The Ethics of Voting: A Christian Proposal
American citizenship is not a chance designation.[1] It’s the intentional calling of a sovereign God to those who have it. When and where we find ourselves living life is no surprise to God. Part of the Christian’s task in discipleship is discerning how best to fulfill this responsibility. While everyone can’t do everything, we can all do something: we can vote. Considering the Contest One of the first questions we have to consider is...
What the 2016 Election Can (and Should) Teach Us
By this point in 2016, most Americans are thoroughly exhausted by politics. This is typical of our civic experience every two years but especially every four as presidential elections try our patience and chisel away at our sanity. We’re not sure if another ad, sound-bite, or slogan will aid our decision-making or cause us to consider Canadian citizenship. Most American Christians have been formed and shaped by traditions that...
Losing Our Souls: The Neglect of the Liberal Arts
In the past century, the liberal arts have come upon hard times. For some, they’re just not that useful for vocational success. For others, they’re associated with a harmful cultural elitism of the West. However, these critiques, and others like them, are neither quite right nor fair. Whatever our cultural or ethnic or socioeconomic background, and whatever our vocational realities or aspirations, the liberal arts are important. Far...
Near-death Experiences?
How should a person view death? Paul says death is the “last enemy to be destroyed” (1 Cor. 15:26). The writer of Hebrews says that Christ came to “deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery” (2:15). For some, the fear of death can be overwhelming, but Christians know that Christ defeated the “last enemy to be destroyed” This gives us hope. We often think about dying well. However, what does Scripture...
Jane Austen, the Christian
Since their publication in the early nineteenth century, Jane Austen’s brilliant novels have been read and enjoyed. They are often viewed as the ultimate examples of romantic literature. Though they certainly model true love and good marriage, Austen has much more to say to her readers, particularly in regards to faith and good living. Since Jane Austen’s death in 1817, scholars and critics have shown great interest in the religious...
The Vine Project: A Review
Does church make you tired? By this I don’t mean do the sermons make you sleepy. But are the programs, events, and demands too many, and the laborers too few? From my experience, many pastors, deacons, and laymen feel this way. They’re overworked, underequipped, and a bit distressed by the seeming lack of success that their church is experiencing. The problem may be that twenty percent of the members are doing eighty percent of the...
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