Individualism is the air we breathe. It surrounds us like the water that fish swim in, inescapably. If you have grown up in North America in anything other than abject poverty, being against individualism is like being against breathing. Like many other demonic inventions, invidiualism offers us the world at the price of our souls. … Read more →
The story of my conversion from despondent hedonism to following Jesus is quite conventional and fairly dramatic in places. I’ve told it to believers and non-believers alike on many occasions, with dramatic flair. The story’s got it all: a troubled childhood, self-destructive tendencies, drug abuse, an existential crisis, and an abrupt conversion experience with immediate … Read more →
William T. Cavanaugh‘s seminal 1995 essay “A Fire Strong Enough to Consume the House: The Wars of Religion and the Rise of the State” seeks to dismantle the myth of the modern secular state as the peacemaker who stepped onto the scene a few hundred years ago to quell religious violence. Instead, Cavanaugh argues, the … Read more →
I just finished reading Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. On the whole, it wasn’t as bad as some responses have made it out to be, which is hardly surprising given the topic that he tackles. Much of the book was a disturbing tour through the dark side of religion, one that should disturb any religious … Read more →
As my last post indicated, I’m currently reading James K.A. Smith’s Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism?: Taking Derrida, Lyotard, and Foucault to Church. He’s helping me to understand the phenomenon of postmodern philosophy much better than any other tutor I’ve had previously. He is actually familiar with each author’s writings (particularly Derrida) and is therefore able … Read more →