I've quoted a good bit of Augustine recently, so I thought I'd recommend a few books I've read on and by Augustine for those who may want a deeper dive. First and foremost, read Confessions. It is a powerful spiritual autobiography. Don't read anything on Augustine till you've read this (unless you need a short … Continue reading Reading Augustine
devotional
Lynched, by Angela D. Sims
This post is not a review or a critique, just a few insights gleaned from Sims' incredibly important project (published 2016). Over the course of 18 months (July 2009 - February 2011), Sims traveled around the country collecting oral histories from people in locales as varied as New Jersey and Louisiana, Texas and Nebraska. She … Continue reading Lynched, by Angela D. Sims
How to Use a Christian Worldview
Over the last year I've been in countless conversations about politics, covid, race, theology, the environment, etc. In many of these conversations, my dialogue partner makes mention of a Christian worldview. A Christian worldview is a distinct way of viewing the world, of viewing life. I am convinced that in most of my conversations with … Continue reading How to Use a Christian Worldview
The Goodness of Shame
Shame has gotten a bad rap. Undeservedly. Shame is a good thing. A gift from God. Obviously, like every good thing that comes from our Heavenly Father, we have found ways of misusing it. We make a child feel shame because of a substandard report card that is not the result of laziness. We shame … Continue reading The Goodness of Shame
Swear Off All Alliances with the Assyrians of Our Day
So counsels Ray Ortlund in his book When God Comes to Church, a book written twenty years ago, but one I'm reading for the first time (and loving), currently. The chapter I'm considering now is an exposition of Hosea 14. Here's the first four verses: Return, Israel, to the LORD your God.Your sins have been … Continue reading Swear Off All Alliances with the Assyrians of Our Day
God Entranced 