Why the Book Is Almost Always Better Than the Movie
Originality is not a virtue often found in Hollywood. This claim is counter-intuitive, of course. Yearly we are ushered into a cinematic world of 3-D creatures, romances with unlikely characters, and thrillers with unexpected killers. The annual profits are staggering when one considers the billions invested in production and earned in ticket sales. Surely the film industry is a place where we can encounter cultural and aesthetic...
From Eden to Eden
A man created from dust, and a woman created from that same man’s rib: surely we’re more intelligent than to actually believe in this, right? Prior to the nineteenth century, rarely did Christians deny the historicity of this Genesis account. However, it has become quite common to do so in modern Christianity, as many professing believers doubt this seemingly unbelievable account of creation. Some have done so for literary reasons,...
Divine Grace and Human Responsibility in Bernard of Clairvaux
Philip Schaff described Bernard of Clairvaux as the “the model monk of the Middle Ages, the most imposing figure of his time, and one of the best men of all the Christian centuries” [1]. Yet many know very little of this important saint. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090-1153) was born into a wealthy family in northern France. Throughout his life, he was a monk, mystic, and theologian. Within a few centuries, he was the most oft-quoted...
Propriety, Not Antiquity
At the Christian college where I earned my Bachelor’s degree there is a dress code for all regular classes and chapel. For men, this entails a shirt and tie, with dress slacks; for women, a knee-length skirt with a modest blouse or a knee-length dress. Upon arrival, freshmen often question the reasons for a dress code, considering it either stodgy or arbitrarily constricting. However, if one takes the time to honestly inquire about...
Making Men: Discipleship on Purpose
It is no secret: I have a son. He is four years old, and his name is Isaac Thor Johnston. I am proud of him, and I love him. But most importantly, I am responsible for him. When I look at him, I see a host of possibilities and adventures that he will experience in his lifetime. He will grow in wisdom and stature. And depending on my faithfulness in discipling him, he will grow in favor with God and man. This is a task that many men...
The Persistence of Place: Reflections on Craig Bartholomew’s Where Mortals Dwell
Some of the most important aspects of life are those we often overlook. Many of us, to some extent, acknowledge that it is during illness that we realize we’ve taken good health for granted. For example, looking death in the eye, even the wealthy and famous often concede: “I wish I had spent more time with my family.” Committed Christians also find themselves repeatedly confronted with the theme of remembrance as they read the...
Recent Comments