This last week me and the other doctoral students on the Crossed Purposes podcast discuss Hell. Is it real? Why would it exist? Is Hell forever? We also examine it though the eyes of movies, art, authors and the church fathers. Tell me if you think I know what the Hell I’m talking about in the comments! If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download it here Read more

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This last week me and the other doctoral students on the Crossed Purposes podcast discuss sin in popular culture, bringing in Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek and the Wheel of Time. A fistfight almost breaks out between proponents of East and West, and Martin Luther comes up a lot. I would love to hear your thoughts and other questions in the comments section below. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download... Read more

  There are few concepts in Christianity as mind-bendingly-difficult to understand as the Trinity. It’s widely considered to be one of the foundational beliefs of the Christian religion but the word “trinity” is never mentioned even once in the Bible. SO WHAT’S THE DEAL? What is it? The Trinity is the doctrine that God in God’s nature is made up of three hypostosis (which is a fancy Greek word which means that what is referred to is a not an attribute, like goodness or purpleness but is the thing... Read more

Order the Book Today!orGet it on Kindle! As Christianity rose to prominence in the Western world, it changed how people viewed themselves, and their place in the universe. This transformation affected everything from how they viewed their bodies, to how they viewed those around them. Christianity even changed how people died. Death was no longer seen as a curse to be avoided but as a moment of consecration that united the dying more fully with God. Bodies were no longer... Read more

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars I first encountered John Green almost a year ago ago. I had subscribed to his “Crash Courses in World History” series which I had stumbled upon and become very impressed. I really loved the way that he taught history in a way that was fun for all ages and interesting (even for a history nut like myself). John was the kind of guy I wish I... Read more

Ronald Grimes, noted ritual theorist, has been one of the more formative voices in my own process of understanding ritual and how it relates to worshiping communities in their liturgy. Grimes has helped both widen the field of ritual, and has also contributed a very valuable set of parameters in which the rituals intricately woven into Liturgy can be consistently and comprehensively evaluated. Through his unique methodology he has been able to speak with depth and precision about ritual without... Read more

This last week me and the other doctoral students on the Crossed Purposes podcast talked about the Alien prequel Prometheus and its theological overtones, and bring up Space Jesus, Star Trek, and The Seventh Sign. We discuss if it would matter to our faith if humans were the creations of another alien race.  I would love to hear your thoughts and other questions in the comments section below. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element... Read more

Today I am very excited to make an announcement! Earlier this year I finished writing a book. I thought about a lot of options for publication of it and decided that I was going to release it first for the Kindle. If interest is strong enough in the book I may look into getting it published through a more traditional publishing house. Please check it out and let me know what you think. Find it here: How the First Christians Changed Dying Please consider supporting my writing and... Read more

At it’s core, the Church is a living thing, “vivified” by Christ (Lumen Gentium, 8). It is like a tree planted deep in the earth that sprouts up in every place, and brings forth life giving fruit to every culture, and like any living thing, it continues to grow and develop as new environments create new challenges and new climates to adapt to. The developments of human history are not intrinsically contrary to the life of the church, but can... Read more