Christianity and Technology: A Primer
Many years ago, various circumstances led me to focus my research and reflection on technology. In reality, what led me down this rabbit hole was observing the rapid change in the world around me. I saw its influence on Christian thought and practice, and I was curious as to why much of the best literature on technology and social change was not produced by people of traditional religious faith.[1] A recent CNN Films documentary...
Five-Dollar Couches and the Church’s Future
What is the one staple that you can find in virtually every youth group across America? You’re right: the (overly) pre-owned couch. Whether you’re in Idaho or Illinois, California, or Connecticut, it would seem that the perennial signature of any well-christened youth room is an old couch. One can only imagine the stories behind the acquisition of these couches. For some, the youth minister bought a couch from the local thrift sore,...
Is Youth Ministry Biblical?
Most of us who have grown up within American evangelicalism have fond memories of youth group. We remember camp messages that focused on our response to the Gospel. We remember youth pastors calling on us to take our purity seriously. Whether it was an all-night lock-in or songs around a campfire, we remember our time in youth group as equal parts fun and spiritual growth. For good reason, we often look back to our 4-6 years in a...
Reflections on ETS 2014
Two weeks ago, over 2500 students, professors, exhibitors, and scholars from many fields journeyed to San Diego, California for the 66th Annual Meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society (ETS). My colleague Matthew McAffee (Welch College) and I were among those in attendance. We each enjoyed the privilege of giving presentations this year. More significant, though, was the opportunity to attend three days of presentations from...
T.S. Eliot: “I Should Be Glad of Another Death”
Several years ago I decided to start reading poetry. This was no easy endeavor. Poetry distills complex thoughts into compact sentences full of association and tone. Thus learning to read and understand it was difficult for me. As is often the case though, the reward for such hard work is very high. T.S. Eliot was the first poet to really grab me and refuse to let go. His poetry drew me into a new world I never expected to find. Since...
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