Zeal For Truth

Ah 2007, you were only here for a short time, and we never really got to know ye. I thought I would take some time to hand out some awards based on Zeal For Truth’s coverage and commentary in 2007. This is only a smattering of things that deserve special mention. I encourage people to make their own lists, or correct my interpretation of the year’s events.

Man Of The Year
Ron Paul
Not because many of us love him, or because some of us hate him - but because he singlehandedly generated more discussion, more passion and more “zeal” than any other subject this year. Paul is the kind of candidate who is either worshiped with near religious fervor or despised with hellfire and brimstone. Lefties hate him for his complete rejection of socialism, his conservative values of life, immigration and free-markets and his disbelief of evolution. Right wingers get riled up over his anti-war, pro-freedom (freedom to do drugs and prostitution) and especially his constant sermons against the new GOP. Ron Paul’s name means fireworks.

Woman of the Year
The Christian Woman
Many of our posts this year dealt with concepts such as women’s roles in churches, feminism, anti-feminism and family values. Our authors have very different views on the subject, but we able to play nice in discussing this very important theme. Issues of equality in the church, women in authority, women in the family, women at work and women making independent decisions were fairly regular discussion.

Issue of the Year
Church and State
This was by far the most difficult award to decide. Much was made of the Iraq War and war in general. Also in politics, the presidential election was likely the most covered issue. But I think the most interesting discussions and careful thought came out of the articles dealing with issues of Church and State (Church and society as well). In the modern mantra of using political agendas to achieve social goals, Christians who are also strict separationists and “secularists” (to use a Bill O’Reilly term) and condemn the use of government to achieve morality are sometimes seen as a paradox to the world and heretics to the moral majority. This issue is one of tremendous importance to the site, as many of us are Christian libertarians, devout in our beliefs but cautious of the use of force in those beliefs

Church of the Year
The Emergent Church
Much like our man of the year, the Emergent Church brought with it some heated debate and engaging discussion. In dissecting this movement, people took a closer look at how they define both the fundamental tenants of the Christian faith and the proper role and function of church. This topic should continue to be an exciting one, as some elements in the movement continue to move out in more radical, divergent directions, and others tame their revolutionary ideas and begin to build traditions of their own.

Book of The Year
Decision Making and The Will of God
We had many book reviews on the site: historical biographies, science and Christian issues all were discussed. But Jasen Tracy’s five article extravaganza on Decision Making and The Will of God was an eye-opening look into perhaps the most widely held “hidden curriculum” in evangelical Christianity - the Individual Will of God. The language and teaching in many churches reinforces this idea on a constant basis, likely without even stopping to consider whether it is actually taught in the bible. The Authors, Garry Friesen and J. Robin Maxson, are experts at taking an inoffensive, yet critical look at the common teaching, and offering a potentially more biblical alternative to making decisions in the Christian walk.