In college and graduate school I studied the art and theory of rhetoric. I am something of a nerd (shocker, if you read anything on this blog), and so as a fresh young student I was surprised and delighted to discover that such questions have occupied the minds of great thinkers like Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, … Continue reading A Rare Example of Responsible Rhetoric
Tag: religion
Bitterness, Wrath, and the Problem with Biblical Counselors
"“Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” ~Joanna Weaver There is nothing so easy in the world as finding angry people on the Internet. They are in comments and posts, videos and memes, comics and photos, essays and tweets. Sometimes their wrath is justified; there are awful things happening … Continue reading Bitterness, Wrath, and the Problem with Biblical Counselors
Flame of Love
Hundreds of years ago, the English theologian John Wesley wrote a moving commentary on the radical, self-sacrificial love commanded by Jesus Christ. It's remarkable how reading this passage today shows a stark contrast between biblical love and the type of love touted in the shallow memes of social media.
Book Review: ‘The Color of Compromise’ by Jemar Tisby
Jemar Tisby has done the church a great service in documenting its pattern of racism during key epochs in American history and showing a way towards repentance and institutional reform. This isn't just a historical survey of the distant past but of events as recent as Black Lives Matter and the election of Trump. At the very least, Tisby's analysis ought to prompt Christians to critically examine how racism manifests in their midst in subtle ways today, and determine how to fight it.
Book Review: ‘You Are What You Love’ by James K. Smith
What if we are not primarily thinking creatures, but creatures of habit? What if we are not driven mainly by what we know, but by what we love? My review of this incredible book by James K.A. Smith.
My Essay on Free Will, Hacking, and Transcendent Narrative
Best-selling author Yuval Harari recently claimed that free will is a myth, humans are more hackable than ever before, and religion has no place in addressing the scientific and technological challenges of the future. Here's why he's wrong.
From ‘Cryptonomicon’: The Importance of Time-Tested Moral Frameworks
Historian Yuval Noah Harari does not believe religion has anything relevant to say about the technological challenges of the future. His argument reminds me of a passage from an award-winning novel that suggests otherwise.
Richard Rabil, Jr. 