In most of my articles on Patheos, I intend to present what I believe are learned arguments defending some aspect of the Christian faith. Admittedly, those arguments often fail or fail to reach their intended target (as far as I know). This is, in one sense, inevitable. Any Christian evangelist or apologist should know in advance of evangelizing or defending Christian claims that faith cannot be generated in man naturally. True faith is a gift from God, or, in an analytic... Read more
The LGBTQ+ movement, a political agenda which derives its intellectual framework from “Queer Theory,” is a truly mystifying phenomenon. I believe it is safe to say that it confounds most of us, even those who might be amenable to its claims of an extended array of sexual identities, orientations and permissible sexual acts. Within the confines of Christian denominations and churches it seems to be the most discussed issue of our day, with perhaps race and racism a close second.... Read more
In his Dialogue with Trypho, the 2nd century Christian apologist, Justin Martyr, summarizes the Christian life: And we who were filled with war, and mutual slaughter, and every wickedness, have each through the whole earth changed our warlike weapons,–our swords into ploughshares, and our spears into implements of tillage,–and we cultivate piety, righteousness, philanthropy, faith, and hope, which we have from the Father Himself through Him who was crucified; and sitting each under his vine, i.e., each man possessing his... Read more
In a chilling treatise on the nature of propaganda, 20th-century French sociologist and theologian Jaques Ellul emphasized the ultimate goal of the propagandistic state, in particular the Soviet Union: The ultimate was achieved by Soviet propaganda in the self-criticism of its opponents. That the enemy of a regime (or of the faction in power) can be made to declare, while he is still the enemy, that this regime was right, that his opposition was criminal, and that his condemnation is... Read more
In the much beloved, critically acclaimed DreamWorks series How to Train Your Dragon, we encounter a world filled with dragons. But, in spite of their traditional power, ferocity and fiery breath, these are no ordinary dragons. They are still dangerous, to be sure. However, there is something noticeably different about these dragons compared to dragons in other stories. The dragons in the DreamWorks films are misunderstood dragons. And, being misunderstood, they are mistreated dragons. These dragons are good dragons who... Read more
In America today we see the very foundations of morality and law crumbling under our feet. Because of this, we must find ways to generate serious discussion about the nature and application of both. As populist, revolutionary forces who view law as sheer political power subvert the synthesis of Judeo-Christian morality and classical, liberal Contractarianism as the basis for Law, we dare not find ourselves in an unresponsive slumber. Therefore, it becomes ever more critical for Christians to reexamine both the... Read more
There is a tactic the devil uses to slowly infiltrate and change the people of God from within. It is a tactic, like all of Satan’s strategies, which appears harmless and even beneficial at first. However, in the end, it is poison to the Church. The tactic is often presented in churches or Christian institutions as a call for “continued dialogue” or “ongoing engagement” with those who aim to advance abjectly unbiblical teachings and who openly champion moral attitudes that... Read more
In a previous post, I recounted a true story of real evil. The story was true because I experienced it in a particular time and a particular place in history, in this case the Bavarian capital city of Munich. The evil was real because it exemplified and made concrete something that, in its essence, was anti-God and anti-human. In this post, I examine a theological, philosophical and literary framework that gives some explanation to the real evil we experience in... Read more
In this interview with Jason Rennie at The Apologia Project, we talk in depth about Critical Theory generally and Critical Race Theory in particular. Are Critical Theories compatible with Christianity, or are their similarities deceptive? Here I discuss how the first things of metaphysics and epistemology matter as we assess whether Christians can synthesize worldly philosophies like CT into their theology. Read more
In this series I have argued there are features that are fundamental to all human beings. These features apply across temporal and cultural boundaries. They are innate marks that bind us all together and give evidence of a common humanity. Further, some of these features: our fear of the unknown, the burden of guilt we bear and our desire for recognition, give rise to cultural stories or narratives. Some of these narratives tell us something true about ourselves. They speak... Read more
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