Posts Tagged ‘divine micromanager’

The Problem of the Divine Micromanager, Part 2 (sin, suffering, and freedom)

I’m still working my way through Hugh McCann’s book Creation and the Sovereignty of God. McCann is interested in developing an account of God as creator that respects his absolute sovereignty and overwhelming love of creation, while preserving the status of rational creatures as truly free and in command of their destinies.

The Problem of the Divine Micromanager

If the creative activity of God, as Hugh McCann suggests[1], is alone responsible for the existence of the world and its entire history, then God becomes the ultimate micromanager. No detail is too small that it is left to chance or delegated to any subordinate agency or intervening mechanism. God’s absolutely sovereign is preserved in such a picture, but one wonders, at what cost?

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Favorite Books of 2023

January 1, 2024

Fueled by the conviction that stories sustain us because we were made to be nourished on the good, the true, and the beautiful, I determined to read one fiction book a month for this past year. And I read some very good stories! In addition to fiction, I have benefitted greatly this year from some solid works in philosophy, theology, biography, and spiritual formation. Without further ado, here are my favorite books read in 2023. As is custom, in my book log, I record the book title, author, and date completed, along with a one sentence description. This has been my practice since 2009. My book log now includes 635 entries. This year I read 43 books.

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Posted in Sample Post 1, BRILLIANT AND BEAUTIFUL BLOG,Uncategorized

Favorite Books of 2022

January 3, 2023

I love to read. Of course, being a professor helps. I get to read as part of my job. That’s good. But I also love to read for the sheer pleasure of it. When it comes to fiction, I love entering into secondary worlds and journeying along with the characters of the story. Often non-fiction reads like a good story too: life is life, story is story, and often the two kiss (a loose paraphrase of one of my favorite nonfiction stories of the year, All that is Sad is Untrue). (more…)

Posted in Sample Post 1, BRILLIANT AND BEAUTIFUL BLOG

Favorite Books of 2021

January 10, 2022

I love to read. It’s partly why I’m an academic today. What could be better than reading, writing, teaching, and learning every day? Reading books awakens me: to truth, goodness, and beauty. I try, each year, to read broadly. This year, I managed to read 47 books. I’ve been recording every book read in a book log for over 10 years now. Whenever I finish a book, I list the date finished, the title, author, and a one sentence summary of the book. As has become my custom, I offer to you my favorite reads of the past year in philosophy, apologetics and theology, fiction, and non-fiction. (more…)