Recent Posts

Doodle: Was J. R. R. Tolkien an Anti-Semite?

Towards the close of The Watchmen, a newspaper editor suggests to his senior that they should run a story about Ronald Reagan running for president in ‘88. The senior replies,...

A Word from Jesus on T. B. Joshua

I woke up this morning to a handful of messages from various people, all about the same person: T. B. Joshua. If you know the name, then you might be...

Stories Are for So Much More Than Escapism

If anyone is willing to sponsor it, I’ll embark on a PhD in literature tomorrow. My question: when did we start treating literature as escapism? This question obviously applies to...

Doodle: If Anyone Aspires to the Office of Bishop

In Prince Caspian, Aslan asks the eponymous prince if he feels that he’s ready to become the king of Narnia. Caspian’s reply is marked by hesitation. “I don’t think I...

Fridays with Fred: Cancel Culture

What frightens you? In general, children have readier answers to that question than adults. They’re able to list the things that cause them dread. Adults, on the other hand, not...

How Persevering in Greek Equips You for the Christian Life

At the outset of this year I started lecturing at a theological college. This was something I’ve longed to do since completing my own studies, many moons ago. Considering my...

John Ames' Advice Against Defensiveness

Good advice is gold. That is, it’s as rare as it is precious. Unfortunately, the church is often a sanctuary for bad advice. In the same way that fugitives of...

A Guide to Good Writing for Those Who Can't Write Good

One of the characters in Marilynne Robinson’s Home describes preaching as, “parsing the broken heart of humankind and praising the loving heart of Christ.” I’ve often considered this a fitting...

Biblical Narratives: Some Comments on Structure, Themes, and Sermons

Towards the end of last year I wrote an article arguing that most biblical narratives don’t have a main point. I was grateful to those readers who raised questions and...