My Favorite Books of 2015

images-1Developing intellectual virtue in an Internet age challenges me. The beep, swish or yelp of an incoming email, Facebook message, or the favoriting of a Tweet constantly pull my eyes, and with it, my heart, into the mediated world of the smart phone.

Christ my past, present, and future

Unknown-2As a Christ follower, I am not defined by my past failures. Nor am I defined by my present projects. My hope is not in my future accomplishments. The good news of the gospel—the greatest possible story of the world—is that I am part of something much bigger than myself. Christianity is true, and so I find the source of all truth in Christ. Christianity is good, and so I find the source of all goodness in Christ. Christianity is beautiful, and so my heart is filled with joy as I become captivated by the glory of Christ.

Apologetics as Dance

images-1In this sound-bite age, engaging in thoughtful dialogue with others about issues that matter most is difficult. We lack patience. We want morsels of knowledge packaged in 240 character epigrams. Rarely do we know what we believe about God, the world, or self. Even more rare is knowing why we believe what we believe. For those of us who are Christians—and know what this means and why it is true—the question becomes: how does the gospel get a fair hearing in the age of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram? How can we engage others in a conversation about things that matter most in such a way that progress is made toward truth?

You are what you see

images-1Do you struggle to find wholeness under the banner of Christ? Do your thoughts, actions, and emotions so often work at cross-purposes with each other? Does sin hamper your life and pull you down? Are your attempts at self-improvement short-lived and unsuccessful? If you answered yes to any of these questions, perhaps it is time to consider what fills your vision and captures your heart.

God and Logic Part 2: Do Laws of Logic Have Divine Attributes?

Unknown-2In my critical thinking class, in addition to learning the minutia of validity and invalidity, we are also exploring the relationship between God and logic. Needless to say, this is a topic that most standard textbooks on logic or critical thinking neglect. It is for this reason that I assign Vern Poythress’s book Logic: A God-Centered Approach to the Foundation of Western Thought. In this book Poythress includes 10 chapters reflecting on God and logic (insert: cheer and excitement here). While I appreciate the attention given to the issue, I often find Poythress’s treatment overly simplistic and, and at times, confused.