(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
Author: practicallyknowntheology
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
‘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. It didn't matter … Continue reading ‘Electric Jesus’: The Christian Rock Movie You’ve Been Waiting For
Show Me Your Sources and I’ll Show You Mine: Our Epistemological Crisis
“This book is about the possibility that Huxley, not Orwell, was right.” Neil Postman, Amusing Ourselves to Death by John Ellis After I received an especially bad review, the theatre’s technical director attempted to console me with the words, “Remember, opinions are like a******s; everyone has one, and they mostly stink.” Crude, yet containing much … Continue reading Show Me Your Sources and I’ll Show You Mine: Our Epistemological Crisis
Amillennialism and the Binding of Satan
by John Ellis After moving to the Orlando area, one of my family’s first priorities was finding a church family with whom to worship and serve our Creator and King. During our search we visited a few local churches that, on paper (their statement of faith), seemed to be in accord with our theological distinctives. … Continue reading Amillennialism and the Binding of Satan
Systemic Racism Is Exhausting, But Not for Me
by John Ellis With the very first sentence of her powerful book I’m Still Here: Black Dignity In A World Made For Whiteness Austin Channing Brown confesses, “White people can be exhausting.” No doubt, the responses from many white people to that short sentence only serve to underscore Brown’s admission. I must admit, I’m not … Continue reading Systemic Racism Is Exhausting, But Not for Me
Guest Post: I Have Moses’ Fear, Not His Faith
by Pastor Jack Hush A Twitter user recently posed the question, “If you could only have three books of the Bible, which three would you choose?” Among the many responses, one semi-famous evangelical thought leader replied, “Genesis, Revelation, and Hebrews. I want to know where the Story began, where the Story ends, and whom the … Continue reading Guest Post: I Have Moses’ Fear, Not His Faith
A Godless Fundamentalist
by John Ellis To help make it easier to read, I've posted links to each chapter in the story of how I went from being an atheist to a Christian. You can find those links below. Clicking the link will open a new tab to the corresponding chapter. This should be much easier than having … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 18 “Saved by Grace”
(The previous chapters can be found by clicking on A Godless Fundamentalist under Topics on the right hand side of this page. To receive email notifications whenever subsequent chapters are published, hit the follow button.) by John Ellis Minus a rudely interrupted nap under a tree at a rest area in Nebraska, a couple hours … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 18 “Saved by Grace”
A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 17 “California”
(The previous chapters can be found by clicking on A Godless Fundamentalist under Topics on the right hand side of this page. To receive email notifications whenever subsequent chapters are published, hit the follow button.) by John Ellis It didn’t take long for my reason for moving to San Francisco to morph into my theatre … Continue reading A Godless Fundamentalist: Chapter 17 “California”
Practically Known Theology 