BloG
Developing the Life of the Mind to Shape the Culture
What Are Humans Made of?
What Are Humans Made of? The question may sound odd, but I think it’s a fun, and accurate, way to ask this question. What are humans made of? You may be tempted to immediately jump to flesh and blood. Organs, skin, hair. Physical stuff. This isn't a wrong jump,...
Summer Reading List for 2022
Summertime is here (especially here in Texas, with temperatures routinely above 100!), which means a little extra time to get reading done. I've compiled a list here of books that I intend to read over the summer to grow in my faith and my thinking. Enjoy my summer...
On Teaching Critical Thinking
Introduction In recent years (at least as long as I've been teaching), there has been a dedicated focus on teaching "critical thinking" to students. Any quick Google search will reveal a plethora of sites explaining the lack of critical thinking displayed in students....
What Are The Transcendentals?
Introduction What are the Transcendentals? If you recognize the word "transcendental" at all, you probably link it to Romantic Era authors like Ralph Waldo Emerson or Henry David Thoreau. This isn't incorrect as these authors were connected to a movement called...
“I Don’t Need Reasons, I Just Have Faith.”
(Updated 06-13-22) I Don't Need Reasons I can remember a conversation I had with an older friend. Over the course of the conversation, the question of "why do you believe in Christianity" came up. The answer given by my friend was, "I don't need reasons, I have...
Why Read the Classics
Why Read the Classics? Some wit once said, "Classics are those which everyone wants to have read but nobody wants to read." Regardless of whether or not this is true, it does beg the question, "Why are classics…well…classic?" Classics are those works of...
Squid Game and the Soul
It's all fun and Squid Games... If you're living under a rock like I was, perhaps you're unaware of the Netflix phenomenon Squid Game. This show is currently the most popular Netflix show of all time and it's easy to see why. The main character is an everyman stuck in...
3 Reasons to Go Read Church History
I confess it's true: I love theology books. I love the smell, the feel, and the usually deep engagement. The one area of my bookshelf that's largely empty (though growing), is Church history. Having not read much Church history in a systematic way until my late 20's,...
What is Philosophy and Who Really Cares?
What is philosophy and why should we study it?
2021 Summer Reading
Summer time is basically here (especially in Texas and Florida where I live), which means a little extra time to get reading done. I've compiled a list here of books that I intend to read over the summer to grow in my creativity, my faith, and my Biblical thinking....
A Handy Guide to Posting About: Controversial Topics
If you've been on social media at all in the past two years, you know that people love to post their opinions, particularly as those opinions relate to controversial topics. Trump, Biden, Coronavirus (and the Vaccine), Tech-Censorship etc…etc… And what does...
The Danger of Meme Theology
In our social media culture, memes are a great way to make a joke and, many times, are a way to make a point. Consider the two memes above. (In the header image) They're short, fit easily on your feed, and make a pretty clear point. Each meme is attempting to start...