Religion & Liberty Online Archives

Virtue

December 23, 2014

Reflections on How We Approach God

We know how God approached mankind: the surprising incarnation as a baby at Christmas. But how ought we to approach Him? Here is a wide range of 14 ways we often try, along with a benefit for each: Love the right things and you will find your way home to God Think the right things and you will know the sovereign God Believe the right things and you will live at peace Obey, obey, obey and you will not go to hell Withdraw from the world and you will know God best Keep these sacraments and you will be part of the kingdom of God Feel the right things and you will be blessed in your spirit Follow these steps and you will prosper Serve the Lord your God by serving people and you will honor God Once you have suffered enough you will know God Meditation is the path to knowing God Go with the culture and God will go with you There is no God, but there ought to be one, so I’ll “believe” We are all God’s children so let’s be nice to everyone Continue Reading...
December 19, 2014

Just a Little Nudge

James K. A. Smith reviews Cass Sunstein’s Valuing Life over at the Comment magazine site. It’s a worthwhile read for a number of reasons, not least of which is that it should move Sunstein’s latest up in the queue. Continue Reading...
December 04, 2014

Delivery Boy for a Day

In light of my recent posts on boyhood and the formative power of work, a new holiday ad for UPS does a nice job of illustrating a key point: something deep down in a boy longs for work, and that basic desire ought to be guided, encouraged, and discipled accordingly, not downplayed, distorted, or ignored. Continue Reading...
December 03, 2014

The Church’s Witness to an Atomizing Culture

In an increasingly atomizing and alienating culture, what role does the church play in holding the fabric of civilization together? Over at the Evangelical Pulpit, Bart Gingerich offers a hearty response, albeit by way of answering a rather different question: Why do folks abandon the church, particularly those who still believe in Jesus? Continue Reading...
December 01, 2014

On Inequity and Inequality

I would like to clarify that inequity and inequality are overlapping (and related) but not identical sets. Here’s a diagram that might be helpful. The way these terms often get used makes it seem like this distinction could provide some clarity. Continue Reading...
November 21, 2014

Swift vs. Spotify and the Future of the Struggling Artist

Taylor Swift recently made waves when her record label pulled her entire catalog off Spotify, a popular music streaming service. Fans and critics responded in turn, banging their chests and wailing in solidarity, meming and moaning across the Twitterverse about the plight of the Struggling Artist and the imperialism of mean old Master Spotify. Continue Reading...
November 14, 2014

Against Macho Posturing: Watering the Roots of Christian Masculinity

In case you hadn’t noticed, “manly Christianity” has become somewhat of a thing. From the broad and boilerplate Braveheart analogies of John Eldredge to the UFC-infused persona of the now embattled Mark Driscoll, evangelical Christianity has been wrestling with how to respond to what is no doubt a rather serious crisis of masculinity. Continue Reading...
November 03, 2014

Audio: What is Fasting?

About a week ago, I had the opportunity to be a guest on a radio show, The Ride Home with John & Kathy, on 101.5 WORD Radio, Pittsburgh. The interview was prompted by a little post titled “What is Fasting?” Continue Reading...