Biographies are intensely personal affairs, filled with the often mundane details purporting to tell the life story of some person of alleged importance. Occasionally, however, a figure of true influence will come along and change the world. In the American context, such figures have often been religious or political leaders, those two realms of discourseContinue reading “Book Review: Richard John Neuhaus (Boyagoda)”
Tag Archives: World
Book Review: The Reason for My Hope (Graham)
Few people have shaped contemporary Christianity more than Billy Graham. Though not as active, popular, or visible as he once was, Graham’s decades of evangelism, writing, and preaching continue to influence Christians around the world. Even in retirement, Graham continues to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world. It was thus withContinue reading “Book Review: The Reason for My Hope (Graham)”
Reflections on Ephrem’s Commentaries
This post is part of an ongoing series examining Ephrem the Syrian and early Syriac Christianity. Though said to have written a commentary on every book of the Bible, the only authentic and extant prose commentaries of Ephrem the Syrian are those on Genesis and (part of) Exodus. These commentaries, following the more traditional “textContinue reading “Reflections on Ephrem’s Commentaries”
Book Review: Restoring All Things (Smith and Stonestreet)
“Christians are called to live for the good of the world. This requires understanding and action. We must think clearly about the world and engage deeply when and where we can.” In his essay “On the Reading of Old Books”, C.S. Lewis once admonished his readers to engage numerous old books for every new bookContinue reading “Book Review: Restoring All Things (Smith and Stonestreet)”
C. S. Lewis on Myth (Part II)
This post is part of an ongoing series examining C. S. Lewis’s view of “myth.” In An Experiment in Criticism, Lewis approached “myth” in several ways, most importantly as a story which has “a value in itself –a value independent of its embodiment in any literary work” (Experiment in Criticism, 41). Here Lewis defined mythContinue reading “C. S. Lewis on Myth (Part II)”
Second Treatise of Great Seth
The Second Treatise of the Great Seth is one of the “G/gnostic” texts found at the Nag Hammadi Library in Egypt.[1] Generally dated in the third century by scholars, the name and origin of this text remain a mystery,[2] though it has been speculated that the name Seth originated from the son of Adam andContinue reading “Second Treatise of Great Seth”
Endo’s Silence
Insights from historical fiction are often intended to make readers pause for careful consideration, especially so with Shasaka Endo’s Silence, the account of a Christians amidst the persecutions of 16th century Japan. Central to this narrative is Endo’s portrayal of the conflict between Eastern and Western civilizations, especially as that conflict impacted Christianity. The narrativeContinue reading “Endo’s Silence”
Religion and World Construction
This post is part of our ongoing series of reflections concerning “Conceptions of the Ultimate”, the ways in which various world religions conceive of and interpret the Ultimate Being of the cosmos. Today’s post consists of reflections upon the first chapter of Peter Berger’s The Sacred Canopy, entitled “Religion and World Construction.“ In this chapterContinue reading “Religion and World Construction”
Reflections on Suffering (Part II)
This article originally appeared on Conciliar Post. In my yesterday’s post, I reflected on some of the answers which have been offered to the “question of suffering,” the query about why there is evil and suffering in the world if there is a good and all-powerful God. In today’s post, I hope to begin craftingContinue reading “Reflections on Suffering (Part II)”
Book Review: The Drama of Scripture, 2E (Bartholomew and Goheen)
Very few books are must reads, especially for busy, sleep-deprived, tired-of-reading-books-for-class college students (or their even more taxed cousins, the grad student). Rarely does something come along that clearly and concisely explains complex issues with clarity and precision. Ten years ago, one such book came along: The Drama of Scripture, captivating readers and shedding muchContinue reading “Book Review: The Drama of Scripture, 2E (Bartholomew and Goheen)”
Pursuing Veritas 