2016

Unhappy Holidays? How Brokenness Leads to True Joy

Grandpa was sitting by himself, and what might have been idyllic in different circumstances turned heartbreaking.

Llambés siblings find second home at Boyce College

Moving from their family’s missionary work in Latin America to Louisville, Kentucky, the three Llambés siblings have flourished together at the same school.

Morgan Edwards on the necessity of patience

Transcribed excerpts from his sermon “Add to your faith — patience” (2 Peter 1:5– 6) preached on Oct. 10, 1756.

Heart dynamics: Pierre discusses new book on counseling

Editor’s Note: In what follows, Jeremy Pierre, SBTS professor of biblical counseling and dean of student life, talks with Towers writer Andrew J.W. Smith about his book The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life. AJWS: What was your primary goal in writing this book? JP: Proverbs 20:5 says, “The purpose in a man’s heart is like…

Feature review: ‘The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life’

The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life: Connecting Christ to the Human Experience by Jeremy Pierre (New Growth Press, 2016, $19.99) The human heart is complex, and each of our responses to life circumstances indicate a deeper spiritual condition, writes Jeremy Pierre, SBTS associate professor of biblical counseling, in his new book The Dynamic Heart in Daily Life.…

Book reviews: ‘Eight Women of Faith’; ‘The Mestizo Augustine’; ‘God’s Word Alone’; ‘Unlimited Grace’

Eight Women of Faith by Michael A.G. Haykin (Crossway, 2016, $14.99) Review by Annie Corser Eight Women of Faith represents a unique collection of biographies of influential women of faith between the 14th and 19th centuries. Michael A.G. Haykin, professor of church history and biblical spirituality at Southern Seminary, sought to recognize the importance of women’s roles…

3 Questions with Andy Naselli

3 Questions with Andy Naselli, assistant professor of New Testament and theology at Bethlehem Baptist College & Seminary 1. What advice would you give to students considering doctoral studies, but unsure whether they should pursue them?  Think through diagnostic questions such as these: What do you want to do with a Ph.D.? Would a different…

Towers | December-January 2017

Comic books and the gospel: Our longing for escape and redemption

The growing cultural phenomenon surrounding comic books and the escape from the pressures of normal life.

Marvelous metanarratives: Remnants of a Christian worldview

“Comics are the new Bible,” film critic Anne Billson recently declared, “and devotees never tire of seeing their idols save the world.” Her elevation of comic books to canonical status is certainly overstated, but she may be quite correct in suggesting that part of the current appeal of comics is their openness to the supernatural.…

Heroes of the ‘Hardshells’: The other 1980s comic about turtles

Created by then-M.Div. student Tom Williams, two years before the comic book debut of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, a band of anthropomorphic terrapins graced the pages of Towers.

Missional apologetics: Mark Coppenger’s journey from the military to the mission field

From playing trumpet in the same band as former President Bill Clinton to getting bitten on the lip by a rat in Africa, Mark T. Coppenger has had a wide range of interesting and instructive experiences.

Confessing the faith: Mohler on the importance of Southern’s Abstract of Principles

EDITOR’S NOTE:   In what follows, Southern Seminary President R. Albert Mohler Jr. discusses the new SBTS Press title, Confessing the Faith: The Living Legacy of Southern Seminary’s Abstract of Principles, with Towers editor S. Craig Sanders. CS: The title of your introduction is “Confessional Integrity: The Abstract of Principles Then and Now.” What has changed…

Feature review: ‘Confessing the Faith: The Living Legacy of Southern Seminary’s Abstract of Principles’

R. Albert Mohler Jr., editor Confessing the Faith: The Living Legacy of Southern Seminary’s Abstract of Principles (SBTS Press 2016, $16.99) Three decades ago, when R. Albert Mohler Jr. enrolled as a student at Southern Seminary, some of his professors openly disagreed with the institution’s confession of faith. Written by Basil Manly Jr. in 1858 as the…

Book reviews: ‘Leadership Mosaic’;’Transgender’; ‘Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel’; ‘Do More Better’

Leadership Mosaic: 5 Leadership Principles for Ministry and Everyday Life Daniel Montgomery with Jared Kennedy Review by Craig S. Sanders You should judge this book by its cover. When I received my review copy of Leadership Mosaic, I marveled at artist Don Clark’s illustrations depicting the five leadership principles Sojourn Community Church pastors Daniel Montgomery and…

3 Questions with Gray Havens

EDITOR’S NOTE: David Redford is the lead singer of the Christian folk band, Gray Havens.  1. Are there authors or artists who have influenced the style you and your wife have developed? Listening to sermons expositing Scripture and lectures taught me what to say, and stories — like The Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia — taught me how to…

Towers | November 2016

2016 Election: A guide for Christian citizens on issues that matter

With two unsavory options on the 2016 presidential ballot for Nov. 8, many evangelicals do not feel represented in the issues they care about and feel increasingly ostracized from political discourse. In a recent interview with Towers, SBTS President R. Albert Mohler Jr. encouraged the seminary community to discuss the various aspects of this complex…

#NeverTrump and #NeverHillary? 3 reasons why you should still vote

For many American Christians, Election 2016 presents a troubling dilemma. Some say that it’s unlike any dilemma they’ve faced in their lifetime, while others are frustrated to meet this kind of dilemma yet again. Regardless of which one is true, the problem is the same for these believers: They cannot in good conscience cast a…

Jimmy Carter and the SBC

When Jimmy Carter’s presidential term was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 1977, he became the first U.S. president to be affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention. At the time, it was an affiliation he embraced, and the denomination embraced him in return. That year, President Carter participated in a short video, “In an Act of Love,”…

From racial wounds to gospel healing, ONE co-founder Latevia Priddy pursues justice and racial reconciliation

Latevia Priddy, an African-American student at Southern Seminary, knows what it is like to be stereotyped because of the color of her skin. “My story would tell you that I would hate white people,” she said. Growing up in the projects of Paducah, Kentucky, Priddy realized that being poor and African-American ostracized her in many…