Data is just a Google away, but understanding data is tougher. Often we need help in putting the facts in perspective or just finding out if what is being reported as a “fact” is in fact factual! Books are best, but books take time to write and so the long form magazine or newspaper article has a place. Here are the center-right resources I use, in some cases daily. The Telegraph Newspapers are no good in the States. The best... Read more

Dear Pastor Mark, You have blocked me on Twitter and that seems odd. In fact, you have blocked scores of my former students who just wanted to ask questions. That’s your right, though in years I have basically only blocked Russian bots and alt-Right racists. I have had hard dialog with anti-Fa on Facebook and atheists on Twitter. Why can’t you do the same? I don’t blame you for not taking comments on a blog. Most commentators I see are... Read more

If you do not like hard questions, you cannot be fully human, let alone a Christian. Read more

 “‘Thou shalt not steal.’” – God in Exodus 20. “Don’t steal.” – John Mark N Reynolds in this post. There is simply no book in the history of the world like the Bible, because no book in the history of the world is the Bible. However, if one writes something that is essentially the same as what someone else wrote, then it is like that original book. The Feline in the Chapeau  is not that different from The Cat in the Hat even if... Read more

Hello.* My name is John Mark Reynolds. My wife’s name is Hope. Our desire is that the Astros win the World Series, but we will also be happy if we could be useful to the folk who read our little piece of blog heaven. That is the reason for being, the Cartesian “I am” for  this blog. Our hope is that as you go, when you go, you will boldy return so that we can develop a bit of a... Read more

A Wonderful Visit and a Worry I was lucky enough to be asked to give the inaugural lecture in Western Civilization at Concordia University in Edmonton. The city of Edmonton is much like Houston only a bit smaller and a good bit colder. In short, I met many brilliant people, saw a diverse and thriving campus, and got to learn about Plato in a lunch discussion in a tasty Indian restaurant. What is not to love? And yet, I worry.... Read more

Can you dialog with a ghost? A mentor taught me that if Socrates could talk to Thrasymachus, Meno, and Gorgias, smart men disposed to dislike him, then I should be willing to dialog with anyone. This was a hard lesson, but I tried to learn it. This much is certain: you have to be there to dialog and there is preciously little learning without dialog. As Hamlet discovered, a ghost might talk, complain, demand revenge, but he never dialogs, because... Read more

Evangelicalism is a big tent . . . Big enough to include me, thank God. Evidently our little piece of the blog-o-sphere is getting a big name: Mark Driscoll. The Socratic based teacher in me rejoices! We will get to have many a discussion on topics of mutual interest as the tent gets even bigger. Here are some topics I anticipate: What is the nature of church discipline? When should a disgraced pastor return to ministry? Is plagiarism wrong?  What... Read more

If you wish to be a winner, you must at all times and all places suck up to the Spirit of the Age. If the polls say “decadence,” then choose libertine values, but if the populace is in a censorious mood eschew mercy. Follow the powerful wherever they lead. Annoying those with power turns out to be easier than a man would hope it would be and so here I give you three rules based on the experience of Saint... Read more