I don’t know if you were as excited as I was to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, but one thing that particularly stood out to me was the exploration of the mission that Gandalf undertook apart from his dwarf and hobbit companions. Even though it is outside of the story as J.R.R. Tolkien originally told it, I think that we were handed a very good image of what it means … [Read more...]
Worldviews and Culture: YA Entertainment in 2013
As a father of three who has worked with youth for 20 years, I've had a front row seat from which to observe the cultural saturation of America's young adults, particularly when it comes to entertainment. A good story is powerful, and some great storytellers are teaching the next generation a lot about life - for better or worse. Unfortunately, the current blend of … [Read more...]
What is Man?
What is Man? "What is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet." Psalm 8:4-6 By far, my favorite subtopic in Christian apologetics is human ontology. That's fancy philosopher-speak for the study of … [Read more...]
Outing fundamentalists
As a Christian I risk being labeled a fundamentalist. I risk having my honest reasoned opinions summarily dismissed as fundamentalism. Fortunately in my case this has been rare, perhaps only because I’ve kept my mouth shut for the most part. Nevertheless, certain authors and thinkers who I respect have been so labeled. But what does it mean? What is fundamentalism? Should … [Read more...]
The Relevant Question
I have often been frustrated in conversations that I have about the existence of God. In these instances it is not so much that the people I converse with are themselves frustrating, or that the conversation goes no where, but rather that they don’t take the question seriously. If I am genuinely interested in their insight to the question “Does God exist?”, I feel as though the … [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...]
The Argument of Tears
A typical crowd of tourists, seniors, and schoolchildren on field trips was mulling around the large lobby of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. when a young man, wearing full military dress and carrying a cello, walked toward a chair curiously placed in the center of the large room and sat down. He took up his bow in one hand, stretched his … [Read more...]
Free-will and choice confusion
I'm writing this article as a plea for Christians and skeptics alike, but especially theologians and apologists, to use the term 'free will' more carefully. I hear mistakes and mis-speaks so often that it has become one of my pet-peeves. I'm also hoping that providing a bit of detail on the distinction will positively impact our theological and apologetics discussion. This … [Read more...]
Does the Old Testament Teach Two Comings of the Messiah?
Introduction Jewish people and even some skeptics like to assert that Christians are the ones who have come up with two act play about the coming of the Messiah. In other words, since Jesus failed at the messianic task, Christians then had no choice but to make up a second coming of Jesus. I already have a post called “Was Jesus a Failed Prophet?” here. While there is much … [Read more...]