Just Because He Doesn’t Support Trump Doesn’t Mean He’s Not a Fundamentalist *Note: If you choose to post a comment here, make sure it is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos.* I am not going to name anyone here. Some may think they know whom I am talking about. Be that as it may… Something is bugging me. It nagged at... Read more

Hart, “You Are Gods,” Chapter Three: “That Judgment Whereby You Judge: Beauty and Discernment” *Note: If you choose to comment, please keep it brief (no more than 100 words), addressed to me, on topic, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos.* In my opinion, for whatever it’s worth, Chapter Three of David Bentley Hart’s collection of essays entitled “You Are Gods: On Nature and Supernature” is the best of the first four (including the... Read more

Is It Time to Retire the Word “Superstition?” *Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic and addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos.* Recently here I wrote about large, special displays of books about magick, witchcraft, divination, the occult in the entry of a major bookstore and in the common area of a public library. I labeled some... Read more

Thank You for Your Patience as I Pause … I have tried to find a quiet time to read Hart, Chapter 3 “That Judgment Whereby You Judge: Beauty and Discernment,” but life has gotten in the way. I will resume reading and reviewing the chapters as soon as possible. Retirement usually means old and old means doctor visits. Although my cardiologist gave me a wonderful compliment: “I can’t believe you’re seventy.” I said “I don’t feel a day over sixty-nine.”... Read more

Why “Orthodox” Rather than “Conservative” Note: If you post a comment here, make sure it is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos. Recently here I stated that I am neither conservative nor non-conservative theologically. (The headline of a review my recent book “Against Liberal Theology” in “Christianity Today” labeled me “non-conservative.”) I said in that blog essay that I prefer to... Read more

Thoughts about “You Are Gods” Chapter Two “The Treasure of Delight” *Note: If you choose to post a comment here, make sure it is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos.* Here are my thoughts about Chapter Two, “The Treasure of Delight: Nicholas of Cuba on Infinite Desire,” of David Bentley Hart’s book “You are Gods: On Nature and Supernature.” This is a good example... Read more

Why I prefer “Orthodox” to “Conservative” *Note: If you choose to submit a comment here, please make sure it is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos.* Here I am talking ONLY about theology and ways of describing theologies. A recent review of my book “Against Liberal Theology: Putting the Brakes on Progressive Christianity” called me “non-conservative.” ”Conservative” is an indexical term; it only has meaning within... Read more

“Waking the Gods” Thoughts about Chapter One of “You Are Gods” by David Bentley Hart *Note: If you choose to comment, be sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of links or photos.* I have already begun responding to David Bentley Hart’s book “You Are Gods: On Nature and Supernature” with thoughts about the Introduction. I know that several of you, my readers, are reading... Read more

Thoughts about David Bentley Hart’s “Introduction” to “You Are Gods” Hart, an Eastern Orthodox Christian and general Christian intellectual, here advances a stringent critique of the whole Western Christian tradition of separating nature and grace, the natural from the supernatural. He complains that the old “two-tier system” of nature and grace of neo-Thomism is making a comeback in spite of the 20th century’s “Eastward turn” of Catholic nouvelle theologie which was based on a vision of nature and grace as... Read more

Why I Will Never Become Eastern Orthodox *Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of photos or links.* I admit that I am attracted to Eastern Orthodox theology. As I explained here before, my main professor of historical theology during my Ph.D studies was EO. He opened my eyes to the goodness of EO theology and, of course,... Read more