FROM THE HILL: Yuille releases new book, Darling comments on voting, abortion, and more

“From the Hill” is a regular series highlighting the work of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and Texas Baptist College’s faculty. Check back here regularly to find articles, blogs, podcasts, interviews, and more.

“No babies at the barstool?” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “A recent Politico piece highlighted tensions between so-called ‘barstool conservatives’ and traditional conservatives for control of the Republican Party. The term ‘barstool conservatives’ was originally coined by Matthew Walter in The Week. Most recently, they are the subject of a widely discussed New York Times Magazine cover article by conservative writer Nate Hochman.”

“The Fullness of Time: Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians” (published by H&e Publishing), written by J. Stephen Yuille, professor of pastoral theology and spiritual formation

• “How can sinners be righteous in God’s sight? Is there a more important question than this? The answer is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. In a word, Christ does it all. He achieves righteousness in his obedience, and he satisfies God’s offended justice by his death upon the cross. The implication is that we’re completely passive. We simply receive Christ through faith and, as a result, ‘we become the righteousness of God in him’ (2 Cor. 5:21). Our faith pays nothing, merits nothing, and contributes nothing. That’s exceedingly good news! But what happens if we add something to this good news? Intentionally or not, we end up denying the sole sufficiency of Christ. This was the case among the churches of Galatia, and it is what caused the apostle Paul to put pen to paper and provide a powerful and persuasive defense of the gospel. In The Fullness of Time, Dr. J. Stephen Yuille traces Paul’s defense and, in so doing, provides a soul-refreshing analysis of this glorious truth-Christ’s sole sufficiency. Here indeed is the difference between feast and famine, fullness and emptiness, an eternity of joy and an eternity of sorrow.”

“Why limits are good” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “What comes to mind when you hear the phrase, ‘You’re only human’? Christian scholar and author Kelly Kapic would like people to respond with a hearty affirmation. Yet, even for most Christians, the limits of our humanity seem like a defect, a consequence of Adam’s dalliance with the devil, and something to be overcome.”

“Voting just one of Christians’ political responsibilities, Darling says” (article on Baptist Press), interviewing Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “As the fall election season approaches, professor and author Daniel Darling said voting is just one of the responsibilities Christians have when it comes to political engagement.”

“Hey, GOP: Don’t run from the abortion fight” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “This week, U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduced federal legislation that would ban abortions after 15 weeks. In response, most major media labeled this an election-year blunder, sure to drive away moderate suburban voters. This is expected, of course, because coverage of abortion is where mainstream journalists reveal their most cherished biases. But more distressing for conservatives is the reaction of many GOP leaders and congressional candidates.”

“It’s Time for a Return to Virtue” (article on The Dispatch), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “If you care about religious liberty, as I do, then you should feel pretty good about the current moment, decades in the making. Almost 30 years ago, Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act in near unanimous fashion. It was supported by an unusual coalition of organizations, including the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and the American Civil Liberties Union.”

“Scripture engagement, in-person church key to solving evangelicals’ belief crisis, experts say” (article on The Washington Times), featuring comments from Gregory A. Wills, dean of the School of Theology; professor of church history and Baptist heritage; senior fellow of the B.H. Carroll Center for Baptist Heritage and Mission

• “We who are called by the churches as pastors, teachers and elders must redouble our prayers, our labors and our love among the saints in order to teach the Word of God and in order to, by God’s mercy, deepen our faith in everything that God has spoken,” he said. “Every sin begins with a distrust of … God’s word, either in the truth of God’s word or in the practical benefits of that truth.”

“Churches Declare Their Stance on Pastorship Through Ordination” (article on SBC Life), featuring comments from Juan Sanchez, associate professor of theology

• “There may be nuances related to ordination and how it is observed from one church to another, but the qualifications for the pastor role are crystal clear, said a collection of Southern Baptist pastors and leaders.”

“A high, and stressful, calling” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “Earlier this year, The Barna Research Group reported that 42 percent of pastors nationwide considered resigning in the last year, up from 29 percent in 2021. The role of the pastor has always been a difficult calling since Paul urged his young protégé, Timothy, to ‘stand strong in the grace of Jesus Christ’ and ‘endure suffering as a good soldier’ (2 Timothy 2:3). Yet, we might live in one of the most challenging environments for the pastorate in decades. An increasingly polarized populace, combined with racial tensions, pandemic after-effects, disunity in the church, and the largely negative impact of social media, are a toxic stew that makes leadership difficult.”

“As Church Staffs Grow, Ministry Leaders Look to the Bible for Titles” (article on SBC Life), featuring comments from Juan Sanchez, associate professor of theology

• “For generations of Southern Baptist churches, the term ‘pastor’ had a clear and rarely debated meaning. He was the man who preached on Sundays and led the church throughout the week.”

“The myth of the Republican church” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “If you have been reading most political and religious coverage over the last several years, you’ll come away thinking that the biggest threat to American democracy are evangelical Christians, and especially those who attend church every week. A virtual cottage industry supports an endless stream of articles, books, sermons, and podcasts that give the impression that Sunday morning in conservative churches is like a Republican pep rally with prayer.”

“Parenting and Discipleship” (podcast episode on Finding Family Purpose: Bring Hope Home), interviewing Chris Shirley, dean of the Jack D. Terry School of Educational Ministries; professor of educational ministries; Jack D. and Barbara Terry Chair of Religious Education

• “Shawn Crawley and Dr. Chris Shirley discuss how to incorporate discipleship into parenting.”

“Making music singable” (radio episode on WORLD), featuring comments from Nathan Burggraff, associate professor of music theory

• “Coming next on The World and Everything in It: Part 2 of our look at modern worship music, behind-the-scenes.”

“Daniel Darling” (podcast episode on Defend Podcast), interviewing Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “Daniel Darling, pastor, bestselling author and director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, gives clarity to a Post-Roe v. Wade world and tells how the Church can minister to those in need.”

“More than 1 in 10 New Southern Baptist Churches Are Hispanic” (interview on Christianity Today), featuring comments from Felix Cabrera, assistant professor of Christian ministry; associate director of Hispanic programs

• “The Southern Baptist Convention has launched its most focused effort to plant churches among the Hispanic community in North America with the expansion of Send Network Español this fall.”

“Violence is beyond the pale” (article on WORLD), written by Dan Darling, director of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement; assistant professor of faith and culture, Texas Baptist College

• “Early Friday morning, a 42-year old man broke into the home of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and attacked her husband, Paul, with a hammer. Paul Pelosi suffered severe injuries, including a skull fracture and injuries to his hands and face. Investigators are still piecing together the details of the incident and what motives—if they are entirely discernible and coherent—precipitated the attack. In any case, this situation is a sober reminder of the vulnerability of our public officials on both sides. In recent years, officials from both parties have been targets of escalating violence.”