by John Ellis Our church does a good job of providing a well-rounded Sunday school “curriculum” for adults. Class topics not only serve to glorify God and edify the students (and presumably the teacher), but the classes are also thought-provoking and practical. Starting this past Sunday, my wife and I began attending a class on … Continue reading Theories of Aesthetic Distance and the (probable) Need to Reform Corporate Worship
Tag: Philosophy
‘Let’s go Brandon!’ Further Validates My Rejection of White Evangelicalism
by John Ellis On the way home after dropping the kids off at school, my eyes were drawn to a large bumper sticker on the car in front of me. Shouting “Let’s Go Brandon!” the sticker existed in conflict with the “In God We Trust” stamped on the vehicle’s license plate. Almost immediately, a pithy … Continue reading ‘Let’s go Brandon!’ Further Validates My Rejection of White Evangelicalism
(Why) Supporting Donald Trump Is a Violation of I John 2:15
by John Ellis (Included in this article are links to several other articles I’ve written. If what I write below seems poorly fleshed out or even confusing, I urge you to click on the links provided. As I explain below, for the sake of time, I’m (probably unfairly) assuming a certain level of acquaintance with … Continue reading (Why) Supporting Donald Trump Is a Violation of I John 2:15
The Hubristic Folly of Apologetics
Paul sharing the gospel at Mars Hill. by John Ellis (note: Early this morning, before beginning work on the final edit of this article, I opened The Gospel Coalition’s website and then clicked on and read “Not Your Typical Apologetics Book”. The article is an interview of Gavin Ortlund by Matt Smethurst about Ortlund’s new … Continue reading The Hubristic Folly of Apologetics
Which Side of the Political Aisle Should Christians Feel at Home With?
USA - 2012: Hector Casanova illustration of the Democrat donkey and Republican elephant on a seesaw with the plank breaking in the middle. (The Kansas City Star/MCT via Getty Images via Getty Images) by John Ellis By all accounts, society is fracturing. The talking heads and our eyeballs tell us that society has split apart, … Continue reading Which Side of the Political Aisle Should Christians Feel at Home With?
How Long Shall the Wicked Prosper?: A Competing Narrative of the United States of America
Digital image of original artifact. by John Ellis Yesterday morning before Sunday school class began, the young man teaching asked about my t-shirt. “What kind of flag is that on your shirt?” “It’s the A.I.M. logo,” I replied through my mask. His expression revealed that “A.I.M.” wasn’t translating through the double-ply cotton. “The logo for … Continue reading How Long Shall the Wicked Prosper?: A Competing Narrative of the United States of America
Facebook Fact Checkers, Foucault, and the Far Right
by John Ellis This article is my diagnosis of why it’s increasingly more difficult to have profitable conversations with friends and family who are on the other side of the debate about things like COVID (masks and vaccines), social justice issues, whether the election was rigged or not, and the myriad of other cultural hot … Continue reading Facebook Fact Checkers, Foucault, and the Far Right
The Fall’s (Sin and Sin’s Curse) Effect on Language and Relationships
by John Ellis Over the last few months, one of the questions/problems I’ve been thinking and working through is in reference to the Fall’s effect on language. At first blush, I think most Christians would agree that language didn’t escape unscathed from sin’s curse. But that acknowledgment is likely thin; largely, I believe, because we … Continue reading The Fall’s (Sin and Sin’s Curse) Effect on Language and Relationships
Eschatological Despair, Part 4: The Death of My Son’s Teacher
by John Ellis Lord willing, this will be the final article in this rambling series. At least for now. I think. And I think so because my thoughts on despair have begun to collate and shift in the specific conceptual directions of political theology and ecclesiology (separately yet connected). I also chose the descriptor “rambling” … Continue reading Eschatological Despair, Part 4: The Death of My Son’s Teacher
Eschatological Despair, Part 3: The Hyperreality of the Here and Now
by John Ellis To help explain the concept of hyperreality, Jean Baudrillard liked to draw his readers and listeners attention to Epcot Center. Commenting on the theme park’s World Showcase pavilions, the famed sociologist would ironically muse on how much “better” Disney’s version of Europe is than the real thing. Better food and less travel … Continue reading Eschatological Despair, Part 3: The Hyperreality of the Here and Now
Practically Known Theology 