Posts Tagged ‘gospel’
Why a Theology of Food Beats a New Year’s Resolution
Barely two weeks into the new year and I blew it. Ugh! I hate dieting. As my wife and family will attest, I have a huge sweet tooth. When the sum total of my intake for the day is a green smoothie, a couple apples, and some crackers, it is hard to resist the temptation to binge when the late afternoon hunger hits. Rules don’t help: “watch what you eat, count your calories, exercise daily, blah, blah, blah.”
My Favorite Books of 2015
Developing 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
As 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
In 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
Do 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.
Two Purposes for the Miraculous
Modern man is quick to deny the miraculous. “Miracles are impossible”—says the Bultmannian—since Nature is the whole story. “Miracles are improbable”—says the Humean—since laws of nature are exceptionless and miracles are violations of these exceptionless laws. “Miracles are not necessary”—says the scientists—since science is quickly closing all gaps in knowledge, gaps that pre-moderns used to plug by invoking God.
Homer, the Odyssey and the Gospel, Part 4 – Unbelief and Doubt
In this final post on Homer’s Odyssey and the gospel, we’ll explore the nature of faith and unbelief. (see part one here, part two here, and part three here).
Homer, the Odyssey and the Gospel, Part 3 – Beggars at the Palace
In this third posts (see part one here and part two here) on Homer and the Gospel, we’ll explore the nature of tragedy and the hope that Jesus brings to a world gone wrong.
Homer, the Odyssey, and the Gospel, Part 2 – Our longing for Home
In my last post, I explored how Homer’s Odyssey prompts us to live for a cause greater than ourselves. In this post, I’ll explore how the story points us to our true home.
Homer, the Odyssey, and the Gospel, Part 1- Our Quest for More
Peanut butter and jelly . . . chips and dip . . . Homer and the gospel. Wait, Homer and the gospel? How do they go together, you ask? Good question! Homer is to the gospel as longings are to their proper object. Homer prompts, prods, and points to the gospel as man’s greatest need and highest good in at least four ways.
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.
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…)
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…)