Christianity, Philosophy, and Natural Theology
While some may associate the subject of philosophy with eggheads who talk about old, dead Greeks and Romans, the truth is much more layered and exciting than that: Fundamentally, philosophy concerns our views of life, truth, the world, ethics, and other topics that form our basic worldviews. Consequently, it is relevant to our Christian confession. Yes, it includes discussion about history, but it is not limited to that by any means....
Christianity, Philosophy, and Presuppositions
Approximately one year ago, in the spring of 2020, I was invited to begin teaching Welch College’s offering of Christian Philosophy, which occupies a place in the general education curriculum. Since that time, I have taught four iterations of the course and have loved every minute of it. The subject of philosophy is not simply about philosophers and their ideas. It is also about what and how we think; to that extent, it is relevant to...
Preparing for a Funeral
What should I say? How long should my sermon be? Will there be a visitation or viewing service? I remember feeling overwhelmed preparing for my first funeral a few years ago. Honestly, I still feel this way now. Funerals can be emotionally draining for the ministry leader. You may feel an unintentional need to perform well or fix everyone’s grief all at once. The person delivering the sermon or eulogy receives a lot of pressure....
A Devotion on Gratitude from Psalm 100
The last couple of years have perhaps made it difficult for some of us to maintain a life of gratitude. After a global pandemic, a contentious election season, and many riots, being grateful may not come easy. However, even amid difficult times, Christians can remain genuinely grateful about much. Psalm 100 is a psalm of thanksgiving. It calls us to have genuine gratitude for the Lord and to praise Him. There are two calls to praise...
A Few First Steps in Hospitality
Last year—yes, Lockdown-2020—my husband and I read Rosaria Butterfield’s The Gospel Comes with a House Key: Practicing Radically Ordinary Hospitality in our Post-Christian World. The timing could not have seemed worse! How were we supposed to host people in our homes and live out the beautifully bountiful form of generous hospitality that the Butterfields exemplify when many people in our community did not consider being closer than...
Technology and Culture in Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey
A year before the United States first landed a man on the moon, director Stanley Kubrick released one of the most celebrated space films in history—2001: A Space Odyssey. The film won a host of awards in different categories. The visual power of the film is arresting, and the soundtrack became a trope in American culture. Yet beyond all of the spectacle, critics regarded Kubrick’s masterpiece so highly because, like the best art, it...
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