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To Kill A Mockingbird and the Gospel Story

UnknownHarper Lee’s 1960 classic To Kill a Mockingbird is set in the American south during the turbulent and transitional 1930s. Partly, I am drawn to the story because of the aura surrounding Mrs. Lee. The book has been hailed as an American classic, the winner of many prizes including the coveted Pulitzer, yet Mrs. Lee continues to live a quiet and private life, largely shunning the celebrity spotlight her book undoubtedly provides. She’s said her piece, and doesn’t feel the need to say it again. I remember reading the book in High School. I had a remote memory of some tragedy or injustice that took place therein, but it was too long ago to remember the details. And so I recently picked the book up again. After reading the book afresh, I was struck by the rich connections between To Kill a Mockingbird and the Gospel story. Here I share but a few.

Aquinas, Schaeffer, Nominalism & the Demise of the Western World

images-5I just finished reading Francis Schaeffer’s classic book How Should We Then Live? The book has been recently republished by Crossway in celebration of the 50th anniversary of Schaeffer’s founding of L’Abri. There is much to like about this book. Schaeffer’s knowledge of the history of ideas, music, and art is impressive. His ability to discern key trends and to put his finger on many of the causes of the fragmentation of modern society and modern man is commendable. His prophetic voice, at the end of the book, where he lays out the challenge to the church as he saw it in 1976 was spot on (and still is with slight adjustments).

Does God Care For Me? The Case For God

941835_636319483082209_1959907808_nIn my last post, I consider the case against the claim that God cares for you and me. I offered three reasons, put them under scrutiny, and concluded that they are not good reasons to think God doesn’t care. In this post I want to consider what reasons there might be for thinking that God does in fact care for you and me.

God Does Not Care for Me: The Case Against God

941835_636319483082209_1959907808_nDoes God care for me? That question is a very personal question—and I think it is a question that simmers on the surface of our lives—and in times of trial, or difficulty, or pain—it intensifies—it becomes a very pressing question—and often, it might seem as if the answer is no. In fact, I think there are a number of powerful reasons that can be advanced against the claim that God cares for you and me.

Why Does God Hide?

images-2Philosophers like to talk about the problem of divine hiddenness. Usually the problem is couched as a threat to God’s existence: If God existed he would make himself obvious. God is not obvious. Therefore, God doesn’t exist. I don’t think the argument succeeds. The fact is that God has revealed himself sufficiently for those who are open to an honest appraisal of the evidence. (The problem isn’t a lack of evidence, rather it is a moral problem—we all have what Thomas Nagel calls “a cosmic authority issue.” Perhaps Christian philosophers could be more creative, more imaginative, when developing theistic arguments. Still, as I’ve discussed elsewhere, the evidence is everywhere.)

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