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Confusing Sociability With Spirituality

Do introverts fit in at church? That’s the intriguing question Richard Beck, an associate professor and experimental psychologist at Abilene Christian University, asks in an important post on introverts and the Imago Dei : The answer, obviously, is that it depends upon what kind of church we . . . . Continue Reading »

Questioning authority

[caption id=”attachment_3905” align=”alignright” width=”185” caption=”Yves René Simon”][/caption]Six decades ago the thomistic philosopher Yves René Simon observed that, since the French Revolution, authority has had something of a bad . . . . Continue Reading »

Sartorial Eye for the Clerical Guy

Using TLC’s What Not to Wear and Bravo’s Queer Eye for the Straight Guy as models, I’m developing a television pilot program this spring for CBN (Christian Broadcasting Network). I envision a cadre of Christian cosmopolitans – similar to the “Fab Five” – whose . . . . Continue Reading »

Culture v. Reality

Andrew Klavan, a contributing editor at City Journal , examines the differences between culture and reality in America : Culture in America is an enchanted place where the conservative facts of life are magically transformed into liberal fantasies. In movies, TV shows, novels, even comedy routines, . . . . Continue Reading »

The Power of the Word Read Aloud

What Christians usually do is, they read the Bible out loud and then preach a sermon about it.  That’s the normal, all-but-universal pattern around the world and back through Christian history. If you had to leave out one or the other,  I suppose you would keep the Bible reading and . . . . Continue Reading »

On Hymn and Stories

Many of our hymns have a rich, and sometimes painful, history behind them.  There is Amazing Grace and the Lord’s redemption of John Newton from the most vile of livelihoods — the slave trade.  Then there is Horatio Spafford’s It is Well with My Soul.  The first part . . . . Continue Reading »

In Christ, Death Died

As such He came; He came as Saviour. He died, but He vanquished death; in Himself He put an end to what we feared; He took it upon Himself and He vanquished it, as a mighty Hunter He captured and slew the lion. Where is death? Seek it in Christ, for it exists no longer; but it did exist and now it . . . . Continue Reading »

On My Honor

Today, February 8, is the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America.No, I never served in any of the armed forces. But I was a Boy Scout. Ok, not the same.  (And I only made Second Class before the small-town troop folded.  One of the prices of small-town life, I . . . . Continue Reading »

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