So apparently MSN Lifestyles, sponsored by Esquire, put together a list of “The 75 Best Dressed Men of All Time.”[1] Now this list, like so many others of its ilk, strikes me as completely asinine and pointless; however, this list does have one point of interest. Number 52 is none other than our very own John Calvin:
Their corresponding blurb reads:
Because the most famous minimalist in world history knew a man didn’t need expensive clothes or bright colors to convey authority. Black and white, worn with the requisite gravity, can be powerful and intimidating. Just look at the Secret Service. Or the Reservoir Dogs.
Case in point:
I don’t think I have ever looked better!
[1] Just to be clear, I’m not someone who is remotely inclined to peruse the literature on MSN Lifestyles, but this particular list was brought to my attention (by my wife through her reading of other blogs – she’s not one to peruse MSN Lifestyles either) for reasons that will soon become evident.
I should have posted this sooner, but in case you haven’t already found a way to help the situation in Haiti, here are some links to some good charities:
Today is one of the highlights of my yearly calendar, namely, Reformation Day! (Or, if you are partial to rhymes, Reformation Celebration.) It was on this day in 1517 that Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses on the Wittenberg Church door – an event that is widely considered to be the catalyst for the Protestant Reformation. Because of God’s use of Martin Luther and other reformers like John Calvin, John Knox, Ulrich Zwingli, etc. (and perhaps more importantly the martyrs before them – e.g. Patrick Hamilton, Jan Hus, etc.) we now have the five ‘solas’ that stand at the center of our Reformed faith: Sola Scriptura! Sola Fide! Sola Gratia! Solo Christo! Soli Deo Gloria!
That said, how does one go about celebrating Reformation Day? Here are some ways I’ve celebrated in the past:
Dress up like your favorite Reformer (it is, after all, Halloween)
Play a Reformation trivia game of some sort
Drink beer that is somehow (perhaps very tenuously) related to Reformation Day – e.g. any German beer (I’m partial to Warsteiner) or any beer that is remotely ecclesiastical /reformational (e.g. Augustijn, Blackfriars, or, of course, Calvinus – the king of Reformation beers!)
Eat Chocolate Indulgencecake (har har) or other (loosely) Reformation-related food (you may have to use your imagination).
Visit your local martyrs memorial, which is, admittedly, easier to do in some parts of the world than others (St Andrews, for example, has an obelisk dedicated to Patrick Hamilton, George Wishart, (both of which were executed in St Andrews) and other martyrs of the Reformation era)
Concerning Luther: This has to be one of my favorite movies. Sure it is one sided (a Roman Catholic will not feel that their position is fully/accurately represented). And sure it is a bit Hollywoodized (Joseph Fiennes, who plays Luther, looks very little like the man himself…)
But, I think this is what you’d expect. It is a phenomenal story and there are times in which I simply want to stand and cheer. As someone who loves Christ and his Truth as well as the Reformation and the reformed worldview, I highly commend the movie. If only they would come out with a movie about Calvin, Zwingli, or Knox…
Anyway, in closing, here is the momentous scene from the movie where Luther makes his stand at the Diet of Worms:
Happy Reformation Day! Praise the Lord! Soli Deo Gloria!
The preeminent Reformed philosopher William P. Alston passed away yesterday. His contributions to epistemology (especially Reformed Epistemology), philosophy of language, and Christian philosophy in general are extremely valuable; they will surely prove edifying for years to come. What is more, Alston, by the grace of God, pioneered a revival in Christian philosophy and was one of the founders of The Society of Christian Philosophers and the journal Faith and Philosophy. Though this is truly a sad event for those of us who remain, we, as Christians, do not “grieve as others do who have no hope” (I Thessalonians 4:13).
My thoughts and prayers go out to his friends and family. He will be missed.
From an email from The Society of Christian Philosophers: “Bill Alston, 87, died earlier today, September 13, 2009, at his home in Jamesville, NY. He had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer just the week before last.”
As most of you know, John Calvin’s birthday was last Friday the 10th. If you are dorky like myself, you may want a picture for your desktop wallpaper to celebrate this fact, so…
www.PhilPapers.org: “PhilPapers’ purpose is to facilitate the exchange and development of philosophical research through the internet. Our service gathers and organizes philosophical research on the Internet, and provides tools for philosophers to access, organize, and discuss this research.”
It is a truly fantastic resources, and it is shameful that I haven’t posted it sooner.
Ian Church is a PhD candidate in the St Andrews-Stirling Joint Programme in Philosophy. He and his wife are members of the Free Church in St Andrews, Scotland.
The preeminent Reformed philosopher 
