by John Ellis White evangelicals in America have a problem.[1] Well, problems. So much so, in fact, that the fault lines have grown to the point where the white evangelical church in America appears to be on the verge of being rendered irreparably asunder into multiple factions. An argument can be made that these factions … Continue reading White Evangelicalism: Witnesses to the Wrong Resurrection – Introduction
I’m Fully Vaccinated, Yet I Still Wear a Mask
by John Ellis (Today, the CDC released updated mask recommendations, saying that fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear masks or socially distance when inside, with some noted exceptions. I appreciate the CDC's expertise and continued guidance. That being said, my overall point in this article still stands. For the moment, especially in church, … Continue reading I’m Fully Vaccinated, Yet I Still Wear a Mask
The ‘New Nirvana Song’ Unwittingly Refutes Materialism
by John Ellis “Computers are bad phenomenologists.” Sarah Bakewell[1] Formalism was always doomed. Intriguing as a theory, its very existence disproves itself. As Wayne Booth commented in his introduction to Mikhail Bakhtin’s masterful Problems of Dostoevsky’s Poetics, “Everyone who has pronounced thus boldly for a purified form has been confronted with the scandalous fact that … Continue reading The ‘New Nirvana Song’ Unwittingly Refutes Materialism
An Argument Against Group Discussions in Adult Sunday School Classes
by John Ellis Whenever “who has a question?” was floated by the teacher to the Sunday school class, I never needed to turn around in my front seat to know whose hands had shot up. And I also knew that most of them didn’t really have a question, but an opinion they believed the entire … Continue reading An Argument Against Group Discussions in Adult Sunday School Classes
An All-Star Basketball Team Made Up of World Leaders
by John Ellis For some reason, and something I’ve never understood, most people are surprised to discover how much I love sports. And I, like, really love sports, especially basketball. If the contemporary maxims of self-actualization that can be distilled into “whatever you dream, you can accomplish” had any basis in reality there would be … Continue reading An All-Star Basketball Team Made Up of World Leaders
Art for Art’s Sake is Idolatry
by John Ellis Borrowing and, as his objective suited, warping Aristotle’s aesthetic disinterestedness, Lord Shaftesbury (Anthony Ashley Cooper) helped create the notion of art for art’s sake. The aesthetic ideals of John Locke’s famed pupil prioritized the enjoyment of beauty for beauty’s sake apart from utility. A true response to art does not broach the … Continue reading Art for Art’s Sake is Idolatry
Apparently, I Am a Mother and a Wife (Except I’m Not)
by John Ellis In a recent article, Scott Sauls asks men and women to consider their gendered selves and to strive to connect as men and women for God's glory and the good of the Kingdom. Amen, and ... amen? As a way into into his argument, Sauls leans on the bestseller Men Are from … Continue reading Apparently, I Am a Mother and a Wife (Except I’m Not)
You Do Not Have the Right to Have an Opinion About Everything (at least, you don’t have the right to have your opinion considered)
by John Ellis Hamartia: a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero or heroine One of the more dangerous and destructively consequential furies released from the Enlightenment’s Pandora’s Box is the democratization of knowledge. By democratization of knowledge, for the purpose of this article, I mean the hubris of believing that all … Continue reading You Do Not Have the Right to Have an Opinion About Everything (at least, you don’t have the right to have your opinion considered)
Relational Theatre: ‘Boxing God’
by John Ellis Opening the card from Mrs. Doris Harris, my Intro to Dramatic Interpretation professor, I had no idea how consequential a role her words were going to play in my life. “Misguided people have convinced you that you do not possess talent as a performer and storyteller. They are wrong. You are wrong. … Continue reading Relational Theatre: ‘Boxing God’
Love God and Health-Care Workers by Taking COVID-19 Seriously
by John Ellis During a dispute between the Sadducees and Jesus, a dispute in which “[Jesus] answered them well”, a scribe posited one final question, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Recorded in Mark 12:29-31, Jesus’ answer ranks among the most popular Bible verses. No doubt there isn’t a soul reading this who … Continue reading Love God and Health-Care Workers by Taking COVID-19 Seriously
