involved in this conference and consider it to be of critical importance. I urge everyone who can to attend it.

If you are in the southern California area, JP will also be giving a full review and leading a discussion of Dallas' book on March 25, 2010 (Thursday @ 7 pm) at the coffee shop of the Anaheim Vineyard.

Kingdom Triangle and Christian Intellectuals that Serve Global Christianity

2009-12-04T09:44:00.001-08:00

In November, at the 2009 annual meeting of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, JP gave a talk to over 100 members in attendance about how Christian intellectuals can serve the Non-Western church.

While audio is unavailable, here are the main points from JP's talk. We are happy to feature these ideas here since this topic echos so many wonderful aspects of Kingdom Triangle.

The church is exploding all over the world outside of Western cultures, and the disciples in these countries hold to an overtly supernatural worldview.
The emerging young intellectual leadership in these countries look to the ETS/EPS/SCP for guidance and help. They read our writings and follow us. They are confused and hurt when we advance ideas that undermine the commonsense, supernatural worldview of the Bible that they embrace. Thus, we have a responsibility to do our work in light of how it impacts our brothers and sisters in these countries.
Here are four suggestions for how to better fulfill that responsibility:

Work together with others to write books, produce edited works, and so forth. The synergy of such efforts increases our impact and it models the importance of the body of Christ and cooperation among its members.
Produce works that range from popular to technical, but be sure we do not look down upon those who work at the popular end of the spectrum. The key is to find one's role and play it well.
Beware of living for a career and for the respect of the "right" people in the profession instead of living for the Kingdom and seeing one's work as a calling from God rather than a place to re-assure oneself that he/she is respected.
Require a burden of proof before one adopts a view, e.g., Christian physicalism, that if read by a brothers and sisters outside Western culture, would hurt their supernatural faith, especially if the view is not one held by a significant number of people in church history and if it is "politically correct" to adopt it under pressure from the academic community.

How Kingdom Triangle is Transformative: Interview with Matthew Bazemore

2009-09-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

We interviewed Matthew Bazemore about his ministry's experience with Kingdom Triangle. Matthew is a research fellow of Campus Crusade's Faculty Commons' Academic Initiative.

Tell about your ministry and why did you host a reading group around Kingdom Triangle for faculty and students?

I minister to faculty and graduate students at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN through Faculty Commons. This past spring the graduate student discussion group read The Kingdom Triangle. I had four grads in philosophy and one in mathematics. I chose KT for several reasons: 1) I wanted to expose the students to a credible Christian scholar, 2) the topic is important for living faithfully in general, 3) KT has implications for living faithfully as Christian scholars, and 4) I was pretty confident that the topics raised by Dr. Moreland would be challenging to each of us, and thus, confident that the Spirit could use this book to work in our hearts.

The discussion throughout the book was lively and engaging. There were no quiet moments or uncomfortable pauses. There was plenty of material to grapple with and discuss. The biggest challenge for me was to encourage the students to read while listening to the Lord rather than analyzing and critiquing the way they are being trained as doctoral students, esp. the philosophy grads. Upon finishing KT one graduate student had this to say, “The Kingdom Triangle gave me a new perspective on how I can minister to people in an academic setting. It showed me that the American academy needs Christian faculty now more than ever, and it gave helpful guidance on what factors are crucial to build the Church there and beyond: knowledge, spiritual formation, and trust in God's miraculous power.”

Tell us about your own journey with Moreland’s ideas in view of your ministry.

Restoring the Spirit’s power has been the biggest challenge. I have read KT twice now and each time I have read the chapter on the Spirit, tears have come to my eyes. They are tears of a longing desire to have this dimension of life in Christ become a reality rather than lip service. They are also tears of conviction. I feel convicted because I recognize a fear of risking failure (p 198). I would rather remain in safety.

Recently, there has been a movement in my heart. As I pray for others to be healed, I find that I am a little more expectant than I used to be. One specific application that I will be implementing is reading that chapter several more times as a means to deepen my trust in Him for growth in this area.

In light of my ministry, my thinking is this: I am convinced that the Spirit is a necessary condition for Kingdom life. Thus, this needs to be a component of everyone’s vocation, including those in academics. The key question that I am now faced with is: How do I help Christian faculty integrate a more active role of the Spirit into their vocation? What does this look like for the faculty at a Research Level I University? I am still in the beginning stages of thinking about this, but it is my prayer that the Spirit’s power would be made manifest in the growing community of Christian faculty.

What does Kingdom Triangle provide for the Christian academic influencer?

KT provides a well-informed non-technical overview of the two major ideologies that challenge Christianity today. In a vocation that is highly specialized, KT enables and challenges one to think about the forest rather than focusing on the tree. It provides a wonderful overview of why the university is the way it is today and presents a robust picture of the Christian life. It provides hope and a reminder that “Aslan in on the move.”

What did you and the group find to be the most “challenging” as a result of reading Kingdom Triangle?

The biggest challenge for us was the chapter on “Restoring the Spirit’s Power.” We all observed that when we hear stories of the miraculous we have a tendency to be skeptical. We all knew that God could do these things, but does He and to what extent? How does one integrate the Spirit’s power in an academic context? All of us identified ourselves as “open but cautious” but there was a desire to be living out as someone in the “Third Wave” category.

How might Kingdom Triangle influence how you minister?

The book is one of the first books I recommend to faculty and graduate students. It has influenced the way I think about how to minister in the academic culture both for the Christian and non-Christian. Now more than ever I am convinced that one of the most important ideas to get others to consider is that Christianity is a knowledge tradition and that Jesus was and is a knowledge authority. Kingdom Triangle strengthened that conviction in me.

You can read more about Matthew Bazemore's thoughts and ideas from his blog posts at the Antecedents blog.

Kingdom Triangle in Ministry Magazine

2009-05-29T10:36:00.000-07:00

In the May issue of Ministry magazine, a publication of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, JP Moreland has an article, titled, "The Power of God's Kingdom and Ministry."

Among the many topics that Moreland addresses, he unpacks what he means by the "gospel of the Kingdom" and its relationship to justification. He also talks about the importance of these matters as they relate to evangelism:

the gospel of the kingdom of God is to justification by faith as the whole is to the part, or as the beginning of a journey is to the rest of the journey. The gospel of the kingdom includes justification as an essential ingredient. And it specifies the purpose of justification, namely, to be the entry into a continuing journey, or, perhaps more appropriately, to be the start of a continuing journey. The point of becoming justified? Justification is the way one begins a life of sanctification. The gospel invites us to an entirely new, rich life lived from the resources of and according to the nature of another realm. I become justified so I can learn this new life, a life that will be mine forever ...

the gospel of the kingdom bids me to start by trusting something Jesus did for me (died and rose), and to continue that trust by enlisting daily as Jesus’ pupil so that He can teach me regarding living my life as He would if He were me, that is, living out the kingdom in my own setting.

My evangelism has been transformed by recovering this broader gospel. When I speak evangelistically, I now spend most of my time painting a picture of what life in the kingdom is like. I contrast it to life outside the kingdom. I offer an invitation for listeners to rethink their life in light of the invitation to live from within the kingdom of God. And, finally, I proclaim the need for justification by faith as the essential first step into kingdom life. By connecting justification by faith with this broader gospel, I have good news to offer people. And I have come to recognize that the gospel of the kingdom and kingdom life, generally, should be accompanied with manifestations of God’s power and presence as we see in His ministry and in the book of Acts. And Jesus’ own ministry is to be understood as an example of how to live in and from God’s kingdom in dependence on God’s Spirit. This is our invitation and what an honor it is.

Pastors Learn about Kingdom Triangle at Moody's Pastor's Conference

2009-05-22T09:53:00.000-07:00

In February, JP participated in Moody Bible Institute's Founder's Week conference.

Just this last week, he completed some further speaking at Moody for their noteworthy Pastor's Conference. While at Moody JP did six seminars. Each seminar was had, on average, 100-120 attendees.

I did three on each leg of the Kingdom Triangle, one on the nature of faith from In Search of a Confident Faith, and two on evangelism from The God Question. These topics were assigned to me by the conference organizers and interest was high and responsiveness was very good.

The organizers of the conference believed that the themes in the books are of central importance to pastors and local churches. The God Question lays out for a thoughtful non-Christian the steps leading to belief in the existence of the Christian God, why the topic of God is a life and death question, and how to become a follower of Jesus without being religious once one enters the Kingdom. It is a solid evangelistic tool, and the pastors were incredibly enthusiastic about receiving this content. The Kingdom Triangle's three legs are at the core of pastoral ministry, or, at least, should be, since it provided a balanced set of values for maturing people in the Way of Jesus. And my book with Klaus Issler (In Search of a Confident Faith) is of great help to pastors because it clarifies the nature of faith in the midst of great confusion about faith, and it lays out a series of steps for helping people grow in their faith. This is at the core of pastoral ministry.

Do you want to have JP speak at your pastor's conference? Contact us with the details.

Kingdom Triangle & Secularization

2009-04-20T15:37:00.000-07:00

Kingdom Triangle provides helpful direction concerning how Christians think about and navigate their lives in light of prevailing worldview influences.

One of the fruitful areas that it helps guide, is how Christians think about the ways that secularism has formed our view of knowledge, especially religious knowledge.

See Moreland in this apologetics conference clip as he talks about such matters

Kingdom Triangle Nominated for Excellence Award

2009-04-07T15:20:00.000-07:00

Kingdom Triangle was nominated for an Award of Excellence from the Foundation for Pentecostal Scholarship.

Last year, Kingdom Triangle won a Christianity Today Award of Merit.

Moreland Talks about Leaving His Legacy with the Church

2009-03-20T14:12:00.000-07:00

Apologetics 315 Reviews Kingdom Triangle

2009-03-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Apologetics 315, a major portal for all things apologetics, has provided a handsome review of Kingdom Triangle.

From an apologetic point of view, Moreland’s Kingdom Triangle is a valuable read. Really, he is making the case for a Christian life that is full, balanced, and powerful. He addresses the mind, the heart, and the spirit. This book is insightful, challenging, and very relevant.

Read the full review here:

Kingdom Triangle at the Association for Biblical Higher Education

2009-02-21T13:54:00.000-08:00

JP spoke about Kingdom Triangle at the annual meeting of the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE) in Orlando, Florida.

The theme of the meeting was "Engaging Culture Through Biblical Thinking."

The ABHE meeting was attended by several hundred Christian educators, and I was honored with the opportunity to do plenary sessions on the first leg of the Triangle, the life of the mind. I tried to emphasize the importance of general revelation in the integrative task for apologetics. I also did a seminar on building a case for Christianity.

The ABHE is an agency involved with several Bible Colleges and Seminaries across North America.

Moreland went on to observe, "It has always been a source of amazement to me as to how little our Bible colleges emphasize the task of apologetics, and how little is known about how to make the case for Christianity. There was great hunger for my seminar and, in my view, it was the highlight for me of the week."

Kingdom Triangle Conference: Moreland, Jackson, Kendall

2009-02-17T08:51:00.000-08:00

A major Kingdom Triangle conference was held in San Diego on the tail-end of the National Pastor's Convention. The conference attracted pastors and other leaders in churches and organizations.

JP Moreland was joined with R.T. Kendall and John Paul Jackson to present and model themes related to the book, Kingdom Triangle.

Kendall spoke three times and emphasized the sensitivity of the Holy Spirit to being grieved by unholiness, the importance of totally forgiving those who have hurt us, and of completely forgiving ourselves for Christ's sake. Kendall is a gentle, humble man with a very keen mind, and his presentations were penetrating (a version of Kendall's talk can be downloaded here)

John Paul Jackson spoke three times and he emphasized the importance of learning how to live in Kingdom power and authority, of resisting the temptation of thinking that the sense-perceptible world is all there is, and of being aware of the battle going on in the spirit world all around us. John Paul demonstrated the use of words of knowledge and wisdom on Friday night, and the ministry time was edifying and encouraging.

JP spoke twice and emphasized the life of the mind, the importance of study, the centrality of thinking theologically, and of learning to keep our minds habitually focused on God, the good things in our lives, and our identity, mission and character development in the Kingdom.

JP observed

This conference was unique in that it represented a balance among the life of the Christian mind, the inner life of spiritual formation, and the overt supernatural nature of the Kingdom.

We hope to see other Kingdom Triangle conferences of this sort

JP Moreland at the National Pastor's Convention

2009-02-15T08:25:00.000-08:00

JP was delighted to be a speaker at this year's National Pastor's Convention in San Diego, California. With excitement, here is what he wrote to us:

I spent two wonderful days from February 12-13 at the NPC in San Diego. The conference brings together about 1500 pastors from all over the country. I was honored to present two workshops on the three legs of the Kingdom Triangle. The workshops were well-attended and very stimulating. I take away from these sessions a few lessons:

(1) There is a growing interest in Kingdom power and the supernatural aspects of Christianity across theological lines and denominational divisions. I sense that pastors are getting that this is a matter of the Kingdom, not primarily of spiritual gifts, and while there is still concern about abuses, more and more pastors are desiring to see the Kingdom preach in to their churches. The Kingdom Triangle book provides them with a theological and intellectual rationale for moving wisely into this area.

(2) There is a growing awareness and acceptance of spiritual formation, along with a desire to learn how to practice spiritual disciplines in the corporate setting. Much progress has been made in awakening the church to the need for disciplines in individual believer's lives, but more work needs to be done in applying these disciplines to the church as a whole.

(3) I was impressed with the desire among the pastors to learn more about how to think about worldviews. I presented some fairly tough material, but the audience was hungry for more and more. In all, my heart was encouraged by these men and women, especially by their openness to get the job done somehow.

Pastors continue to resonate with Kingdom Triangle and are finding fruitful ways to discuss its importance for their churches.

Moreland at Moody's Founder's Week

2009-02-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

From cold and windy Chicago, JP spoke at Moody Bible Institute's Founder's Week conference.

The Week brought together hundreds of attendees and several well-known Evangelical speakers and teachers. "It was a joy to participate," said JP.

My first workshop was a review of my recent work The God Question.

There were about 120 people packed into a room that held 100, and there were dozens of folks in the hallway who could not get in. I explained how to explore the contemporary rise in depression and concomitant loss of happiness with the shift of ideas from biblical theism to secularism, especially as regards the nature and limits of knowledge. I then offered a précis of the sorts of arguments for God I have found helpful in doing evangelism, I shared a number of illustrations for why people should seek religious truth with their minds and not pragmatic help with their feelings and desires. I closed by offering four criteria for selecting one’s religion and claimed that Christianity satisfies these better than its alternatives. A very stimulating time of Q&A followed.

My second workshop was a review of my other recent book with Klaus Issler entitled In Search of a Confident Faith. Because of the large crowd at my first talk, the room was moved to a small auditorium on campus. About 350 attended. I addressed the nature of faith as confidence or trust, explained that it is based on knowledge (and teased out some important facets of knowledge) and claimed that it comes in degrees. I then explained the difference between vague doubts from the culture’s plausibility structure and specific doubts that can be written down in a paragraph or so, and showed the way to address these different sources of doubt. This was followed by a brief treatment of emotional sources of doubt, e.g, trust issues, woundedness, inability to form attachments and healthy friendships, and I closed by emphasizing the importance for growth in God-confidence of testifying to the things we have seen and heard God do.

What on Earth is Happening with the Kingdom?

2009-02-01T14:28:00.000-08:00

For "World Outreach Week" at Twin Lakes Church, JP Moreland gave a talk titled,

"What on Earth is Happening with the Kingdom?"

You can download and view it here.

JP's talk is a helpful summary of the third point of the Kingdom Triangle.

Moreland on the Success of our 2009

2008-12-31T11:35:00.000-08:00

Anaheim, CA -- JP Moreland recently spoke at his home church, Vineyard Anaheim, concerning what it means for our lives to be successful in 2009:

My message at Vineyard Anaheim centered on the need to focus on change for one's life in 2009 or else inertia, drift, habit will keep one from growing. And I claimed that, as legitimate as the normal topics for New Year's resolutions are (e.g., getting in shape, getting more education), there are two other deeply related biblical goals for the next year from Phil 3:12-15: Growing in the ability to be intimate with God (and by extension, friends and loved ones) and developing strength of character.

These goals are really expressions of all three legs of the Kingdom Triangle which, I continue to emphasize, as an approach to life itself.

You can listen here or download here the complete audio of JP's talk.

Experience Kingdom Triangle in San Diego California

2008-12-01T09:42:00.000-08:00

Mark the Date!

THE KINGDOM TRIANGLE
An Invitation to Transformation

San Diego, CA -- February 13-14, 2009
Town & Country Resort

Come join J.P. Moreland, R.T. Kendall and John Paul Jackson to learn how your life, your church, and your outreach can grow in a Kingdom-soaked vision and empowerment of life as it is meant to be lived.

Register Now: $40 for the early-bird discount! (Expires 12/30/08)
www.kingdomtriangle.com/speaking/events.asp

Going to NPC 09’? Why not extend your stay in sunny southern California and be refreshed by an experience aimed to transform and not just inform!

Download our brochure and spread the word.

Kingdom Triangle … It’s more than a book … it’s a way of life!

Kingdom Triangle in A Unique Devotional

2008-12-01T08:51:00.000-08:00

Zondervan (the publisher of Kingdom Triangle) recently released a unique devotional titled, A Faith and Culture Devotional: Daily Readings in Art, Science, and Life.

JP contributed a selection from Kingdom Triangle about "The Modern University" (pp. 68-77).

The Faith and Culture Devotional is edited by Kelly Monroe Kullberg (Founder and Director of Projects, The Veritas Forum) and Lael Arrington (co-host of "The Things that Matter Most" radio show).

Kullberg and Arrington have culled together a masterful list of influencers to speak to area of Bible and theology, history, philosophy, science, literature, arts, and contemporary culture.

Browse the devotional here and make sure to purchase your copy in time for Christmas!

Moreland at the 2009 National Pastors Convention

2008-11-29T15:27:00.000-08:00

JP Moreland will again speak at the 2009 National Pastors Convention in San Diego, CA.

His topics and their descriptions are as follows:

Signs, Wonders and the Kingdom Triangle

We will clarify the relationship between a proper expectation of the miraculous, the current nature of the Kingdom, and the debate about so-called miraculous gifts. We will also explore practical steps towards seeking God for more of His Spirit's miraculous presence.

Spiritual Formation and the Kingdom Triangle.

We will clarify the nature of general revelation, especially natural moral law, explain its relationship to spiritual formation and the Kingdom of God, and provide practical suggestions for practicing certain spiritual, discipleship exercises.

On Friday evening of the 13th and most of Saturday the 14th, join JP at his Kingdom Triangle conference also at the Town & Country Resort.

Download a PDF brochure:
http://www.kingdomtriangle.com/docs/KT_flyer_web2.pdf

Register Now for the Early-Bird Special!
http://kingdomtriangle.eventbrite.com/

Bend, Oregon Apologetics Conference: 11/7-8

2008-10-20T09:43:00.000-07:00

www.apologeticsguild.com

Church Elders Discuss Kingdom Triangle

2008-10-16T08:02:00.000-07:00

The blogger at MetroPuritan (a college pastor in Iowa) talks about how he and his fellow elders read and discussed Kingdom Triangle and it's relevancy for their church:

We met yesterday. The discussion centered around the supernatural workings of the Spirit and how that looks in our church.

Let me just say, if you're a person who has to have closure- you'd be frustrated by our meetings.

We floundered around for awhile, then never really landed the plane. There were passionate discussions followed by a resolve to keep seeking God for all he wants to do in our church.

So if you're looking for a "as a result of this meeting, we are going to..." I think the closest thing I can say is "...pray with more faith."

It's so refreshing to hear how other leaders are taking Kingdom Triangle seriously for their life and their church.

In another post, the college pastor provides a helpful review of Kingdom Triangle and says, "the last 60 pages are truly prophetic for the American church. I think I would consider these 'must read' pages from Moreland, one of the great Christian thinkers of our time"

In relationship to the elder meeting, the blogger and a friend decided to do something fun with the book ... (read here)!

Moreland Responds to Bill Maher's Religulous

2008-10-01T16:12:00.000-07:00

JP Moreland responds to Bill Maher's "Religulous" film:

Religulous presents faith as completely opposed to reason-that faith is believing any silly thing you want. But a biblical view of faith is that faith is actually based on knowledge and reason; it's not opposed to it ... Ultimately Maher-who calls himself a proponent of doubt-is a bit too skeptical for his own good. If you're too skeptical, then you'll be sure that you won't believe something that's false, but you will also fail to believe things that are true, things that might help you.

Kingdom Triangle demonstrates that you can be both thoughtful and emotionally alive without being weird.

Maher's film is in many ways a tale of got-ya moments where religious people (especially Christians) are caught acting "irrational."

But as Kingdom Triangle demonstrates, Christianity is way more nuanced about "head" and "heart" than Maher lets on.

Moreover, as JP demonstrates in Kingdom Triangle Christianity is fundamentally a "knowledge tradition" and not a privatized "faith tradition."

Moreland On The Lost Virtue of Happiness

2008-09-03T14:16:00.000-07:00

Kingdom Triangle at New Life Church

2008-09-01T07:46:00.000-07:00

On Sunday August 31st, JP Moreland spoke at three services at New Song Church in Irvine, CA.

JP's talks specifically emphasized the "second leg" of the Kingdom Triangle with it's emphasis on internal spiritual formation.

Of his time at New Song Church, JP said,

It was a wonderful time! People are hungry for authentic spiritual living and, based on feedback from the church staff, the message was quite impactful. We sold about 100 copies of Kingdom Triangle people were very enthusiastic about reading the book. Before the second service, I met a person who had already read Kingdom Triangle and enjoyed it immensely.

It is so very sad to me to see part of the church reject the experiential, more "mystical" aspect of our walk with the Lord Jesus, thinking that they are biblical and doing the right thing. All they are actually doing (though I believe they are well-intentioned, but, of course, the road to hell is paved with good intentions) is robbing themselves of their God-given invitation to a tender, intimate walk with God. I have even seen it argued, that because Henri Nouwen was uncomfortable with the claim that Jesus was the only way, that anyone who loves his spiritual writings and promotes some of those teachings is hurting people and promoting heresy.
This sort of "argument" would not last a day when Christians were more aware of why they believed what they believed. If a person teaches about a-k, and is wrong about, say, b, it does not follow that the person was wrong about d, e and f. I seldom agree with every thing anyone teaches, including Nouwen, but there are treasures in his thought that have enriched millions to walk more faithfully with God.

Kingdom Triangle & In Search of a Confident Faith

2008-08-19T07:43:00.000-07:00

JP Moreland teams-up with Klaus Issler in a new book that helps to expand the work of Kingdom Triangle.

In Search of a Confident Faith: Overcoming Barriers to Trusting in God was born out of the desire to correct gross misunderstandings of the nature of faith, to explain why there is such an arrangement between us and God/His Word, and provide specific, practical guidelines for developing/strengthening one's faith in the months ahead. The book gives a readable, accessible, solid biblical and philosophical treatment of faith, and it focuses on dealing with generalized doubt, specific doubts, emotional hindrances, the supernatural, and guidance.

In Search of a Confident Faith intersects with Kingdom Triangle in two ways. First, it has an an emphasis on God's special intervention in our lives as an aid to growth in God-confidence, and it thereby applies and expands Kingdom Triangle. Second, its emphasis on the role of the intellect in cultivating God-confidence is an expansion of the Kingdom-Triangle emphasis on the life of the mind.

Moreland says, "Klaus and I are very expectant about this book and, as far as we can tell, there is nothing like it out there. So it should be a fresh, refreshing read for our brothers and sisters."

More about the book and about Klaus Issler can be found at www.klausissler.com

Jolly Blogger on Kingdom Triangle

2008-07-17T07:32:00.000-07:00

David Wayne's Jollyblogger consider's Moreland's discussion on the "empty self" in Kingdom Triangle and detects it's further significance for discerning "spiritual narcissists."

Read David's post here.

Kingdom Triangle Featured at Bobby Sparks Blog

2008-07-14T07:43:00.000-07:00

We are grateful for Bobby Sparks to share an excerpt of Kingdom Traingle at his blog.

He an excellent example of someone who is thoroughly evangelical and smart to recognize the indwelling power and presence of the Spirit in our midst.

College Student Blogger Gets Kingdom Triangle

2008-07-10T07:48:00.000-07:00

Curtis, a college student blogger (here), understands the significance of JP's Kingdom Triangle:

Good book. Especially encouraging to hear from man with his mind to be really implore his readers (who tend to come from more cessassionist backgrounds) to search out the supernatural especially with regards to the greater gifts...

It's also especially helpful to bring balance because sometimes peoples' pendulum's on these things goes too far one way or the other. I know mine did when first exposed the more spiritual side of things coming from my background where we did not talk about the Holy Spirit..

Moreland Addresses Kingdom Triangle Themes to Apologetics Students

2008-07-09T17:05:00.000-07:00

La Mirada, CA - Every year, graduate students in apologetics come from around the country in order to congregate at Biola University. These graduate students do not fit your typical profile: many of them are full-time career professionals with families, often established in their life vocations, but wanting to enrich their life by graduate work in Christian apologetics.

With these students, JP lectured on the meaning and importance of the reality of the Kingdom of God for apologetics work:

I defined the Kingdom as the realm within which God's will is carried out (the laws of nature and the hearts of those yielded to the King). I argued that the purpose of history is to bring honor to God by the progressive formation of a voluntary community of people, under the King, who exhibit the relations that obtain among the members of the Trinity and who co-labor with God forever to produce goodness, truth and beauty. I claimed that this is the meaning of our own individual lives. I then drew out the power aspect of the Kingdom and talked about healing prayer. Many came to me with the report that they had already read Kingdom Triangle with great benefit. Several students got copies. I am observing that the book is having precisely the sort of transformational influence on readers I had hoped.

SoCal Apologetics Blogger On Kingdom Triangle

2008-07-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Kyrie Eleison blogs about the importance of the Christian mind in light of Kingdom Triangle.

Click here.

Christian Scholar's Review Showcases Kingdom Triangle

2008-06-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

The latest issue of the Christian Scholar's Review (Summer 2008) has a very long and favorable review (pp 505-510) of Kingdom Triangle.

CSR is widely read among Christian professors and scholars in the North American context. "[It] is the forum for Christian intellectuals to discuss their ideas in community with one another," says JP.

The review is by Dr. Gabriela Sabau, who is Professor with the Economics/Environmental Studies department at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Sir Wilfred Grenfell College.

Sabau spends nearly three pages providing a very helpful summary of Moreland's thoughts in Kingdom Triangle and does a commendable job of paying attention to his intention and care throughout the book.

"[Christian Scholar's Review] is very select in the books they review," says Moreland. "The simple fact that Kingdom Triangle is reviewed in this journal indicates that the book is being taken seriously as a substantive contribution to Christian thought."

Moreover, JP says,

It is my hope and prayer that more Council for Christian College and University professors will take seriously the need to take our religion as a knowledge tradition and not just a faith tradition, a point central to me thesis in Kingdom Triangle. More generally, I offered the book to my Evangelical community in hopes that it would foment a conversation about the central ideas I offer in the book. This review is part of an answer to my prayers.

Sabau concludes her review this way:

Moreland writes with insight and passion about a very difficult subject which is dear to his heart. He knows that before Christians in the Western traditional churches can become efficient at proclaiming and extending the influence of he Kingdom, they must put their inner house in order. This is what he has done, and this book is evidence that he is living and acting through the power of the Holy Spirit. I urge everyone to read this book. It has greatly helped me regain the vision of human life caught up in the divine conspiracy constituted by the progressive spread of the Kingdom of God. It has encouraged me to believe that God can use any of His children for His purposes when He recognizes His son in their minds and hearts (510).

San Jose Blogger Plugs Kingdom Triangle Website

2008-06-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ryan, at his Illuminate blog, has a great plug for www.kingdomtriangle.com.

Concerning JP's talks on how the culture plays with our mind (part 1 and 2 here), he says,

For those of you headed to college, those who want to be thoughtful followers of Jesus, and those who want to engage culture in a constructive way, this is a very helpful subject.

Pneuma Informer Reviews Kingdom Triangle

2008-05-30T16:38:00.000-07:00

The Pneuma Informer, a publication of The Pneuma Foundation, generously reviewed Kingdom Triangle.

You can read the entire review here:

The review is an example of someone taking seriously all three legs of the "Kingdom Triangle."

Kingdom Triangle is a biblically grounded vision of Christian discipleship, uniting J.P Moreland's concern for the Christian mind with his pursuit of the spiritual disciplines, and calling for the whole Church to rediscover the power of the Holy Spirit ... Kingdom Triangle is a book for both the heart and the mind, the fruit of many years of thoughtful ministry, apologetic engagement and philosophical reflection, articulated with passion and erudition. It is not always easy reading. But then, why should it be? We have been lazy and simple for too long. If we are really going to exemplify the mind and character and power of Jesus Christ, enter the Kingdom Triangle and take our place in the Grand Drama—where the stakes are so high, and the rewards are eternal—it will demand our best efforts. But that's what we were created for.

JP Moreland and Lee Strobel Share the Stage

2008-05-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, May 27th, JP Moreland and Lee Strobel will share the stage at Biola University for a launch of Lee Strobel's DVD The Case for Christ, for which JP was interviewed in the course of the documentary's production.

Moreland says,

Measured by his impact for Christ, Lee Strobel is on a very short list of the most influential apologists for Christianity in this generation. His works are having an impact all around the world and they regularly exhibit the sort of quality and relevance that characterizes classics. Over the years I have had the privilege of working with Lee on several projects, and I particularly enjoyed filming for the Case for Christ DVD. It is vintage Strobel, and a powerful voice for the faith.

If you are in the Southern California area, come to Biola University's gymnasium at 7:00 pm.

Event Details and RSVP: www.apologeticsevents.com

Mark Yarhouse (Regent University) Interacts with Kingdom Triangle

2008-05-16T08:51:00.000-07:00

Mark Yarhouse, a core faculty in the Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at Regent University, interacts with Kingdom Triangle at his blog, Limning the Psyche.

Read part 1 and then part 2 here.

Moreland on the Spirit's Guidance

2008-05-05T06:54:00.000-07:00

At his home church - the Anaheim Vineyard - JP recently gave a Sunday night talk on "The Guidance of the Holy Spirit."

The material I covered is not in Kingdom Triangle, but it is an application of the third leg to the Christian life. I began by showing from scripture that while God sometimes has a very specific will for us in detailed circumstances, there are other times when God wants to know what we want to do and He promises to go with us in those endeavors. I talked about how the Spirit sometimes speaks/leads by placing thoughts in our minds (see Nehemiah 2:12) and I shared the phenomenology as to how I have made progress in discerning those occasions in my own life. I also shared how I discern words of knowledge or wisdom when I am ministering to others. It was really fun. What meant the most to me was the fact that ordinary people like me and the congregation at large can actually make progress in this sort of intimate relationship with God.

You can either listen online or download JP's talk here.

How the Culture Plays with our Mind

2008-04-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

JP led a seminar at the Armenian Christian Fellowship of Orange County concerning "How the Culture Plays with our Mind: Finding Truth in a Babble of Voices."

Download part 1 and part 2.

Of the event, Moreland remarked,

I covered the first half of Kingdom Triangle, obviously in summary fashion. People were deeply encouraged to receive categories and other information for understanding exactly where the culture is at this moment, why it is that way, and how it got there. I applied some insights to the way the race for the Presidency is being conducted, and people were genuinely disgusted about what has happened to the public discourse in our country. There was extensive time for Q & A, and it was clear from the level of the questions that folks were following the discussion very well. It was gratifying to see once again just how wide the applicability of Kingdom Triangle really is. The believers were motivated to be more intent on paying attention to the way the current of ideas moves in the culture and, hopefully, they will be better equipped to do just that.

Kingdom Triangle Confirmed, Muslims are Leaving Islam in Droves

2008-04-08T08:48:00.000-07:00

Throughout much of Kingdom Triangle, J.P. discusses the global advancement of Christianity abroad, especially in non-Western countries. Latest reports confirm this reality, which Kingdom Triangle explains in view of the power and presence of the Spirit and the Kingdom of God being in our midst.

Last year both CBN and Christianity Today wrote about such events. Recently Joel C. Rosenberg, a NY Times best-selling novelist, wrote about this at his blog and is planning to produce a new non-fiction book and documentary, titled, Inside the Revolution (Easter 2009).

In December 2001, Sheikh Ahmad al Qataani, a leading Saudi cleric, appeared on a live interview on Aljazeera satellite television to confirm that, sure enough, Muslims were turning to Jesus in alarming numbers. "In every hour, 667 Muslims convert to Christianity," Al Qataani warned. "Every day, 16,000 Muslims convert to Christianity. Every year, 6 million Muslims convert to Christianity." Stunned, the interviewer interrupted the cleric. "Hold on! Let me clarify. Do we have six million converting from Islam to Christianity?" Al Qataani repeated his assertion. "Every year," the cleric confirmed, adding, "a tragedy has happened."

One of the most dramatic developments is that many Muslims throughout the Middle East and even in the United States are seeing dreams and visions of Jesus. They are coming into churches explaining that they have already converted and now need a Bible and guidance on how to follow Jesus.

Moreover, just this last week, Andrew Walden, Editor of the Hawai 'i Free Press, HI, blogged and documented about how "Muslims [are] Leaving Islam in Droves."

In light of such ongoing reports, J.P. Moreland responds,

In well-documented, recent news reports, the movement of the Kingdom of God among Muslims, especially in the Mideast, is simply staggering. I can well remember the day when a missions agency would hope to lead three or four Muslims to Christ in a year. Now they lead thousands/year! And the reports from those agencies is that miracles, healings, prophetic visions and dreams are at the very heart of what is happening. As I pointed out in Kingdom Triangle, this outbreak has nothing to do essentially with spiritual gifts, and the evidence is bearing that out. Missions agencies that are non-Charismatic and Charismatic are reporting the same things regarding signs and wonders, according to Dallas Willard and others. This is a Kingdom and ministry-of-Jesus issue. The new converts need biblical training and spiritual formation teaching to guarantee they mature in Christ. But I am deeply encouraged that the motiffs I identify in Kingdom Triangle are, in fact, at the center of God's heart for the world. And that includes the church in America.

Denver Journal Publishes Review of Kingdom Triangle

2008-03-31T12:56:00.000-07:00

Douglas Groothuis, a respected Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, has published an extensive review of Kingdom Triangle in the recent Denver Seminary Journal.

Click here or here to read the entire review.

If read, pondered, preached, taught, and applied, the teachings of Kingdom Triangle could spark revival, reformation, and reform in the church, as well as in the world at large. This is a triangle that Christians must not ignore.

KT Cited in a WORLD Magazine Article

2008-03-20T11:52:00.000-07:00

In the March 22, 2008 issue of WORLD magazine, Moreland's Kingdom Triangle and his co-authored book (with colleague Tim Muehlhoff) The God Conversation (IVP) are mentioned in the "Apologetics Old and New" article.

Speaking of Kingdom Triangle, the article concludes:

It is only within this [Kingdom Triangle] matrix, Moreland argues, that Christian apologetics will have any value toward the kingdom not made with hands. Triangle is a provocative, inspiring, and challenging book, one that, like the other three, brings the old into the new. Whether it and the others succeed is up to the reader—no, the Spirit—to decide.

Comments from CT Judges on Kingdom Triangle

2008-03-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

We have received permission to post comments by the CT judges on what they thought of JP's Kingdom Triangle. Here are some of their comments:

"An absolutely necessary message and challenge to believers - adults and students, leaders and followers ... Has the potential to erupt in a long-awaited, much prayed for expression of unity among the followers of Christ in our country."

"[Shows] intelligence, comprehensive reading ... It will be a good seminary text, written by a good scholar."

"Moreland's arguments are interesting and challenging."

Kingdom Triangle Book Award: Zondervan Responds

2008-03-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Responding to Kingdom Triangle's winning of a 2008 Christianity Today Book Award, Paul E. Engle, Zondervan Vice President and Publisher, Church, Academic and Reference Resources, had this to say,

Zondervan is grateful for the peer recognition given to J.P. Moreland through this Christianity Today award for Kingdom Triangle. It affirms our belief that this is a significant book that makes an important contribution to the ongoing evangelical conversation.

Moreland responds to CT Book Award

2008-03-18T19:06:00.000-07:00

We asked JP to reflect upon his journey with Kingdom Triangle in light of yesterday's award announcement from Christianity Today:

In the thirty-six months prior to writing Kingdom Triangle, I had around ten prophetic words of knowledge from trusted people from five different states all saying the same thing to me, and part of what they said was that God wanted me to write a book that would bring Charismatic, Third Wave and non-Charismatics together around a broad, unified approach to the Christian life that included Kingdom Power. Well, Kingdom Triangle is that book. As I have said before, I believe it is my most important book to date and I have never felt God's leading in writing a book more than with Kingdom Triangle. The 2008 Christianity Today Book Award for Kingdom Triangle in the category of spirituality is, from my perspective, an evidence of "the effect being greater than the human cause and, thus, requiring God's activity to explain." I am convinced that God is honoring the book because he is pleased with its intent and message. I am humbled to say the least.

Kingdom Triangle Wins Christianity Today Book Award

2008-03-18T14:13:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce that JP Moreland's Kingdom Triangle has been awarded the 2008 Christianity Today Book Award in the category of Spirituality.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/april/10.28.html

According to the online posting,

This year, 49 publishers nominated 359 titles published in 2007. CT editors selected the top books in each category, and then panels of judges — one panel per category — voted. In the end, we chose 10 winners and gave 11 awards of merit to the books that best shed light on people, events, and ideas that shape evangelical life, thought, and mission.

Jamie's story

2008-03-13T21:37:00.001-07:00

Last year, Jamie Gillentine, one of the pastors at the Anaheim Vineyard Christian Fellowship (where JP is a member), had a severe diving accident.

Listen to (or download) the talk about his journey and how God brings healing and uses the compassion of the church. (You can also get this talk through the "Vineyard Anaheim" channel in iTunes; search for the "Beautiful News" track).

You may also be encouraged by this video that illustrates the process of his recovery.

Jamie embodies the ideals of the Kingdom Triangle.

Moreland Speaks to 600+ Pastors

2008-02-28T16:00:00.000-08:00

San Diego, CA - JP Moreland spoke at three major sessions at the 2008 National Pastor's Convention.

He did two 90 minute sessions on Kingdom Triangle related themes (e.g., "The mind, the heart, and the Power of the Holy Spirit" and "Sex and Secularism: Why Islam may win the West") to a total audience of about 400 pastors. JP says,

I worked through my worldview analysis and then on the the three legs of the triangle and I was deeply moved at the incredible responsiveness to the book and it's message (they sold out of KT and had to order more). This was a rare opportunity to minister to pastors and to give them hope and practical suggestions for greater impact.

To an audience of at least another 200 pastors, JP contributed to a panel discussion with Greg Boyd, Roger Olsen, and Richard Twiss concerning "Theological Trends Facing the Church." JP says,

It was a really fun time; sometimes passionate about our difference and always cordial. I liked these guys a lot and, while we have differences to be sure, there was also much about which we agreed.

Audio of JP's session can be purchased here.

What is Knowledge?

2008-02-23T14:30:00.000-08:00

JP discusses here the importance of "What is knowledge?" and its significance to the Christian experience.

Do we the disciples of Jesus possess through Scripture and other means a reliable source of knowledge of reality or do we not? We have seen that this is an important question. The possession of knowledge—especially religious and moral knowledge—is essential for a life of flourishing. To answer this question we must, first, answer another question: What exactly is knowledge and what does it mean to say Christian teaching provides it?

Moreland Speaking on STR Cruise

2008-02-13T16:46:00.000-08:00

Join JP Moreland and other notables on Stand to Reason's Alaskan Cruise:

August 2-9, 2008

JP will be speaking on the importance of the life of the Christian mind.

Check-out their informative brochure.

KT Featured at SermonCentral.com

2008-01-21T09:18:00.000-08:00

Ron Forseth, General Editor of SermonCentral.com, featured Kingdom Triangle in Moreland's article, titled, "Preaching to Increase Awareness of the Supernatural"

"Is American Christianity Turning Charismatic?"

2008-01-09T07:11:00.000-08:00

The Barna Group recently released a report about the sociological character of Charismatic and Pentecostal churches in the U.S.

Since JP's Kingdom Triangle attempts to show the interrelated significance of a Christianity that fuses Spirit-empowerment with thinking Christianly along with cultivating an inner life through Christian spiritual disciplines, we thought JP would have something to say about this report.

Here are his comments:

Barna's study on the growth of "Pentecostal and Charismatic Christianity" is interesting on several fronts. If his data and interpretation are valid and sound, then it underscores the importance for non-Pentecostals and Charismatics to pay attention to this growing trend and assess its strengths and weaknesses.

But there seems to be several missing or omitted elements from Barna's "reflection":

First, Barna seems to mostly present an emotive and cultural interpretation of charismatic expression and experience when he writes, "the freedom of emotional and spiritual expression typical of charismatic assemblies parallels the cultural trend toward personal expression, accepting diverse emotions and allowing people to interpret their experiences in ways that make sense to them." Granted, this may be true as far as obvious sociological reflection goes, but charismatics also have diverse theological reasons and evidences for cultivating the emotionality of their individual and corporate expression. Namely, Charismatics and Pentecostals expectantly confide in God with the understanding that he is alive, active, and not impotent in his world. In short, they actually believe that the presence of God is real and not imaginary; he's always active at work in mission and not impotent or indifferent to the responsiveness of his creation.

Second, Barna's research and reflection does not seem to take into consideration the growing association of what Peter Wagner has called "third wave" churches, such as the Vineyards and the Calvary Chapels. If these are taken into consideration, then their categorization is not obvious or clear in this Barna report. These movements have been, I think, the historical catalyst for change and bridge-building, if you will, between traditional evangelicals and Charismatics/Pentecostals.

Third, "third wavers," especially of the Vineyard sort, increasing make the case, theologically and practically in corporate church experience, that it is the nature and significance of the in-breaking of the kingdom of God and the ministry of Jesus and NOT whether "sign gifts" are for today, as the differentiating reason for why we can continue to expect God to bring healings, prophetic words, deliverances, etc in our midst.

Why does God do these things? Because they are signs - and not the only ones, either - of God, the presence and power of his Kingdom, and the ministry of Jesus actually our midst. If you gathered for church or in a small group with the expectation that God is in our midst, that he is alive and actually desires to interactively communicate His heart, administer his ministry, and bless us in order to make us a blessing to others, pray tell, how could your emotions and affections, let alone your mind and will, not be stirred and compelled? But this explanation, in content and tone, is omitted in Barna's research and reflection as a viable theological explanation for informing and forming so-called "Charismatic/Pentecostal experience."

Fourth, there is a growing number of church movements (e.g., Sam Storms, and other Charismatic and theologically Reformed folks), who would consider themselves "evangelical" but also charismatic. Indeed, this is, perhaps, the real news about the growth of Charismatic and Pentecostal Christianity in the U.S.: its been hugely influential in areas of theology, teaching, worship, music, and overall ecclesial practice among evangelicals, who continue to remain evangelical but with an eagerness to interactively know the living God and practice his presence.

I'm encouraged by what appears to be the genuine growth of Charismatics and Pentecostals in the U.S. Their growth also signals the importance of helping them, and all of us, develop our inner lives in the discipline of Christian formation so that the life of our minds are skilled in virtue, theological knowledge and wisdom, which I demonstrably discuss in Kingdom Triangle (see chapters 4-7).

KT New Year's Resolutions

2008-01-08T08:08:00.000-08:00

If you were to read and apply JP's Kingdom Triangle in 2008, here's what he would encourage as five key resolutions in light of the themes and values of Kingdom Triangle:

I urge people to read the suggested works on pages 200-201 and encourage others to read them.
I will make it my aim to learn about and grow in the supernatural aspects of the Kingdom. I will do this by selecting some of the suggestions from pages 181-187 and doing them.
I will make it my aim to grow in my inner life, especially my emotional warmth. I will ask a loved one or close friend how they experience me, to give me feedback about my emotional distance, coldness and so forth, and together with him/her (or them), I will seek to grow in this area.
I will seek to spread the things in Kingdom Triangle with which I agree. I will form a study group using the book and seek to influence others.
I resolve to spend an afternoon listing my strengths and weaknesses in each leg of the triangle, and identify which leg is my weakness. I will try to find ways to grow in that area and to balance that area with the other two.

Knowledge of Christ in Today's World

2008-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

A few years ago, JP Moreland and the Eidos Christian Center produced an eight lecture CD set with Dallas Willard titled, "Knowledge of Christ in Today's World."

You can listen to a sample here and then the entire CD set can be purchased through the Masters in Apologetics program at Biola University. Follow this link to purchase.

Its a superb summary of Willard's ideas (for Willard newbies), but its also very meaty teaching that wisely demonstrates the importance of the Christian knowledge tradition and its ability to diagnose the culture, which JP further develops in Kingdom Triangle.

Moreland on Foster's Celebration of Discipline

2008-01-03T07:57:00.000-08:00

The Denver Post recently had an article that showed the historical and ecclesiastical significance of Richard Foster and his now thirty-year celebrated Celebration of Discipline.

The second leg of the Kingdom Triangle is the cultivation of a tender heart, a spiritually mature inner life, a life of character and wisdom. Spiritual disciplines, while not exhausting the tools God has given us to develop these traits, represent a time-tested set of exercises unto godliness. But the Western church lost touch with spiritual disciplines, especially the Protestant branch of the church. Richard Foster's Celebration of Discipline is the single, most important book in the last century for restoring these disciplines. It's impact for Christ has been immeasurable.

Some people have rejected Foster's book for extremely harmful and superficial reasons, e.g., his suggestion that we employ visualization is therefore New Age. But this claim violates the logical fallacy of affirming the consequent: If one is a New Age person, then one uses visualization, one uses visualization (Foster), thus one is New Age. New Age folk each, drive cars, and do lots of things that believers do, but that does not make a believer a New Age practitioner. Likewise, there can be more than one reason for using, say, visualization (not to mention more than one way to practice it and more than one meaning to attach to it and more than one way to specify the goal for its employment).

At the end of the day, Foster's book has brough countless believers into a deeper walk with God, and along the way, helped many not to wear their emotional underwear too tightly.

Moreland on Kingdom Triangle at NPC 2007

2007-12-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

Check-out this succinct and thoughtful ten minute interview with JP at the 2007 National Pastor's Conference

Blog responses to ETS Paper and Kingdom Triangle (updated)

2007-12-07T09:49:00.000-08:00

There have been some interesting blog comments about JP's ETS paper and Kingdom Triangle. Helpful examples include posts by

John Mark Reynolds at Biola University (here)
Frank Beckwith at Baylor University (here),
Melinda Penner and Brett Kunkle at Stand to Reason (here and here), and
C. Michael Patton at Converse with Scholars (here).
Paul Copan at Palm Beach Atlantic University and President of the Evangelical Philosophical Society (here)

JP cannot - and nor does he want to - offer responses to all criticisms of his ETS paper or the main ideas presented in Kingdom Triangle.

He has, however, offered a general response to his ETS paper (here) and previously offered a response to some of the main criticisms against Kingdom Triangle (here).

JP welcomes discussion and even criticism of his views. But there is an interesting factor to note with the online responses to JP. If they are critical of the ETS paper or the Kingdom Triangle thesis, there is a remarkable, qualitative difference of tone, texture, and substance to such remarks if they come from people who are personally acquainted with JP and his heart vs. those that accuse - if not slander - him from a relational distance. This phenomenon is not accidental. It reveals not only the heart and mind of what people disagree about, but it is also evidence of how they present both their heart and mind in disagreement.

Moreland's Response to CT Blog

2007-11-20T06:23:00.001-08:00

Here is JP's response to the CT Blog and its comments concerning his ETS paper, "How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What Can Be Done About It":

My paper was read at an academic conference for an audience of professors. Thus, precision was a premium. It was not intended for a lay audience because lay folk have a tendency---and this is not meant to be harsh—of running with ideas beyond the context in which they were originally given. A professorial friend of mine preached at a church I used to attend and argued that, while he was totally against condom distribution in the public schools, nevertheless, a widely used argument by Evangelicals was a bad argument, and he showed why. After the service, I personally heard several parishioners criticize him for promoting condom distribution in the schools!

While I am sure it was well intended, the CT editor’s summary of my paper is generally fair (though the use of “bibliolatry” in the title is a bit sensationalistic—I used it once in my paper and clarified it’s meaning by the over-commitment claim), but it is still a summary, and as such, did not and could not provide the needed context for understanding my paper. What followed was a large number (but by no means all) of misleading, irrelevant and tangential comments that had little and, often, nothing to do with my paper.

In the paper, I make clear that no one could be over-committed to the Bible (the inerrant Word of God) in loving, promoting and seeking to obey it. By over-commitment, I mean specifically that too many Evangelicals do not believe we can have extra-biblical knowledge or justified beliefs about God, morality, and other important, related matters: e.g., the existence of God and some of his attributes; the nature of the moral law and some of the absolutes that constitute it; the nature of the human soul and its functional relationships to the brain, parenting, defense mechanisms, childhood development, etc.; the reality of demons and important information about how they work in a specific culture along with important and effective ways to deal with them; and God’s guidance and speaking though impressions, circumstances, prophetic words, words of knowledge and wisdom, dreams, and so forth. In all these cases, information that is contrary to scripture is to be rejected, but extra-biblical truth and the knowledge thereof is very, very important.

We are harming people terribly, we are embarrassing the cause of Christ, and we are failing to help people appropriate and wisely use these sources of information when we are over-committed to the Bible in and only in the precise sense I define in the paper. It is time for us to mature as a community in this way and overcome the secularist socialization that lead to our over-commitment, a position that I claim in the paper cannot be justified biblically or theologically. Does anyone seriously think that non-Christians who have never seen a Bible have no knowledge of God or the moral law? That folk in Brazil have no knowledge of how demons work even though they have never seen a Bible? That God never speaks to people and guides them in ways that carry an appropriate degree of authority in their lives (under scripture and to the degree they are justified in believing it was God who was guiding them)? Are there abuses in all these areas? Of course, but that was not part of my talk which was, after all, a mere 40 minutes including Q & A!! Besides, the proper response to abuse is not Ostrich-like denial of the reality of these areas of knowledge, but rather, wise and mature usage. Am I becoming a Catholic? I am a Protestant Evangelical of the Third Wave sort, and I have no inclination whatever to change my views on that. Finally, my paper should not be faulted for not addressing things for which I had no time or which I was simply not addressing. Nor should people fault me for a lack of clarity or charge me with “having plenty of explaining to do” when my paper is, in fact, quite clear within the limited scope of my intentions. And please do not attribute to me views or implication that I do not hold or draw.

I am posting a version of my paper on the website for my book: www.kingdomtriangle.com. I would also recommend reading my book Kingdom Triangle (Zondervan; just released about 6 months ago) for additional discussion and bibliography about how to avoid abuses in employing the sorts of extra-biblical knowledge I mention in the paper.

Cheers,
JP Moreland

How Evangelicals Became Over-Committed to the Bible and What can be Done about It

2007-11-19T22:52:00.000-08:00

J.P. Moreland argues that sola scriptura involves a commitment to the final authority of the inerrant word of God in all matters, but not to the idea that it is the sole source of moral and theologically relevant knowledge. Just as an archeological dig could discover more information about an ancient city described in the Bible--though we would not accept alleged discoveries that contradicted scripture--so there are three areas where extra-biblical knowledge is available--knowledge of God and morality in the creation, knowledge of the soul and demons by interacting with and studying them, and knowledge of God's will though guidance in various ways.

Kingdom Triangle is relevant to this paper’s conclusion in three basic ways: First, it provides a commendable balance between a recovery of the Christian mind, renovation of the soul, and a restoration of the Spirit’s power so that an over-emphasis on an extra-biblical source of knowledge is discouraged. Second, it explains what knowledge is and what it is not. Moreover, it answers questions about how one would approach extra-biblical knowledge. Third, it gives more detail about the demonic and God’s guidance and speaking.

Read the entire paper here.

CT Blog on Moreland's ETS paper

2007-11-15T23:19:00.000-08:00

An interesting discussion is developing over at the Christianity Today blog concerning JP's ETS paper. Ted Olsen, Managing Editor of Christianity Today, offers an eye-witness account of the paper's presentation in his recent blog post, "Postcard from San Diego: Fighting 'Bibliolatry' at the Evangelical Theological Society."

Kingdom Triangle 60% Off!

2007-11-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

JP will be doing a one-hour signing of Kingdom Triangle at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society:

Thursday, November 15th from 10:30 am to 11:30 am.

Kingdom Triangle will be on sale for 60% off the cover price (total: $8) both on Wednesday and Thursday.

Buy Kingdom Triangle in bulk! Now is the time. Great Christmas gifts.

JP Moreland and Lee Strobel

2007-11-11T08:02:00.000-08:00

Reasonable Faith in an Uncertain World

Thursday, November 15, 7 pm

College Avenue Baptist Church

San Diego, California

Cost: FREE!

www.apologeticsconference.com

Moreland's Paper to Stir the Most Discussion

2007-11-10T07:26:00.000-08:00

This year, JP is giving a number of papers at the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS) and the Evangelical Philosophical Society's (EPS) annual meeting. In the past, he has even been a plenary speaker at the ETS annual meeting.

The acting President of the ETS, Hassell Bullock (Wheaton College), did interview in Christianity Today, and was asked, "Which papers do you expect will stir the most discussion?" One of the papers he listed was JP's, titled, "Teaching Them to Obey: How Evangelicals Became Overcommitted to the Bible and What We Should Do About It"

Boyd Luter on Kingdom Triangle

2007-11-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Boyd Luter, on his Agree to Disagree Agreeably blog, has devoted four major posts to Kingdom Triangle.

Consider his seasoned and timely interaction of Kingdom Triangle on October 24th, October 29th, October 31st (note JP's comment on the blog), and lastly, November 5th.

In Boyd's final post, he not only offers wise advice about how to maximize the impact of Kingdom Triangle, but concludes the following about JP and his timely book:

... after carefully reading Kingdom Triangle, I cannot help but think in terms of comparison and contrast to the latter ministry efforts of the late Francis Schaeffer. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems to me that Kingdom Triangle is parallel in certain ways to Schaeffer’s A Christian Manifesto, notably in the probing cultural critique it provides roughly a generation after Schaeffer’s piercing and passionate appeal.

However, there is also a huge difference between the two authors and their two timely volumes. Schaeffer’s appeal was for evangelicals to proceed to reclaim the culture from the standpoint of having the proper view of truth and the gospel. Moreland rightly says the church not only possesses the truth and the gospel, but also the power of the Spirit.

As I close, it is worth asking: Was Francis Schaeffer’s challenge in A Christian Manifesto largely greeted by yawns because the evangelical church had become so worldly and comfortable, or because it had become so fleshly (i.e., out of touch with the Holy Spirit)? My answer is “Yes”–it was worldly and comfortable, without a doubt; but it was, and has largely remained, under the control of the flesh, not the Spirit.
Like Francis Schaeffer before him, J.P. Moreland has laid out why our culture is philosophically bankrupt and religiously confused. But, unlike Schaeffer, he has offered not just a clarion call to get off our collective spiritual rear ends, but also a power source that can sustain any individual and corporate transformation that must take place.

I salute this Spirit-led calculated risk of one of evangelicalism’s great minds and hearts (thank you, J.P.!). He has spoken the truth in love, knowing full well that, since those who short-sightedly cling to the fleshly status quo cannot adequately answer his powerful message, they will (and already do) savagely attack the messenger. Why has he done so, then? Because he is trusting the Lord to use his Spirit-led message to awaken many others who will choose to walk in faith, in the power of the Spirit, seeking to be spiritual transformation agents in the spheres of influence where the Lord has placed them. May the Lord multiply their–our–tribe!

Moreland on Haven Today

2007-10-23T15:12:00.000-07:00

JP Moreland was joined with Gary Habermas on Haven Today to do a three part series on "Heaven and Hell ... and Everything in Between."

Listen to part one (10/18), two (10/19) and three (10/22).

The Rise of the Intellectual Charismatics

2007-10-17T16:38:00.000-07:00

JP has been interviewed on Converse with Scholars a couple of times. C. Michael Patton, the host of the online program, recently blogged a rather candid post on the Parchment and Pen theology blog, titled, "The Rise of the Intellectual Charismatics."

The post is worth your notice, along with the dozens of interactive comments, including Moreland's comment toward the beginning.

While I find many of the biblical and theological arguments of cessationism compelling, I would be the first to admit that the primary reason I remain a cessationist is because I have never experienced any miracles, signs, or wonders and I have never seen or heard of a legitimate prophet. If someone were to ask me if I believe that God is still speaking through prophets and giving the gift of healing, I would confess my tentative cessationist beliefs. I have never seen nor heard of a prophet or divine healer, but this does not mean that God is not or cannot work in such a way today.

Moreland at Evangelical Homiletics Society

2007-10-13T15:24:00.000-07:00

La Mirada, CA - October 11-12 - JP gave a plenary address at the annual national meeting of the Evangelical Homiletics Society. The meeting brings together professors of homiletics from seminaries around the country. J. P. spoke on two legs of the Kingdom Triangle--the craft of apologetical preaching and the role of bearing witness to the supernatural aspects of the kingdom as a way of growing faith in a congregation. Several professors had already read the book and were very enthusiastic about it. The reception was exciting and, according to Moreland, "is another indication of the hunger for authentic Kingdom power that is combined with biblical/theological reflection and balance."

The message of the Kingdom Triangle is getting attention and a warm reception.

JP Responds to Kingdom Triangle Questions

2007-09-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Kingdom Triangle has received considerable attention and enthusiastic reception since its release this last spring. The book's list of endorsers reads like a Who's Who across the Evangelical spectrum. J. P. himself states that this is his most important book to date. As he had hoped, Kingdom Triangle has engendered much dialog. From across the web and when he has done Q&A sessions, he has garnered the top eight questions about/criticisms of Kingdom Triangle along with brief responses.

Q1. When you say "restore the Spirit's power" does this mean that if culture is to be transformed its going to be because of us, since we are "restoring the Spirit's power?" In what sense are we to "restore" the Spirit's power? How does God's sovereignty figure into this strategy?

JP: God is sovereign and does whatever He pleases. However, He usually works as a co-laborer with us. This means that there are certain divinely ordained means—prayer, reading the word, fasting, evangelism, etc.—that provided the grounds for God to act with us in the usual case (God sometimes acts in spite of these). So by “restore the Spirit’s power” I mean we are to re-dedicate ourselves to doing what God has commanded us to do, to doing what is according to our and the Kingdom’s nature, to provide co-labor with the Spirit.

Q2. Do you endorse a postmillennial reconstructionist viewpoint? Dominion theology or restorationism? One gets this impression by your call to "restore the Spirit's power?" If not, why not. Moreover, you act as though American evangelicals should run the world for God (The "we" in the book seems to mostly be Christians in America). Do you hope for an Americanized Christiandom where conservative family values run the world?

JP: I am not a reconstructionist in any sense of the term. The church and the state have different divinely appointed spheres of authority. My language in KT is about being the church as best we can, not directly about the state or political issues (though, of course, being a Kingdom-triangle Christian will impact the broader culture by out thought and lives). We have the resources in the Bible, the Kingdom, and the Spirit to become individuals and communities that lead the way as to how to live a life pleasing to God and conducive the ideal (divinely designed) human flourishing. In the book I indicate with considerable joy how the body of Christ outside North America is taking the lead worldwide. I speak to American Christians primarily because I understand our history and cannot write with authority about the history of Christianity in other countries, and because it is largely American Christians who purchase Zondervan books. Thus, I address those most likely to read my writings.

Q3. In KT, why do you only mention typical American "social ills" (e.g., pornography, abortion, homosexuality) and not other social-spiritual problems (e.g., poverty globalization, unbridled capitalism, racism, ethnic cleansing/genocide, Christian persecution, and the growth of neo-paganism,)?

JP: There is one main reason for my selective references here: I believe that the sexual issues are more towards the core of the worldview shift since that shift has brought about a rejection of non-empirical knowledge and truth and, in its place, the absolutization of satisfaction of physical desire. It isn’t that the sexual issues are more important, ethically speaking. It’s that, ideationally speaking, I take them to be more closely related to the ideational thematic of the first four chapters of Kingdom Triangle.

Q4. You claim that the solution to the "cultural crisis" is really the "Christian worldview"? But isn't the solution not a worldview but the triune God? Please explain.

JP: This question is a red herring. No one who is a Christian could believe anything other than the fact that it is God Himself who is the solution to humanities ills. That is obvious. My book is written to thoughtful Christians, not baby converts, who don’t need to have the obvious pointed out to them. I assumed in writing KT at the level I did a certain level of maturity on the part of my readership. It is hard enough to get everything you want to say in the publisher’s page limits. It would be impossible to say what you want to say if you had to constantly note things too obvious to require mention. Moreover, for our part, we are not God. God is God and will do what He is going to do. However, grasping, embracing and practicing the teachings of the Bible (and more generally, a Christian worldview) is, in fact, something we can do. In this sense, a Christian worldview (grasping, embracing, and so forth) IS the solution for doing our part. Finally, one part of the Christian worldview is the very teaching underlying this question—that it is God Himself who is our hope. By making the Christian worldview front and center, we are actually pointed in a direction beyond that worldview (to God).

Q5. You frequently refer back to the 1800s as an opportune time for Christians interfacing with culture. Are you nostalgic for the past and uncomfortable about the present and future? Please explain.

JP: I have no nostalgia for the past, and I am both comfortable with and uncomfortable with the present and future. I see much for which to give thanks currently and much that is wrong and needs to be changed. I sense the same regarding the future. My mention of the 1800s is in KT because the information I communicate is historically true. It is during that period that the church, the structures of the culture (e.g., colleges), and the general population were more influenced by Holy Scripture. It is a simple fact that we have been secularized since then. It is also a simple fact that the church’s failure to deal with the leadership opportunities before it is a major factor in the subsequent secularization. We need to learn from this failure and not repeat it.

Q6. In KT and Lost Virtue of Happiness, it appears that you encourage some a form of non-rational "affective meditation" in our hearts that sounds like New Age meditation. Is this true? If not, why not?

JP: This is the worst objection possible and, to be honest, it is embarrassing that our Evangelical community is a place in which this sort of item could be raised. Four points: 1) The objection violates the logical fallacy of affirming the consequent. The logically valid modus ponens goes: If P, then Q. P. Therefore, Q. (If it is raining then it is wet. It’s raining. Therefore, it’s wet.) Affirming the consequent goes: If P, then Q. Q. Therefore, P. (If it is raining then it is wet. It’s wet. Therefore, it’s raining.) By way of application: If one is a Buddhist (New Ager, etc.), then one does x (eats food, breathes oxygen, uses visual imagery, breathing techniques, affective meditation in the heart area, etc.). One does x. Therefore, one is a Buddhist (or is practicing Buddhism). Some things are true and helpful in spite of the fact that Buddhists et. al. employ them. 2) Paul’s teaching about meat sacrificed to idols instructs us in two things. First, even though this meat was sacrificed to an idol, indeed, according to Paul, to a demon, there is nothing intrinsically wrong with the meat or with eating it. Second, it is the symbolic association with the pagan religious practices that are at issue. If the meat (or eating it) is disassociated with those practices, Paul does not condemn eating it. If some practice x (that is not intrinsically evil such as temple prostitution) is disassociated from the religious associations, there is nothing wrong with x (unless it is otherwise evil). 3) I am among those who take the body and its role in spiritual formation seriously. Accordingly, I believe that the soul stores emotions, habits, etc. in different areas of the body. The term “heart” has many different meanings, but when it is used for the deepest affective, intuitive aspect of the person, I ask “Why was a term associated with the physical heart used to express this aspect.” I think it is because that bodily part is the locus of where the soul stores affective states. And just as the self uses the eyes to see and the ears to hear, I believe the self uses the heart to be aware intuitively of various things. Thus, in these contexts, “heart” is more than an arbitrary figure of speech. It is a figure of speech with a literal component referring to a body part that is relevant to the figure. 4) My use of the heartmath technique of meditation is taken from medical science (and my understanding of biblical anthropology just expressed) not from New Age religion. The medical community is reaching a consensus that heartmath exercises are essential to a healthy emotional life in certain circumstances.

Q7. You seem to emphasize a subjective, almost alway emotional "experiential Christianity," which relies on personal revelation directly from God, and would consequently minimize the normative authority of scripture as the Word of God in a person's life. Is personal revelation or the Word of God the final arbitrator of what is true? Please explain.

JP: The inerrant, written Word of God is our ultimate authority by which all practices and beliefs are to be judged. But God leads, guides, speaks in various ways in addition to this. Experience is crucial for a healthy Christian life (the love of God, conviction of sin, and so on), and it is a strawman to imply that one cannot be concerned to grow in this way without being an extreme subjectivist. No one who has read my writing for twenty years or so would think that I am in favor of the latter.

Q8. I know you say that Christians cannot be possessed but can be demonized. But isn't it also likely that the so-called "demonized Christian" was never a Christian? Or, perhaps they are a Christian, but simply behaving sinfully. Can you offer examples from first-hand experience of what it looks like for Christians to be demonized? Have you ever been demonized? In short, how do you discern what is demonization vs. sinful behavior?

JP: Many leading Evangelical experts on demonology (Clint Arnold, C. Fred Dickenson) hold that Christians can be demonized. Even if they are wrong, there are too many first-rate conservative scholars who hold to this to believe the view is dangerous or harmful. At the end of the day, it is irrelevant anyway. The important thing is that we Christians can be deeply harassed by demons, they play a much bigger role in our problems that we Western Christians usually think, and it is time for us to align ourselves with our brothers and sisters throughout most of the world outside North America and Europe and re-adopt a biblical worldview on this matter. I give references in Kingdom Triangle for further study on this.

Calling all Moreland Book Reviewers!

2007-08-08T08:56:00.000-07:00

Do you have a blog or website that has at least 10,000 hits to date?

Do you like to read and review books by JP Moreland?

Would you like to receive a FREE copy of KINGDOM TRIANGLE?

We welcome at least 300 word online reviews about KINGDOM TRIANGLE, which you would be willing to place on your blog or website.

E-mail jgorra@kingdomtriangle.com to share your interest and to receive further details!

Noteworthy Discussion on the Web

2007-08-06T10:50:00.000-07:00

- Paul Kuritz, Professor of Theatre at Bates College, heard about Kingdom Triangle through Don Williams' KingdomRain.net bookclub and decided to review KT and interview JP on his blog.

- Tom Gilson, a strategic planner for Campus Crusade for Christ, has an extended review at ThinkingChristian.net

"Recovering the Christian mind, renovating the soul, seeing again the Spirit's power: in a world grown thin, Kingdom Triangle offers real substance. I expect that twice through this book will not be enough for me--I'll back in it again before much time goes by."

- Interesting reviews on Amazon.com

"I highly recommend KINGDOM TRIANGLE to anyone sensing that something is lacking in modern American churches and who wish a new perspective on how to renovate their own hearts individually and the church corporately. In fact, I enjoyed the book so much that its thesis was the primarily topic in a sermon I recently preached as a guest speaker."
- Dan Story

"This book profoundly disturbed me. It brought to light many things within myself that I had known but managed to never directly addressed.

I am a avid fan of J.P. Moreland, and as such there was not much in this book that I was not already familiar with, including many of the examples. Around pg 130 or so the stuff that distinguishes this book as different from his others crops up. There is one page in that book that I find to be worth the price of the book alone. And that is in distinguishing between what one says they believe and on the surface claims to believe, with what they actually believe. It helped me to realize that for all practical purposes I had been living like a functional deist.

I don't know what to do with some of the latter chapters and it will require a lot of reflection, but I think this is also one of the books greatest strengths, in putting something in front of virtually everyone that will challenge them to analyze themselves, and where they are at with God."
- D. Westfall

Moreland Interviewed on Seize the Day

2007-08-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

- August 2 - JP was interviewed on Sirius' Catholic Channel program "Seize the Day."

This was a unique opportunity to talk about Kingdom Triangle beyond a typical Evangelical Protestant audience.

"I can't imagine the interview going any better," said JP.

"We avoided discussing areas of difference between Catholics and us Evangelicals, and for the purposes of the show, focused on the three legs of the triangle. It was a wonderful time and I am sure it will open avenues for Kingdom Triangle into the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox branches of the church."

What is Christianity?

2007-08-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

In Kingdom Triangle, JP repeatedly makes the point that Christianity is fundamentally a "knowledge tradition" and not a "faith tradition" (see page 230 of the index, under "faith" and "knowledge tradition," for further references).

Why do you think JP makes this distinction?
What difference does it make?
Do you tend to live your life as though Christianity is a faith tradition or a knowledge tradition?

We invite comments to this post.

Moreland Interviewed on Stand to Reason

2007-07-23T09:30:00.000-07:00

Southern California - July 22 - JP did an hour long radio interview with Stand to Reason's President & Founder Greg Koukl.

The entire hour was devoted to highlighting the unique importance of Kingdom Triangle.

JP said:

"As always, Koukl did a masterful job of directing the interview towards the central themes of the topic. We spent a good bit of time on the worldview issues surrounding the impact of naturalism and postmodernism and the acceptance of non-empirical knowledge and we talked about how to recover the idea that Christianity is not only true, but it can be known to be true. This subject is the focus of three chapters in Kingdom Triangle and, to my knowledge, the salient points are not available currently in other books, including my own. It was important for Koukl to focus on this as he did. We went on to talk about spiritual formation and Kingdom power in ways that respond to mis-informed criticism of Evangelical appropriation of these matters."

Moreland Speaks at National Worship Conference

2007-07-21T10:23:00.000-07:00

Anaheim, CA - July 19-20 - JP was a plenary and workshop speaker at the Anahaim Vineyard's annual "In His Presence" worship conference.

JP did over three hours of training on worldview analysis and the nature of truth and knowledge.

Several hundred people were in attendance at the conference.

"Two things stood out to me about the time," said JP.

"First, believers from the Third Wave and Charismatic/Pentecostal branches of the church are open to and hungry for the life of the mind. Too often, however, those who value the intellectual life ridicule or are antagonistic towards folks in these branches. This has to stop. We can have principled disagreements but don't need to get nasty. Moreover, those outside these branches who value the life of the mind can minister to these believers if they will reach out to them in spite of difference theologically. Second, People are not used to seeing Christian intellectuals who are also interested in and actually practice spiritual formation and ministering out of the supernatural aspects of the Kingdom. Several told me that it was refreshing and, indeed, paradigm-altering to see a book - Kingdom Triangle - that breaks stereotypes and embraces all three legs of the triangle.

Update: Moreland Unpacks the Crisis of our Age

2007-07-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

July 17-18 - JP was asked to return to Summit Ministries, where he spoke to several hundred students from around the country, including an informal Q&A with Dr. Frank Beckwith from Baylor University.

Several copies of Kingdom Triangle were sold and students expressed great interest in its themes.

- Previously -

Manitoba Springs, CO, June 11-12 - JP Moreland spoke four times to around 200 high school and college students from all over the country.

His lectures covered important themes more fully developed in the first four chapters of Kingdom Triangle. In particular, JP taught the students about the importance of worldview thinking, of understanding the inner logic of and being able to respond to the worldviews of scientific naturalism and postmodernism all the while offering a case for the nature of knowledge, truth, and objective reason.

In one of the sessions, JP held an hour long Q&A with over 70 students.

The event was sponsored by Dr. David Noebel's Summit Ministries, a worldview training center just outside of Colorado Springs, CO.

Moreland Speaks to International Students & Scholars

2007-07-15T09:30:00.000-07:00

Kansas City, MO - July 12-14 - JP joined several colleagues to speak at a conference for international students and scholars called, "Truth Under Deconstruction: Presenting Christ in a Relativistic World."

The event was sponsored by the International Institute for Christian Studies.

Several hundred were in attendance, coming from around the U.S. and Europe.

JP spoke on Christian exclusivism, on the nature of truth, presuppositions and worldview. Among other things, he called specific attention to the three themes of
Kingdom Triangle.

"The entire conference was very warm, intelligent, and exciting," said JP.

The bookstore at the conference sold out of all the copies of Kingdom Triangle in about thirty minutes.

When JP spoke about his own personal acquaintance with supernatural manifestations of the Kingdom of God, this was received with thoughtful discussion and the mutual sharing of stories of what has been seen of God's work abroad.

The Unconventional Manner of Kingdom Triangle Living

2007-06-27T06:43:00.000-07:00

JP says that the three elements of the Kingdom Triangle were central to Jesus' ministry in the Gospels, in Acts, and in the first four centuries of the church. In light of the important interrelationship of these elements, JP asks,

"Why can't one be intellectually careful, emotionally together, and comfortable with a life of intimacy with God and a vibrant inner life, and one who is learning to be naturally supernatural?" (page 196)

How do you respond? How does this quote rub you? (The comments feature is enabled on this blog post).

Do you or your church experience a tension, perhaps a hindrance, when attempting to integrate all three elements of the Kingdom Triangle?

Why do we sometimes profess in our theology or live our life (individually or corporately) as though the three elements identified in the Kingdom Triangle are somehow against each other?

Moreland Speaks at The River

2007-06-25T07:39:00.001-07:00

Tustin, CA - Sunday, June 24 - JP spoke at an exciting and innovative church called The River.

Pastored by Collin Cumbee, The River is a growing Vineyard church in Tustin, California, and it is already a fellowship of believers that practices all three legs of the Kingdom Triangle.

The service went very well and JP stayed for an outdoor lunch with parishioners. "The constant feedback I got," says Moreland, "is that people were moved and encouraged by the idea of striving for a balance of all three legs. This was a new idea to them and seemed to be helpful. "

A number of people purchased books to send to pastors and lay leaders in other parts of the country.

Moreland Introduces Alpha

2007-06-23T07:41:00.000-07:00

Pasadena, CA - June 22 - JP opened up the Alpha Training Workshop at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, California.

The workshop was for lay and pastoral leaders from churches all over Southern California (a few attended from other states) who facilitate evangelistic efforts in their churches.

Alpha's philosophy of ministry and evangelism is at the heart of the main themes in the Kingdom Triangle, and Workshop coordinator Marti Clark invited JP because of his reputation in evangelism and, more importantly, because she believes that Kingdom Triangle has put into book form what Alpha is all about. Moreland introduced the conference to the three legs of the triangle and was very warmly received.

Wilberforce Forum Leader Reviews Moreland

2007-06-22T08:02:00.001-07:00

T.M Moore, an author, editor, and dean of the Centurions Program of the Wilberforce Forum, offers a handsome review of Kingdom Triangle. Moore advises the following:

"If you only read one book by a philosopher this summer, read Kingdom Triangle. You’ll be impressed by J.P.’s grasp of the issues, the sweep of his critique of contemporary thought, and the laser-like focus of his recommendations. You’ll also be amazed to hear a philosopher speaking so personally, clearly, and boldly about the practical way out of our contemporary intellectual, moral, and spiritual morass."

And also here ...

"Moreland is his usual straight-up-get-a-life self in calling the followers of Christ to stop making excuses for insipidity in the spiritual life and roll up their sleeves and get to work on the disciplines needed to renew our souls."

Lastly,

"When J.P. and I were in college together, I suppose he would have been right above me in my list of guys least likely to do anything really too serious in Christian work. His life is proof that God can change anyone who has a willing heart. What a delight it is to see him standing forth as an accomplished voice of reason, spirit, and truth against the fleeing darkness of radical unbelief. J.P. Moreland has much to teach us, and Kingdom Triangle is as good a place to begin going to school with him as any he has written yet."

Moreland Interview on Converse with Scholars!

2007-06-22T07:40:00.000-07:00

June 21, 2007 - J. P. had the joy of speaking and taking questions for an hour and forty-five minutes on a live podcast of "Converse with Scholars."

Converse with Scholars is a live, on-line classroom that serves as a part of Reclaiming the Mind Ministries. During the podcast, host Michael Patton and students logged-on from around the country listened to Dr. Moreland and had the chance to interact with him. Moreland has high praise for this ministry and considers it a real honor to be able to stand behind Patton and his cohorts.

"The questions were all excellent," says Moreland. Since many of the students were new to Kingdom Triangle's emphasis on the power of the Spirit and Kingdom, Moreland thought it was especially fruitful to have a warm, honest dialogue about this third leg.

Christian School Board Member Supplies Kingdom Triangle to Faculty and Staff

2007-06-15T14:46:00.000-07:00

Costa Mesa, CA - June 15 - Paul Wolfe, a long-standing board member of the prestigious Mariner's Christian School, purchased several copies of Kingdom Triangle for the school's entire faculty and staff.

Wolfe stated that "the worldview analysis, the treatment of the nature of knowledge, and the wholistic view of Christian discipleship is something that is of great importance for Christian education."

He hopes his example will encourage board members of other Christian schools to do the same.

Similarily, Ken Smitherman, President of the Association of Christian Schools International, said the following about Kingdom Triangle:

"[Moreland] takes the reader on a journey to pursue a life that is well lived, consisting of virtue and character, and one that manifests wisdom, kindness, and goodness."

Distinguishing Classical Happiness from Contemporary Happiness

2007-06-11T06:38:00.000-07:00

Pomona, CA, June 10 - JP spoke at all three services at Pomona First Baptist Church, which included a total crowd of at least 1500 people.

JP talked about the difference between "classical" sense of happiness (flourishing in a life of character and virtue) vs. the "contemporary" sense of happiness (seeking pleasurable satisfaction). He showed that for many people the classical sense has collapsed into the contemporary sense because "people have stopped living for a larger purpose and are obsessed with personal satisfaction." Moreover, "Pleasure has replaced purpose, a flat stomach is preferred to character and meaning."

As he shows in Kingdom Triangle (especially, chapter 1, 4, and 6), JP argues that the way of Jesus is the way of true happiness, in the classical sense. Jesus' way is an invitation into what it means to truly live; to truly experience what it means to be alive.

Kingdom Triangle at the Mars Hill Forum

2007-06-09T08:05:00.000-07:00

Carlsbad, CA, June 8 - The North Coast Calvary Chapel featured JP and his Kingdom Triangle at this year's "Mars Hill Forum."

JP did a snapshot look at the meaning and importance of Kingdom Triangle. According to JP, "the atmosphere was very exciting ... The Mars Hill folks are to be thanked for their faithfulness over the years."

Nearly 150 copies of Kingdom Triangle were sold to an audience of about 250. It was observed that many people purchased copies to send to influential Christian leaders in other parts of the country. Nancy, an event coordinator, made the following observation:

"For many years, JP has been known for his commitment to restoring clear thinking and the importance of the mind to evangelical Christianity - so he has a lot of credibility when he speaks of the other legs of the triangle. First of all, its clear that he's thought these issues through carefully. Second, anyone who's been interested in apologetics and clear thinking (or encounters such people) has to take care to keep a tender heart and emotional balance. In this regard, JP's insights and exhortations are much appreciated. Third, I think Christians appreciate a way to embrace the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the Body today that doesn't leave behind clear thinking and is not superstitious or sensational."

Well said! The evening ended with a Q&A time. For nearly an hour afterwards, people talked with JP and got their books autographed.

Several Thousand Hear JP at Rock Harbor

2007-06-05T17:16:00.000-07:00

Costa Mesa, CA, June 2, 3, 4 - During the course of a three day speaking engagement, JP addressed something like 5,000 people at Rock Harbor. JP spoke Saturday evening, then at two services on Sunday morning, and concluded on Monday evening.

He spoke about the three legs of Kingdom Triangle as a way forward towards individual and church maturity in the postmodern world. "My heart for Rock Harbor is that they would mature as a light in the world and be a vibrant church for years to come," said JP.

The event concluded on Monday night with a well-attended Q&A with JP and teaching pastor Mike Erre, encouraging people to be honest and open with their questions and doubts.

"The time was shockingly wonderful. I love the dear folks at Rock Harbor and have the utmost respect for Mike Erre and the other staff--they are all so dear to me. I had rich interaction with dozens and dozens of folks, and I believe the Lord Jesus was pleased with the time. I am encouraged that we sold 800 copies of Kingdom Triangle because this is sure to impact the church and spread from there to other churches."

* To book JP for future speaking engagements, contact kingdomtriangle@gmail.com

JP Interview with Zondervan Mobile

2007-06-04T10:46:00.000-07:00

Zondervan Mobile, which has 10,000-plus subscribers, did a"weekly author interview" with JP. See here.

Q: How and why are these "essential ingredients" of the Kingdom Triangle necessary and interrelated?

In the book of Acts and the first four centuries of the church before she became too "successful" and too "organized," the three legs of the Kingdom Triangle were the central aspects to church planting, evangelism, spiritual growth, and discipleship. And it's extremely important that all three are valued, wisely practiced, sought, and taught as part of the church's self-identity. If we have a recovery of the Christian mind and of theology as a source of knowledge and not merely true belief without the cultivation of an inner tenderness and an affective, mystical spiritual life, we become arrogant, we live in our heads, and we try to control things too much. If we have inner-life spiritual disciplines and formation without Kingdom power, it can degenerate into a Christianized self-help program. If we have Kingdom power without the life of the mind, it can become anti-intellectual, extremist, and harmful.

"I want to foment a revolution!"

2007-05-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

La Mirada, CA, May 29 - Over 500 people attended the Southern California "pre-release" of Kingdom Triangle at Biola University. "I want to foment a revolution in evangelical thought and life," JP declared.

Over 400 copies of the book were sold at the event. Several people purchased multiple copies for group study and to give as graduation and Father's Day gifts. JP stressed the importance of not merely reading Kingdom Triangle, but actually studying it, arguing over its ideas, and strategically finding ways and means to implement its ideas into our individual lives and churches. The end-of-chapter study questions aid in this endeavor.

Kingdom Triangle is not just a manifesto to the church, but it reveals the sort of values and priorities that will occupy JP Moreland for the rest of his life. For example, he intends to spend the rest of his life calling the church to "recover her confidence that she is in possession of spiritual and ethical knowledge about reality." He stressed that we should read scripture and study theology because it actually gives us knowledge about reality and not merely the means to form privately held true beliefs. Moreland also intends to spend the rest of his life encouraging us to pay attention to the formation of our heart in cooperation with the Spirit's work "so that we don't become people who are content to live in our heads" while our souls and relationships remain unformed or even malformed. Finally, yet importantly for JP, "restoring the Spirit's power" to our individual lives and our gathering as the church is absolutely essential if we are to meaningfully live in the fullness of God's Kingdom.

"Each year, I ask myself this question: How much of my life and ministry last year required the existence of the Christian God to explain it? How much would have happened if God did not exist? Here's the point: Life in the Kingdom - corporately in our churches and individually - is a supernatural collaborating with God in which we both matter. I matter because God wants to use me and you. But I should also expect and look for where the Kingdom is breaking out around and in my life and I should expect that the effects produced by my life and efforts should not be explainable solely by my talent."

The evening ended with a brief time for Q&A and a book signing. But as people were leaving the event, some people were receiving healing prayer and encouragement from some of JP's closest friends who fellowship at his home church, the Anaheim Vineyard. In one sense, offering opportunity to receive prayer at a "book release" event is unconventional. But then again, JP's Kingdom Triangle is not a conventional book about the "cultural crisis" or the solution to that crisis. Giving people opportunity to be encouraged in prayer complimented the heart of the event, which was about casting a vision of the Kingdom that includes a confident expectation of God to "show-up and demonstrate his power and presence in our midst."

The 5/29 event was hosted by the Christian Apologetics Program at Biola University. JP acknowledged that they are a first-rank source for maturing and being equipped as a disciple in the Kingdom. They also have the largest collection of JP Moreland audio. For a listing of their audio collection, contact audio.archives@biola.edu.

"The Decade's Most Important Book"

2007-05-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Matt Anderson, a notable blogger at Mere Orthodoxy, declares Kingdom Triangle to be "the decade's most important book."

Ultimately, the vision for Christianity that Dr. Moreland outlines–a vision, he points out, which is not original to him–demands that each of us grow in our areas of weakness. We are, I think, better at some legs of the triangle than others. But Dr. Moreland challenges us to recognize that having one or two of the legs is not enough if we wish to be robust and effective proponents of the Gospel. We must recover all three if we wish to rescue the Church from cultural impotence, and discover the sort of dramatic lifestyles for which we were created.

If you buy and read one book in this decade, make it this one. If you buy one book for your pastor this decade, make it this one. If you buy one book for your small group leader, make it this one.

Welcome to the Kingdom Triangle Discussions

2007-05-25T23:52:00.000-07:00

Welcome!

Here we will post thoughts and excerpts from the book along with interesting asides. Visit often.