What kind of books does Logos publish?
If there’s one adage businesses follow, it’s “Avoid discussing religion and politics.”
Alas, this people-pleasing path of non-offense is not available to a Bible software company. Not one of the thousands of books available for Logos Bible Software is wholly acceptable to all of our customers. And that includes the Bible: every modern translation has critics who believe it corrupts the truth, and every edition of ancient text is likewise considered suspect by some Christian brother or sister.
It’s been 20 years since the leadership of Logos first confronted the question of whether or not we would make available an electronic book that we didn’t personally agree with theologically. We decided that we would; we believed that our users were interested in personal study, and that they could evaluate each book, author, and publisher on their public statements and reputation, and that it was unnecessary for us to add another theological filter which only reflected our personal positions.
And we discovered there were even some theological disagreements between the three company founders. To sell only what all three of us could recommend without reservation would be to offer few tools at all.
In the years that followed Logos Bible Software grew from a small tool with a few Bible translations into a digital library of wide scope. And it seems like someone has called to complain about every single thing we’ve made available, up to and including the English dictionary. (There are vulgar words in the dictionary, and the mother who called me wanted us to remove them so children couldn’t encounter or look them up.)
I’ve taken angry calls from people who I respect as leaders and teachers. I’ve taken calls from people who I think espouse heresy. And I’ve taken calls from people whose positions simply strike me as silly.
All these people who have objected to content Logos sells have been sincere, passionate about God’s Word and His truth, and wanted nothing but to keep others from inducement to error. I can’t help but respect that, and I am the same way.
I want to speak up for the truth. I want to challenge those who are in error, to call out false doctrine and poor teaching, and to be unashamed of the Gospel. And I am: in my home, in my church, and in one-on-one conversations. Were I called to preach, I would do so with boldness and authority.
But I am called, for now, to an office, not a pulpit. And in this office we create, sell, and support a library. And I believe that a library is a useful thing, and that it is useful even when it contains error, heresy, the silly and the sacred. Because students and teachers alike need access to resources to learn, to grow, to be encouraged and challenged and corrected, and even to refute.
There is room for a church on every corner, and for a book to be published expounding on each theological distinction. It is possible for us as individuals to live and teach without compromise on even the smallest point; we can even maintain a church united in a specific understanding of the truth. But a library can rarely grow beyond a single book without some compromise, and we’d all find it frustrating if each library (or digital library tool) was restricted to one viewpoint.
Are there no limits then? Can a library contain anything?
Well, yes. In a large enough library (or bookstore) you will find the sacred and the obscene, shelved in equanimity. (Check under “Art” to see them side-by-side.) But in many cases a library takes a label that provides a filter: Medical Library, Law Library, Children’s Library. Or, even more specifically, My Library – we each have one.
Logos offers a Bible Library. If the book references the Bible, is related to the Bible, talks about the Bible, or is of use to people who study the Bible, it fits in our library.
But isn’t Logos a Christian company? I believe X, and I’m okay with your having books from the slightly misguided believers in Y, but the people who believe in Z aren’t even Christians!
True. For many values of Z, I agree with you: they’re beyond the bounds of orthodoxy. But Logos is a library, not a church, and the Z-content relates to the Bible and its study, whether you choose to read it for instruction or in order to refute it.
How can we trust Logos then?
Good question. And here is where, for the first time in 20 years, the answer has changed; there are now two parts:
The historic answer: As an electronic bookseller, Logos Bible Software does not represent any theological filter (and never has). You should not assume that every electronic book we sell represents orthodox Christian belief, or any particular understanding of such. What you can be sure of is that content we sell is labeled with the author, publisher, and other descriptive metadata that will help you identify who is responsible for the content. We trust that our users will exercise discernment in their choice of digital content just as they would when walking through a paper library or bookstore, and we will soon be adding support for user reviews and ratings where you can get and share other perspectives beyond the marketing copy from a book’s dust-jacket.
The new, second part: Recently Logos has become something of a publisher. We create and sell Bible Study Magazine, the Lexham English Bible, HD Commentary, Evangelical Exegetical Commentary, and more. It’s fair to ask what theological perspective is behind these publications. And the answer is “Evangelical Christian.” Logos Bible Software is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and we subscribe to the Statement of Faith of the Association (http://www.ecpa.org/?page=about_ecpa).
When Logos Bible Software is the publisher, you can expect that the work does not conflict with this statement of faith. In the future we may choose to publish works aligned with even more detailed statements of faith, in which case they will be clearly indicated.
Logos Bible Software exists to serve everyone who studies the Bible. Our offering a large library of content is not an attempt to minimize the importance of theology or right discernment in even the smallest details. It is rather an affirmation of our belief in sola scriptura (“Scripture alone”): as an organization that sells thousands of books we dare not draw a line and say these 10,000 books are orthodox and these 10,000 are not. We don’t have the courage (or the time or wisdom) to make that call. We draw the line at Scripture, and consider everything beyond a resource to be read and considered with discernment.
For many years Logos has sold Jewish works and the Koran, among other obviously non-Christian resources. When I point this out to customers upset that we are selling this or that book containing poor doctrine they explain that the difference is that no Christian will be accidentally misled by the Koran, which missionaries/apologists/researchers have need to reference, but the book they’re worried about “looks Christian.”
Sadly, there is in our world much that “looks Christian” but which represents something other than the Gospel. We must ourselves be discerning; no pastor or editor or Bible software company can relieve us of the responsibility to rightly divide the word of truth.
Logos Bible Software will soon be offering general Christian books in e-book format. We’ll be partnering with Christian publishers to offer all of their electronic titles for our Vyrso e-Book Reader, which is compatible with Logos Bible Software 4. The number of titles offered for Logos will more than double very quickly. In this new, larger catalog I know you will find many books you have long wanted to have available digitally. I also know that there are authors and titles there that both you and I wish had never been published. But that’s the price of a large library, and a consequence of the fact that we might actually disagree on some particulars, even while finding unity in essentials.
Moving forward we at Logos will try to do an even better job helping you understand what’s what among the books in our library. We will continue to publish Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, and denominationally-specific works. (Along with academic works by atheists and agnostics.) We will, however, make it clear who the author is, who the publisher is, and the faith tradition of the work. Our own publications, however, will continue to reflect an evangelical perspective. (Some technical and academic works from Logos will contain contributions from non-evangelical scholars, but nothing contrary to our statement of faith.)
We hold Scripture in the highest regard and believe in its unique authority. We see it as the job of the Bible student and Bible teacher to interpret and apply God’s Word, and we have intentionally (and consistently) taken the position that as a business we serve Bible study best by offering a large library and powerful tools, rather than a small library reflecting our own (strongly held) theological positions.
I know that some of you agree, but only to a point, believing that this position or that, or this book or that book, are one step too far outside the fold. But I hope that in a world where every modern Bible translation, point of theology, author and pastor has a sincere and thoughtful critic, you can appreciate the value of a library that doesn’t take sides, and come to value Logos Bible Software as a useful tool whose content must still be approached with discernment, like any library, bookstore, radio, television or even the Internet.
I welcome your thoughts and feedback; you can reach me at bob@logos.com or by calling 360-527-1700.
Sincerely,
Bob Pritchett
President/CEO, Logos Bible Software
Comments
Bob, thank you for this post.
I agree theologically, philosophically, and politically.
I'll add my thumbs up as well, Bob. (even though I can't make the graphic on my iPad!) 
Pastor, seminary trustee, and app developer. Check out my latest app for churches: The Church App
I join my voice in singing in harmony with the rest of those on this thread. Only wish that I had the money to purchase more of the resources.
See my signature.
Mission: To serve God as He desires.
Good luck Bob, personally I am uneasy with the path you have chosen, but frankly I don't see how you can do anything else.
We will continue to publish Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, and denominationally-specific works. (Along with academic works by atheists and agnostics.) We will, however, make it clear who the author is, who the publisher is, and the faith tradition of the work. Our own publications, however, will continue to reflect an evangelical perspective
[Y] and I fear you'll need many prayers and much wisdom to determine the "faith tradition of the work" for many works.
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
We will continue to publish Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, and denominationally-specific works. (Along with academic works by atheists and agnostics.) We will, however, make it clear who the author is, who the publisher is, and the faith tradition of the work. Our own publications, however, will continue to reflect an evangelical perspective
and I fear you'll need many prayers and much wisdom to determine the "faith tradition of the work" for many works.
There could be an "unknown" or "unspecified" category for those books which are not from a publisher or individual with a known perspective.
MacBook Pro (2019), ThinkPad E540
Thanks Bob! Your position above is one I am happy to work with. Thankyou for such a statement, as it seems clear you have spent time on the words and the position they stand for.
There could be an "unknown" or "unspecified" category for those books which are not from a publisher or individual with a known perspective.
Actually the author who came to mind is "several of the above" - I'm thinking of Jaroslav Pelikan who wrote as a Lutheran who sounded Catholic but became Orthodox.[:)]
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."
There could be an "unknown" or "unspecified" category for those books which are not from a publisher or individual with a known perspective.Actually the author who came to mind is "several of the above" - I'm thinking of Jaroslav Pelikan who wrote as a Lutheran who sounded Catholic but became Orthodox.
Peace, Martha! *smile*
That is an incredibly good point! Great thinking! Right to the heart of the matter .......................
Philippians 4: 4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand..........
I don't know why people expect Logos to be the guardian at the gate of "orthodoxy" and protect them from buying something that "looks" orthodox but isn't. If you can download Logos books, you almost certainly have access to Google. It's not hard to do some research.
Bob,
I appreciate your very thorough stating of the philosophy of Logos - both the historical framework and the new framework that exists because Logos is now publishing its own materials.
While I am not an evangelical in the main usage of that term these days, I do find myself - and I think if we really thought about it, all of us - whether conservative, moderate, liberal, pentecostal, charismatic, evangelical, mainline, whatever terminologies we wish to use - are in far more agreement than we are in disagreement. I would suspect that the tent is much larger than we often think it is.
Thanks for products Logos produces - the ones I'm very happy with, the ones that challenge me, and even the ones that exist on the hard drive without any interaction with me.
...The number of titles offered for Logos will more than double very quickly...
I've got the "own us onus" & I need a wealthy benefactor in order to feed my literary addiction..[;)]
Fortunately L4 doesn't make it as apparent in-app as L3 did WRT how many resources I hadn't "unlocked"...
Thank you for the explanation and the stand you've taken. I agree with what you are doing.
Just because a book is made available in my favorite format doesn't mean I need to buy it, but at least I can if I choose to.
The growth of Logos' offerings in the past couple of years has been amazing to me. I don't need it all nor am I interested in owning a lot of it, but someone is and I'm glad they have the chance to use it, and I have the chance to use the new resources you've been able to provide.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
[Y] Thanks for your time and response Bob. Please keep doing what you are doing. Your products help more people than you know.
Well said, and wise policy. Thanks, Mr. Bob.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley
I welcome your thoughts and feedback;
Well stated and timely.
Dave
===
Windows 11 & Android 13
Thank you Bob so much for that very well explained philosophy of Logos.
I almost dare to say, if that recent argument on the forums made you to write this, it was worth of the pain to go through all of it. [:)]
I suggest your post is made easily available both in forums and in Logos Web or Blog.
Thank you very much for an excellent work. [Y]
Bohuslav
A sound policy, I believe. Over the years, while I've fed well on books espousing my own theological position, I've been more challenged by books from different perspectives. Indeed, that is what has helped establish me in my own position. So well said, Bob. We Christians don't need to run scared.
I almost dare to say, if that recent argument on the forums made you to write this, it was worth of the pain to go through all of it.
Very well stated Bohuslav.
Bob, thank you for that superb summary. Thanks you for the wide range of materials offered in Logos. I especially appreciate the statement concerning materials published by Logos.
We Christians don't need to run scared.
[Y] [Y] [Y] [Y] [Y] [Y]
Bravo, Bob! What a br-r-rave laddie you are. May angels continue to protect you.
Thank you, Bob. [Y]
Lenovo P72: Intel 8th Gen i7-8750H 6-core, 32GB RAM, 2TB HDD + 1TB Sata SSD, 17.3" FHD 1920x1080, NVIDIA Quadro P600 4GB, Win 10 Pro
Definitely well crafted.
I'm not sure what's new, except the atheist and agnostic areas. That should be interesting . If folks get uncomfortable about the nuances of Biblical interpretation, I would have to imagine these new areas will be of 'interest'. My guess is that with the library expansion, most rationalizing of personal beliefs are going to fall by the wayside quickly.
The increased attention to tagging resources by author's inclinations will be really invaluable. Right now it's hard to guess where an author's going to 'land' and so scanning the attended-seminary etc. is a necessity. If our pastor ever gets Logos, we can quickly give him some mis-purchases that he'll probably not enjoy too.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
If our pastor ever gets Logos, we can quickly give him some mis-purchases that he'll probably not enjoy too.
Logos offers a 30 day satisfaction guarantee. If you inadvertently purchase an unappreciated resource Customer Service can help.
The increased attention to tagging resources by author's inclinations will be really invaluable. Right now it's hard to guess where an author's going to 'land' and so scanning the attended-seminary etc. is a necessity.
Knowing their seminary education is a helpful barometer but is not fail-safe. Schools go through doctrinal swings. And not all graduates necessarily agree with their professors' indoctrination. (thankfully [;)] )
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
Logos Bible Software will soon be offering general Christian books in e-book format. We’ll be partnering with Christian publishers to offer all of their electronic titles for our Vyrso e-Book Reader, which is compatible with Logos Bible Software 4. The number of titles offered for Logos will more than double very quickly. In this new, larger catalog I know you will find many books you have long wanted to have available digitally. I also know that there are authors and titles there that both you and I wish had never been published. But that’s the price of a large library, and a consequence of the fact that we might actually disagree on some particulars, even while finding unity in essentials.
Moving forward we at Logos will try to do an even better job helping you understand what’s what among the books in our library. We will continue to publish Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Orthodox, and denominationally-specific works. (Along with academic works by atheists and agnostics.) We will, however, make it clear who the author is, who the publisher is, and the faith tradition of the work. Our own publications, however, will continue to reflect an evangelical perspective. (Some technical and academic works from Logos will contain contributions from non-evangelical scholars, but nothing contrary to our statement of faith.)
We hold Scripture in the highest regard and believe in its unique authority. We see it as the job of the Bible student and Bible teacher to interpret and apply God’s Word, and we have intentionally (and consistently) taken the position that as a business we serve Bible study best by offering a large library and powerful tools, rather than a small library reflecting our own (strongly held) theological positions.
I know that some of you agree, but only to a point, believing that this position or that, or this book or that book, are one step too far outside the fold. But I hope that in a world where every modern Bible translation, point of theology, author and pastor has a sincere and thoughtful critic, you can appreciate the value of a library that doesn’t take sides, and come to value Logos Bible Software as a useful tool whose content must still be approached with discernment, like any library, bookstore, radio, television or even the Internet.
Bob,
Thank you for your excellent statement about Logos publishing. I'm sure that most customers have not considered many of the questions faced by a publisher/library that you have detailed.
I spent 10 years managing a small denominational bookstore in a small town. I prided myself on knowing my book selections and my customers. I tried to match the products to the right customers. I also spent over 10 years representing book and Bible publishers to bookstores. I adopted the same type of philosophy with them. Often I would inform a store about a new product, but advise them that it might not be of interest to their particular customers. My customers varied from small "mom and pop" stores to denominational and Catholic stores, conservative to liberal as well as trade bookstores.
I am thrilled with the size and variety of Logos titles.
With the scale of Logos offerings and customers, it is impossible to try to match up individuals with the wide variety of product available. I do appreciate that a greater effort will be made to identify the perspective that an author takes in his books. I'm sure that there will be another debate over any attempt to label/tag perspectives. That is always a difficult job. As a publishers' rep, I was always worried about the sales copy that I was given for a title. Often it represented more of what a title "hoped" to accomplish. At least with Logos, the titles have already been published and reviewed.
We are truly blessed to live today. We have more Christian resources available than ever in history. That includes great current titles as well as classics that have been out of print.
Having these titles available in our Logos software libraries with all the extraordinary abilities provided by the Logos software is absolutely incredible.
Thank you Bob and Logos!
Keep up the great work and I will keep buying as my finances allow.
Bob, thank you very much your clarifying statements and updating us all on the company's position. It was well stated indeed!
Thanks Bob.
Well stated, reasonable and clear. If you're looking for support for your company's position, you've got mine. I suspect you don't really need it.
Help links: WIKI; Logos 6 FAQ. (Phil. 2:14, NIV)
Dear Bob & Logos,
I appreciate and agree with much of what you articulated in this forum. My concern does not lie exactly with what you are offering in literature. Varied theological perspectives should be welcomed to help sharpen our understanding in a wide array of topics....including theology or different theologies. My concern is Logos providing office support for the non-Christian religion of Catholicism. You are now providing support in your offices for the Catholic religion, which is not Christian.
As a Christian, my support of a cult does matter whether I'm Joe Congregation, Senior Pastor, or CEO of a Christian organization. We are first and last Christian and to fracture our Biblical standards stating it is not acceptable for a Christian pastor to support Catholicism, Mormonism, Jehovah Witnesses and Muslims, but as a Christian ministry it is acceptable and permissible to support these cults is a sad commentary on how we American Christian's view our Christianity. Does Biblical teaching and standards stop at the office door? Could the Christian ministry, Focus on the Family hire a Muslim to help promote Islam to spread the Islamic message around the world?
The sobering words of John in his second letter says, "If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. 11 Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work." Is this instruction and warning of the Holy Spirit to be applied only to our personal home, but not applicable for our Christian ministry/business? Is this not to be applied to both to our home residence and our Christian ministry? I think the answer is clear from Scriptures that welcoming another gospel into our home or Christian ministry is unacceptable.
Galatians 1:8 says "8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let him be eternally condemned! The question is why would any Christian Ministry want to financially support a false religion that is diametrically opposed to Jesus and His Teachings? It truly baffles me.
My concern is that eventually, Logos will become a secularized company that happens to offer Christian materials, and to me that is sad.
Pastor Dan R. Eide
Dear Bob & Logos,
I appreciate and agree with much of what you articulated in this forum. My concern does not lie exactly with what you are offering in literature. Varied theological perspectives should be welcomed to help sharpen our understanding in a wide array of topics....including theology or different theologies. My concern is Logos providing office support for the non-Christian religion of Catholicism. You are now providing support in your offices for the Catholic religion, which is not Christian.
As a Christian, my support of a cult does matter whether I'm Joe Congregation, Senior Pastor, or CEO of a Christian organization.
Dan, please refrain from bashing other people. You have a different definition of what a "Christian" is than other people do, and it is inflammatory to call the largest group of believers in the world who claim that name to be, in fact, not Christian. Your disagreement is a theological one, and is what Bob has been trying to forbid in these forums. Take it elsewhere.
Pastor, seminary trustee, and app developer. Check out my latest app for churches: The Church App
Thank you very much, Bob. I sincerely do appreciate the the variety of books being offered at Logos.
Dan, please refrain from bashing other people. You have a different definition of what a "Christian" is than other people do, and it is inflammatory to call the largest group of believers in the world who claim that name to be, in fact, not Christian. Your disagreement is a theological one, and is what Bob has been trying to forbid in these forums. Take it elsewhere.
[Y][Y][Y][Y][Y][Y][Y]
__________
15" rMBP 2.6 GHz i7 | 16 GB RAM | 1.0 TB Flash Drive | OS X 10.12.3 | Logos 7.0 (7.3.0.0062)
Dear Rev Chris,
I would ask in advance for your grace. What I am about to say it may sound staccato and harsh and so, please grant me grace. Because I disagree that Mormons or JW’s who call themselves Christians and I believe otherwise does not mean that they are being bashed by me. Intolerance of voicing Christian opinions has been on the uptick. Am I now to be silent on this important vital issue? I cannot.
Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses call themselves Christian. Mormons are not Christian since they hold that Jesus was not God and Jesus and Satan were brothers. Jehovah Witnesses call themselves Christian and they say Jesus was not divine, did not raise physically from the dead and that Salvation is not by grace through faith alone. By these two cults own stated beliefs, they are not Christian. Yet they will espouse themselves Christian.
Catholics are non-Christian because they pray to dead people (they call saints or icons), something the Bible forbids. They also say that if a person has not been baptized in water they go to hell, thus making water baptism greater than believing in the finished work of Christ on the cross. They give their allegiance to a man (the Pope) who is infallible and inerrant in all that he says regarding the Bible. And the forgiveness of sins is achieved through confessing sins through man (the priest) and if their venial and/or mortal sins are not confessed and forgiven by them the individual goes to purgatory or hell.
Mormons have quite a strong number of adherents, like Catholics…is that inflammatory to say that Mormons are not Christian? Should we just accept anyone’s definition of what it means to be a Christian? Any standard of measure?
Again my concern is not and has never been in the books that Logos offers. I love the rich and growing diversity of books offered and the flexibility I have in choosing books. Perhaps offering categories for selecting “Evangelical”, “Pentecostal”, “Charismatic”, “Ecumenical”, etc. works would help some in finding the books they prefer easier to locate.
Nonprofits can have legal hiring obligations as well regarding hiring. My concern is not that Logos hire or not hire people who are non-Christian or even anti-Christian. My concern is the hiring of and providing material support to propagate the gospel of a false religion. This is my primary concern. The hiring of someone who is to help advance the Catholic religion.
My view that Catholics are not Christian is not a new one and it flows not from simply my personal opinion, but flows from the Bible, theology, hermeneutics, apologetics and this view has been rightly held by Protestants for hundreds of years.
I hope this helps clarify my concerns.
I do not want to come across as crass or sarcastic or mean spirited. But if you are a fellow ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ perhaps Rev Chris you should review Systematic Theology 1 & 2, Hermeneutics and CARM.org is a good place to start to review Christian Apologetics.
Dan
My view that Catholics are not Christian is not a new one and it flows not from simply my personal opinion, but flows from the Bible, theology, hermeneutics, apologetics and this view has been rightly held by Protestants for hundreds of years.
Dan,
I never claimed that your arguments were your own personal opinions - I understand that your definition of "Christian" comes from your religious tradition. However, it is still a theological point and something that is forbid here on these forums.
Catholics are non-Christian because they pray to dead people (they call saints or icons), something the Bible forbids.
It's clear to me you don't understand the RC practice of praying to saints. It's no different than a parishioner coming into my office and asking me to pray for them. Some RC's may have confused this issue, but that is what the intended purpose is.
You say that RC's are not Christian because they do something that the Bible forbids. Last time I checked, we all do something the Bible forbids in one way or another, and we still call ourselves Christian. Also last time I checked, the Bible doesn't use the word Christian and never gives a definition of it. So to say RC's are not Christian because they don't follow the Bible in the same way you do is faulty logic. The word Christian is one with varied definitions and the RC church has just as much right as anyone else to give input as to what that definition is or should be. For me, Christian means to follow Christ. That leaves a lot of room up for interpretation.
Mormons have quite a strong number of adherents, like Catholics…is that inflammatory to say that Mormons are not Christian? Should we just accept anyone’s definition of what it means to be a Christian? Any standard of measure?
On this site, yes - you should. I'm not trying to say you should just give up your theology and opinions altogether. But there is a time and a place for that conversation and this is not it.
But
if you are a fellow ordained minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ
perhaps Rev Chris you should review Systematic Theology 1 & 2,
Hermeneutics and CARM.org is a good place to start to review Christian
Apologetics.
Thanks for the reference, but I studied theology and hermeneutics in seminary, not on some website. And I stand by my theological training and the grace by which I speak of it. I only hope that you can find the same grace in your conversations as well, for harsh attacks rarely results in spiritual transformation.
Pastor, seminary trustee, and app developer. Check out my latest app for churches: The Church App
Also last time I checked, the Bible doesn't use the word ChristianBetter check again. Maybe not at your seminary, but it shows up in all of my Bibles...several times.
I stand corrected - it uses the word 3 times as you pointed out. It just doesn't define it.
Pastor, seminary trustee, and app developer. Check out my latest app for churches: The Church App
It just doesn't define it.Each time, It refers to the apostles/disciples. To me, That in it's self is a definition. Galatians 1:8
Glad you clarified that - it is a definition - to you. We all have our own. If you want to limit the word Christian to the apostles - those that saw the resurrected Christ and told people about it, I'm fine with that. None of us would be Christians by that definition, of course.
Pastor, seminary trustee, and app developer. Check out my latest app for churches: The Church App
Thank you for clarifying what you are.Speaking of definitions, I think a definition for 'little weenies' is in order here. Little weenies are people who can't, or more accurately—WON'T, abide by rules simply because they like to do whatever THEY want… MORE.
Please stop responding to correct misperceptions or misunderstandings or to counter attacks.
To Rev. Chris, Dan Eide, Chris Thompson, Michael Anda and DMB,
I think you have all made your points clearly and sometimes more than once. Many of the point made are significant and merit a thorough discussion -- but not here. These forums have proven to be a poor medium for discussions like these, and such discussions are not in keeping with the purpose of these forums. For those of you who want to keep talking/writing about this, I suggest you take it off line (email, skype, some other forum?).
For those of you who have a problem with Logos' policies, I suggest you take it up with Logos, as Bob has invited us to do in the first post of this thread.
[BTW, I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush, here. I just listed those I saw interacting in this discussion in the last page or so.]
Help links: WIKI; Logos 6 FAQ. (Phil. 2:14, NIV)
To Rev. Chris, Dan Eide, Chris Thompson, Michael Anda and DMB,
I think you have all made your points clearly and sometimes more than once. Many of the point made are significant and merit a thorough discussion -- but not here. These forums have proven to be a poor medium for discussions like these, and such discussions are not in keeping with the purpose of these forums. For those of you who want to keep talking/writing about this, I suggest you take it off line (email, skype, some other forum?).
For those of you who have a problem with Logos' policies, I suggest you take it up with Logos, as Bob has invited us to do in the first post of this thread.
[BTW, I'm not trying to paint everyone with the same brush, here. I just listed those I saw interacting in this discussion in the last page or so.]
Richard, thanks for that. In my last post I attempted to announce that I'm done with this conversation. I realized I carried it on far too long and am sorry for that.
Pastor, seminary trustee, and app developer. Check out my latest app for churches: The Church App
Dan, please refrain from bashing other people. You have a different definition of what a "Christian" is than other people do, and it is inflammatory to call the largest group of believers in the world who claim that name to be, in fact, not Christian. Your disagreement is a theological one, and is what Bob has been trying to forbid in these forums. Take it elsewhere.
I totally agree, I am fast becoming sick and tired of the anti-Catholic rhetoric of some supposed Christians in these forums.
Please readers, do not start a flame war. When you walk into any bookstore you read the back of the book, to get an idea as to whether or not you will purchase it. If you are not interested for whatever reason then you put it back.
We MUST NOT, SHOULD NOT ask Logos to do our thinking for us. Carefully consider, go to Amazon or google books or anywhere else and consider before you buy. If you do not like the product, call customer service and ask for a refund or credit.
Because one person does not want book (a), why deprive someone else from having it who desires it, in Logos format.
I say to Logos publish it all, let me decide what I want to buy. I do not want Logos to try and find books that they think I will want. I purchase books that I believe will add to my knowledge, even if there are some things that I do not believe.
My personal desire, Logos will have enough resources, that you can write a complete Masters Thesis, right from your library, if you can afford it of course.
Maybe, a monthly subscription so that you have access to the entire database when online.
I close with my signature:
Everything ever written or spoken published in Logos Bible Software.
Mission: To serve God as He desires.
Kennet, welcome to the forums.
I agree with you
Just a note for future reference, you might click Reply rather than Quick Reply and include a portion of the post to which you are responding. this way, no one would be confused as to which post has your agreement. Clicking on the replied link led to inconclusive results as it could have been either of the last two posts on page 2.
Hope this is clear.
I agree with you [Y][Y][Y][Y][Y][Y][Y]
Bob, thanks for taking the time for such a detailed explanation. I feel much better after reading this post vs. your prior post.
Thanks for a great product.
Mark
So I can read this as...we will sell to the widest possible market we can possibly get by stretching the theological statement of the Evangelical Publishing Association until it is distorted. However, we don't hold a theological position but we cannot publish known "liberal" theologians like Tillich and Reuther because they will offend and violate the EPA statement of faith. So please buy more products until we can find another hole in which to squeak through more suspect views while maintaining the integrity of the EPA statement. I would have more respect if the company just said we hold a certain theological position and that is the end of discussion.
So I can read this as...we will sell to the widest possible market we can possibly get by stretching the theological statement of the Evangelical Publishing Association until it is distorted. However, we don't hold a theological position but we cannot publish known "liberal" theologians like Tillich and Reuther because they will offend and violate the EPA statement of faith. So please buy more products until we can find another hole in which to squeak through more suspect views while maintaining the integrity of the EPA statement. I would have more respect if the company just said we hold a certain theological position and that is the end of discussion.
Apparently you did not read Bob's post very well. Your interpretation is not even close to what he wrote. The EPA statement of faith applies to what Logos self-publishes, not what is republished.
I agree with Jack. You need to read Bob's post carefully.
but we cannot publish known "liberal" theologians like Tillich and Reuther because they will offend and violate the EPA statement of faith.
I do not think there would be any problem publishing Paul Tillich in Logos. If the Evangelical Publishing Association did not object to Bart Ehrman they either are not paying attention or they are not reading books, or maybe they are not as uptight as some people think they are. Whatever, embracing Tillich is a walk in the park compared to Ehrman's statements. Any real student of theology needs to know what each of them contributes to the dialogue. Logos is helping to educate people, not indoctrinate them.
while maintaining the integrity of the EPA statement. I would have more respect if the company just said we hold a certain theological position and that is the end of discussion.
While I may even agree with the ECPA statement, I do not need them granting me permission to read a book. And if you will read Bob's posts carefully, he does talk freely about his personal theology. But he does not presume to decide theology for his employees. (But I bet you he prays for them!)
btw: I am eager to get Tillich in Logos too.[Y]
edit: Yeah, I know Bart only edited this one. But you never know about those agnostics! [6]
edit 2: If you read that ECPA statement for Bible publishers it says "we won't make disparaging remarks against the other" guys... That is all Bob is asking of us.
Question: Is it EPA? Or is it the ECPA?
Logos 7 Collectors Edition
The new, second part: Recently Logos has become something of a publisher. We create and sell Bible Study Magazine, the Lexham English Bible, HD Commentary, Evangelical Exegetical Commentary, and more. It’s fair to ask what theological perspective is behind these publications. And the answer is “Evangelical Christian.” Logos Bible Software is a member of the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, and we subscribe to the Statement of Faith of the Association (http://www.ecpa.org/?page=about_ecpa).
When Logos Bible Software is the publisher, you can expect that the work does not conflict with this statement of faith. In the future we may choose to publish works aligned with even more detailed statements of faith, in which case they will be clearly indicated.
I wonder if Logos will not have to be at least a co-publisher of any new evangelical commentary sets for them to be viable. It will be interesting to see how that plays out in the future. I expect that before the EEC set is complete, we will see a new commentary set on the way with different leanings.
Thank you for reminding us of our personal responsibility.
With God's help, all students of the Bible can seek, find, and obey the truth.
Logos 7 Collectors Edition