The Book: Christianity and Western Thought, Volume One: From the Ancient World to the Age of Enlightenment by Colin Brown:10 — The Gist: Outlines the changes in preconceptions, worldviews, and paradigms that have affected the ways in which people have thought about religion in general and . . . . Continue Reading »
Gregg Ten Elshof’s I Told Me So is one best books I’ve read this year. In it he meditates on the fascinating phenomenon of self-deception, and lists a variety of ways we manage our beliefs to avoid the unpleasant consequences of truth. As we go through life we are offered a deal: believe . . . . Continue Reading »
This has nothing to do with the Left Behind books by Jerry Jenkins and Tim LaHaye.Nor am I referring to writers behind recent surprise hits like Facing the Giantsor Fireproof.In fact, the individual I mean to talk about isn’t considered part of the Christian subculture at all.He . . . . Continue Reading »
Here are some insightful excerpts from, “Secret Cinema: A Gnostic Vision in Film,” a book by Wake Forest University English Professor, Eric Wilson: http://www.voegelinview.com/secret-cinema-gnostic-film-pt1.html Professor Peters, a clever writer and provocateur at The . . . . Continue Reading »
The Book: Introverts in the Church: Finding Our Place in an Extroverted Culture by Adam S. McHugh:10 The Gist: Many churchesparticularly evangelical churchestend to be extroverted places where introverts are marginalized, causing some Christians to feel they are not being . . . . Continue Reading »
Burning the Koran is stupid, offensive, and generally wicked.It is easy to show that burning the Koran is stupid for a Christian to do. You might think a woman’s beloved husband unworthy, but burning his picture is a bad opening move. You certainly will get her attention, but not her . . . . Continue Reading »
I have lain on the floor under the power of God . . . at least, I must say to my skeptical reader, it seemed so to me. At some points in my life, it felt as if God came and took power over every faculty and left me weak, utterly powerless, before His glory.When praying for Pentecost, sometimes we . . . . Continue Reading »
Somehow I missed soaking in Salinger as a young adult. In this, if my current students are any indication, I am a rarity. They know Catcher in the Rye the way I knew That Hideous Strength. If I worried about being Mark Studdock, then they worried about being another misunderstood Holden Caulfield. Continue Reading »
A few months ago, I began writing a piece on the teachings of Beth Moore. The fine writers at CT were working on a similar project which became a recent cover story and companion article. There is much to be said about Beth’s influence in the Church that I believe male and female leaders need . . . . Continue Reading »
When I taught humanities at a Christian secondary school, I spent the first week or so of the fall semester exploring how Christians should read because I anticipated that the pagan literature of the Greeks and Romans would chafe against my students’ delicate sensibilities and trigger . . . . Continue Reading »