Sea of Faith by John Brehm (In The Southern Review) Once when I was teaching “Dover Beach” to a class of freshmen, a young woman raised her hand and said, “I’m confused about this ‘Sea of Faith.'” “Well,” I said,
Here’s a brief conversation between Paul Ray and Peter Moore titled “The Cultural Creatives: We Are Everywhere.” I think many of us, after encountering Paul’s book, “The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World” felt deep resonance,
Over the last few years it has been very cool to watch evangelical Christians discover or rediscover the wonder and power of film. “Narrative Theologians” like Stanley Hauerwas, Hans Frei, et. al. deserve our thanks. Cornerstone’s Flickerings, and the Damah
While on Andrew Jones‘ site the other day I was introduced to the concept of guest maps. The thought of slowly getting a sense of where people are encountering my little site is kinda cool, so I set one up. If
Anthony Hecht who was one of America’s great poets, passed away this week. Here is one of his many poems, click here to hear him read it. Chorus from Oedipus at Colonus by Anthony Hecht What is unwisdom but the
God Says Yes To Me by Kaylin Haught I asked God if it was okay to be melodramaticand she said yesI asked her if it was okay to be shortand she said it sure isI asked her if I could
Lynette and I use New Years day as a reminder to sit down and have a conversation regarding who we sense ourselves becoming. We used set goals but we rarely do rather rather our conversations attempt to articulate trajectory; give
but God by Dwight J. Friesen I walked I ran I put my headphones on I turned up the noise I flipped the channels I changed lanes I turned the page I sampled a taste I couldn’t sit still I
The other day I was watching a rerun of “The Simpsons” – such a great show. It was an episode from the first season. What stood out to me was that in the first season the writers didn’t know the
Last night Lynette and I watched a wonderfully hopeful documentary entitled, “What I Want My Words to Do to You.” Inmates at Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women try to determine whether redemption is really possible after committing a crime
I have a three year-old at home, so I don’t go to movies like I used to, in fact without Netflix my life would have a film shaped void. So “In America” arrived and I must say, I loved it.
Special thanks to Amber for recently directing my attention to “Sobornost.” Sobornost is a Russian Orthodox social church theory. It is a communal unity by free association in Christ finding expression in gathered church where harmony is attained by free
Neil Postman (1931-2003) was chair of the Department of Culture and Communications at New York University, wrote important books on education (including Teaching as a Conserving Activity and The Disappearance of Childhood), on the effect of media (Amusing Ourselves to Death),
So I was at Café Vita in Capital Hill with Paul Steinke yesterday. We met at 2 in the afternoon, and I found free parking – yippee. I love talking with Paul, he is one of those people who makes
If all philosophy, theology etc. is a form of biography then, have we come to a point where all debate is ad hominem? By a “form of biography” I’m following in the footsteps of William James McLendon and many others
The poetry I write usually flows from journaling or from times of SoulRest. I have no grandiose illusions about the quality of my poetry, yet it is mine. And though it is thoroughly idiosyncratic and amateurish it gives voice the
I’m back from a great week away, much to do and even more to write. In my research I have come to learn that during college Hegel was roommates with another budding philosopher named Schelling, who later became Hegel’s antagonist.
I am listening to a new CD by Peter Nelson, aka August Anchor, formerly of Kilmer. It’s a preview disc as the CD won’t be out for a few months. It is sooooo good! I haven’t been as excited about
Church by Dwight J. Friesen Restless boy yanking at his neck tie Flipping through hymnals, Bibles and Sunday School papers No match for the sermon fidgets Those warming the pews trade yawns Waiting For the last song and benediction Long
It’s Maundy Thursday. This morning as I was walking through the Stations of the Cross is was drawn in – in a special way – by the eighth station: “The women of Jerusalem, and their children, come out to comfort
We moved to metro Seattle two years after the death of Kurt Cobain. I’ve often wished we’d been here to experience Seattle’s grunge era in all its glory. Sometimes it feels like there is a Cobain shaped void in the
It would be interesting to read a study on the history, use, and meaning of the word or idea of “success.” In the enlightenment success was proving oneself or one’s theory as right, profitable, empirically verifiable, etc. I would think
After watching the film, Pollock (2000), based on the life of artist Jackson Pollock, together with a group of friends, we pulled out paint and canvases and tried our hands at Pollock-esk art. Occasionally I’ve heard people say “anyone could
A friend emailed a couple of questions yesterday: “What are the drawbacks to Post-Modernism? What are weaknesses within the ‘post-modern’ church?” Here are my efforts at a response… There are likely as many drawbacks to the pomo as there are
I’ve been doing a bit of reading on globalism, one of my friends asked a group of us; “Will the new world order be one in which religion will play a leading role?” Our conversation morphed to exploring whether there
Fake Plastic Trees by Radiohead, on The Bends Her green plastic watering can For her fake Chinese rubber plant In the fake plastic earth That she bought from a rubber man In a town full of rubber plans To get
Some exciting news, this weekend Lynette, Pascal, and I are heading up to the Vancouver International Film Festival. Lynette’s brother, Bevan, has a film called “Wildlands” that will be part of the festival (screenings on Monday and Thursday), and will
Is pluralism is a disruption to community? When each person does what is right in their own eyes, (is this even a useful way of thinking about pluralism?) then someone will get hurt. Which of course means that one person’s
