J.R.R. Tolkien writes, in the prologue to The Fellowship of the Ring, that hobbits “love peace and quiet, and good tilled earth. . . . They do not and did not understand or like machines more complicated than a forge-bellows, a water-mill, or a hand-loom, though they were skilful with tools.” I really want to Continue reading

Originally posted on G. C. Jeffers: With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer. His brother-friends. One final time. Meat and drink and bread against the darkness ascendant. And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them. And let the common become the divine.… Continue reading

(I have chosen to republish, in a slightly revised form, all six parts of my Nicene Creed series as one post. I think seeing it all together helps with continuity. You can find the individual posts here.) I believe in one God Ethical monotheism is a late development. I’ve written, elsewhere, about my doubts. One Continue reading

Today is the Feast of the Epiphany. Today the church celebrates the arrival of the magi from the east to the cradle of our Lord. The wise men followed an abnormal, to say the least, astronomical phenomenon all the way to a manger in Bethlehem. An epiphany is a sudden realization–one immediately taken for truth. Continue reading

This is now the third year in a row that I have written a blog post directed at new students. Like last year, these five thoughts will be different than before. The first year I focused on spiritual goods. The second year I focused on academic goods. This time I want to address personal goods. Continue reading

Minutes become hours which become days then months then years. And the sun wheels overhead. The same damn minutes are repeated, ad infinitum. And the shadows lengthen. The lines between rhythm and creation and monotony are obscured. And the moon begins a silent vigil. We were meant to dance among the stars, twirling between nebulae. Continue reading

Too late loved I Thee, O Thou Beauty of ancient days. I’m no Augustinian, but I get his temptation. Especially for a former Manichean. Thou wert within, and I abroad, and there I searched for Thee. The old Gnosticism transformed. The dualism in place. Things held me far from Thee, which, unless they were in Continue reading

I was going to write this post before I read this article, but reading the article moved the thoughts into words. * * * Amanda, the other day, talked about why she writes. She even wrote about it, once. I’ve combed back through my own writings and I realize that I have never addressed the Continue reading

I’ve been feeling nostalgic lately, so here is a fictional story about me traveling back seven years to when I was sixteen-year-old. * * * I come striding into the park that nuzzles my neighborhood, the one where I used to walk my dog most days—the only way I could get away from home for Continue reading

I have been ill at ease with the blog post that I put up yesterday and I have been searching for the reasons why. I think I’ve found them: First, I dismissed people’s motives as incidental to the lovingness of an action. Second, I wrote in a cavalier manner in which I failed to be Continue reading

Seth wrote a great post the other day about two types of gnosticism. He wrote about the charismatic gnostics who have special knowledge from God about people. Specifically, he told a story about being “ambushed” in the library by a group of folks claiming that God told them to pray for Seth. He also wrote Continue reading

I recorded the book of Hebrews today. Reading it all in one setting was really good. It helps emphasize the unity of the work. We often get caught up in verse and chapter divisions, but the scriptures were not written this way. Additionally, hearing it is a new and good experience. The scriptures were most Continue reading