The Theology of Les Miserables

Valjean

I cannot think of any work of fiction that conveys the contrast between Law and Grace as vividly and profoundly as Les Miserables.  As a long-time fan of the novel and the musicals, I went to see the movie recently and enjoyed it immensely.  With minor variations, it’s a rendering of the musical, and the musical [...]

Breakfast Links for Christmas Day, 12/15/12: A Christmas Warning; The Gift of Christmas; Why Christmas Matters

breakfastlinks

BREAKFAST LINKS 12/25/12: Tim Dalrymple, Patheos/Philosophical Fragments: “Yet God was not compelled to do any of this. God Himself is the author and arbiter of all the rules. There is no higher authority above God that forces him to follow regulations or fulfill requirements. God might have annihilated humankind and started over; God might have changed the [...]

Bethlehem Was Not the Beginning: An Interview with Frank Viola

Jesus-a-Theography

One of the pleasures of my role at Patheos is getting to know our excellent bloggers, many of whom are book authors as well. We recently added Frank Viola, and Frank’s Jesus: A Theography (coauthored with Leonard Sweet) is really making waves. It received a coveted starred review in Publishers Weekly. Rick Warren made it a featured [...]

A Must-Read Testimony

Jeff and Tara (Photo credit: me)

Here’s a testimony you have to read.  I know the story well, since I shared a home with Tara and her family for a year, and since Tara and I were in a small writing group together.  I’m a big fan of hers, and she has an extraordinary story to tell:  Scott, my husband of [...]

Renewing Our Church, Renewing Our Nation

A pall hangs over America and her churches. There is a sense not merely that our economy has fallen into a slump, our political system has deteriorated, and our culture has lost its way, but that something essential to our national character has been lost and may never be recovered. A sense not only that [...]