The imagination of the human mind is a fascinating thing. With it we formulate ideas grand and terrifying; we solve complex problems with creative solutions and dream up ways of executing great evil; we get lost in the visions of a good book or in the notes of a song or in the horrors of death and terror. Our imaginations are a great tool for good and evil, not to mention an … [Read more...]
Creating Christian Media
God has created a world in which there are things that are beautiful. There are things that are good, and there are things that are right. We live in a world where some things are indeed better than others. We live in a world that is defined by objective values even if many people do not want to affirm that reality. … [Read more...]
Book Review: Walton's The Lost World of Genesis One
“Creations' debate game changer” is my four words review of John H. Walton’s 192-paged InterVarsity Press published book The Lost World of Genesis One (2009). Noting that the Old Testament was not written to us but for us, Walton returns us to the lost and forgotten ancient Jews to whom the Testament was written. He thus invites us to decipher ancient Near East cosmology as … [Read more...]
Poem: Does God allow evil and suffering?
Does God allow evil and suffering? Yes. Can you look me level in the eyes and tell me what some people do to hurt little kids is not evil? No. Evil is real, but how can someone who doesn’t exist allow anything? Yes. If evil is real, then good is real. But if good is real, what being do you know who is always good? But here we are again. Would a good God allow evil and … [Read more...]
Who Is Peeta? Identity, Persistence, and the Hunger Games
The Hunger Games and Philosophy provides an excellent springboard from which to dive into some key themes in this incredibly popular trilogy. In "Who is Peeta Mellark? The Problem of Identity in Panem," Nicolas Michaud uses Peeta's post-torture persona to look at the problem of personal identity. I will do my best to adequately represent her argument, as well as provide a … [Read more...]
Apologetics through the Dystopian
I enjoy dystopian novels. However, it isn’t just a bizarre interest of mine. Right now, people are flocking to the movie theaters to see Catching Fire or swarming the bookstores to pick up Allegiant. In generations past, you could pick up Lord of the Flies or even Fahrenheit 451 to see a depiction of a world gone wrong. In the past, I have thought of these novels more as an … [Read more...]
Darwin and the Hunger Games
The Hunger Games and Philosophy provides an excellent springboard from which to dive into some key themes in this incredibly popular trilogy. Abigail Mann's contribution, “Competition and Kindness: The Darwinian World of the Hunger Games,” offers some insight into how this series looks when viewed through the lens of Darwinian theory. I will do my best to adequately represent … [Read more...]
Ender's Game: A Review
If the awards given to Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game are any indication, he has written a novel that may well become part of the canon of science fiction: Nebula Award for best novel in 1985 Hugo Award for best novel in 1986 Nominated for a Locus Award in 1986 American Library Association's "100 Best Books for Teens." Margaret A. Edwards Award in 2008 It’s been … [Read more...]
Joseph Finder's "Paranoia": A Review
When I saw previews for the movie version of Paranoia a couple weeks ago, I thought, “I believe I read that book last winter. Something about a self-centered jerk who got caught in the middle of corporate espionage between even bigger self-centered jerks, and I didn't really care what happened to him or anyone else at the end.” Yep, that was the one. I am apparently an … [Read more...]
The Raven Boys
"You're looking for a god...watch for the devil. When there's a god, there's always a legion of devils." Blue, her mother Marua, and her aunt Neeve have a strong affinity for the supernatural, an awareness of the darker forces lurking behind the veil, and a pretty keen desire to explore realms best left hidden. As part of her magical heritage, Blue is under something of a … [Read more...]