by John Ellis I understand that online comment sections often devolve into a form of the Gish gallop, but my cognitive acceptance doesn’t necessarily require my existential acceptance. In fact, my irritation over this phenomenon is one of the variables that drove me from Facebook and will likely drive me from Twitter once this pandemic … Continue reading Hydroxychloroquine, Gish Gallops, and Ignoring Thesis Statements
Christians Should Reject the Latest Pro-Hydroxychloroquine Video
by John Ellis Many of the responses to COVID-19 reveal a confluence of fear driven irrationality, the desire for control, political partisanship outweighing critical thinking, and a worship of personal autonomy. The result is an embrace of conspiracy theories among professing Christians that is as embarrassing as it is stupefying. I’ve attempted to unpack parts … Continue reading Christians Should Reject the Latest Pro-Hydroxychloroquine Video
Anti-Maskers Are Revealing Their Secular Worldview
by John Ellis If you refuse to wear a mask, you are in direct disobedience to King Jesus, an action that is otherwise known as sin, in case you’re confused. If that’s you, repent and start wearing a mask. Now that I’ve got your possibly angry attention, read on. Among conservative evangelicals, the platitude “America … Continue reading Anti-Maskers Are Revealing Their Secular Worldview
Coronavirus Vaccine: An Encouraging Update
by John Ellis In late February, and especially into early March, I began following epidemiologists, virologists, and other infectious disease experts on Twitter. Knowing your own limitations is important, and I am quite aware that I do not have the training nor expertise to have a valid opinion about COVID-19. A solution, of course, is … Continue reading Coronavirus Vaccine: An Encouraging Update
A Christian Theatre Manifesto: Part 3
(Read Part 1 by clicking here and Part 2 by clicking here) by John Ellis To my slight frustration, many of the directors, teachers, and writers that I look up to seemingly only go so far in practice. Thankfully, in word they’ve shown me the aesthetic path that my theatre practice has taken. For example, … Continue reading A Christian Theatre Manifesto: Part 3
A Christian Theatre Manifesto: Part 2
(Read Part 1 by clicking here) by John Ellis What does theology have to do with theatre? Well, theology and theatre are connected far more deeply than most people might assume. For many, whenever theology and art start being bumped together, one of two conceptual extremes are assumed: Art as a didactic evangelistic tool. Or, … Continue reading A Christian Theatre Manifesto: Part 2
A Christian Theatre Manifesto: Part 1
by John Ellis The prophet Ezekiel was the first experimental theatre artist. The oft-lauded, ancient Greek theatre gurus commercialized theatre. Maybe. To be honest, I can’t prove that the Greeks read the Old Testament prophets and then bastardized Ezekiel’s theatre theory; nor can I prove my claim that Ezekiel was the first experimental theatre artist. … Continue reading A Christian Theatre Manifesto: Part 1
The Recovering Fundamentalist: An Entertaining and Fun Podcast About the IFB Movement
by John Ellis For those who didn’t grow up in it, the world of fundamentalism is beyond weird; it’s utterly foreign. How do you make sense of rules that often include things like prohibitions on women wearing pants and the condemnation of music with syncopation and watching movies in the movie theater? For those of … Continue reading The Recovering Fundamentalist: An Entertaining and Fun Podcast About the IFB Movement
Rethinking Mount Rushmore During the National Debate Over Monuments
by John Ellis When I was a kid, my family had a book promoting the national parks. I don’t remember the exact year it was published (I would’ve looked it up, even as a kid), but based on the photos and words that I can still see and read in my mind, the book was … Continue reading Rethinking Mount Rushmore During the National Debate Over Monuments
‘Electric Jesus’: The Christian Rock Movie You’ve Been Waiting For
by John Ellis Christian contemporary music (CCM) didn’t play much of a role in my formative years. My parents, youth pastors, and teachers all believed that there was no real difference between “real” rock and CCM; if Bob Jones University banned it, it was banned in my home, church, and Christian school, even if the … Continue reading ‘Electric Jesus’: The Christian Rock Movie You’ve Been Waiting For
