One can judge the character of an author by his self-deprecation. Immediately, in the introduction to Faith, Reason and Beyond Reason, Mark Boone makes clear he does not know it all. Knowledge (epistemology) is the framework for Boone’s book, yet his first paragraph admits how much he learned from a student. Were I a screenwriter,
Dave Beck honored me by asking if I would write the foreword to his book. Here is my reflection on his memoir Fragments. Find his book here. Professor’s offices in older buildings are quite small. David’s 8 x 10-foot space was where we first met. The discussions we had knocked down walls, opening literary vistas before
When I first began teaching Christian high school students in the 1980’s I would often reference First Testament teaching on “the remnant,” reminding students that Christians are never far from persecution. Students were exposed to names such as Justin Martyr, Origen, Irenaeus, or Tertullian and texts such as “The Epistle to Diognetus,” Pliny’s letter to
When I was a boy, I wanted to be an astronaut. My favorite TV program was “Lost in Space.” I remember fervently praying that I would be allowed to be someone who could travel to distant stars. [I became a theologian instead. Some may see a connection there. 😊] Coupled with my space odyssey, I
“Tech Execs Require Nannies to Sign Contract Barring Screens,” was an article I introduced in a course I teach entitled “Reading, Writing & Inquiry.” The students were stunned to learn that Silicon Valley leaders do not allow their own children to view anything on screens during the day. Students astutely noted, “they must know something,
My review of Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell by Jason L. Riley (New York, NY: Basic Books. 2021. 291 pp. $30. Hardcover.) will appear in an upcoming issue of Christian Education Journal. A legacy of ideas generates generational impact. For a long time, I have wondered if my own ideas would be lost to the
Science is helped by history. Give me a minute to explain. After discovering the third law of planetary motion, Johannes Kepler prayed, “Sun, moon, and planets glorify Him in your ineffable language! Celestial harmonies, all ye who comprehend His marvelous works, praise Him. And thou, my soul, praise thy Creator! It is by Him and
The artillery opened fire at 10 p.m. Using bracketing salvos, measuring the precise range of their volleys, spotters began to report direct hits. The structure imploded from the heat generated from the incendiary shells, created by igniting the contents of the building. Stained glass shattered. Sections of the roof collapsed. Walls caved in. People escaped
Nothing has changed. Give me a minute to explain. Corruption comes from the lie in Genesis 3:4-5, “The serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of the forbidden fruit, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” In
Who will be in charge? Give me a minute to explain. “Who is the number one god?” In the 1996 movie The Island of Dr. Moreau, the beast people revolt against the godlike scientist, taking over the island. In fits of rage, the beast people, once controlled by electric shocks, now rule. Done with Dr.
When it happens, you know it. Give me a minute to explain. The delivery of any kind of oral presentation is unique. Singing our national anthem happens all the time. However, Whitney Houston’s 1991 Super Bowl performance surpasses all others. Wartime addresses are essential for their time and place. Yet some transcend the moment, such
Take the blue pill. Destroy reality. Give me a minute to explain. Richard Weaver’s book Ideas Have Consequences has reverberated through my life every time I read it. You don’t need to scan any further than the introduction to see Weaver’s concern: men have dismissed transcendence, universal ideals, logic, realism, objective truth, and original sin.