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Mumford Review: Babel
Read more: Mumford Review: BabelLast week Mumford & Sons released their new album, Babel. It’s a great album. Not as great as Sigh no More, but I like it holistically. In many ways, this new album follows the strengths of the previous album, especially in utilizing the crescendo effect (though it is a bit predictable). The most intriguing aspect of the album is…
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Hufflepuff for the Gospel
Read more: Hufflepuff for the GospelEvery fan of Harry Potter has envisioned themselves as belonging to one of the four houses of Hogwarts. Ask any fan and they’ll tell you. For myself, I know I am not courageous enough to be Gryffindor and so I’ve always identified with Ravenclaw; not because I am particularly drawn to characters from Ravenclaw —…
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Star Wars, Canon, and Biblical Hermeneutics
Read more: Star Wars, Canon, and Biblical HermeneuticsIf you were going to introduce the Star Wars saga to someone who has never seen the movies, how would you do it? Since there are two trilogies that were not produced in chronological order a true dilemma emerges. I just read a brilliant article by Rod Hilton addressing this topic. I highly recommend that…
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I’m A Calvinist (And That Hardly Matters)
Read more: I’m A Calvinist (And That Hardly Matters)Without knowing it, I grew up believing in a quasi-Wesleyan form of Arminianism. When I went to college, and was exposed to Calvinism for the first time, I was very hostile. I was undoubtedly the most obnoxious Arminian on campus my freshman year. Eventually I came to a point where I decided to be open-minded….
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Happy Anniversary! Amazon Gift Card Giveaways!
Read more: Happy Anniversary! Amazon Gift Card Giveaways!One year ago today The Two Cities officially entered the blogosphere. Since that time the blog’s contributors have produced more than 260 posts and received more than 1,300 comments. We’re grateful for the response we’ve received from our readers and hope to continue to produce stimulating articles that encourage further engagement. As a token of our appreciation…
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The Idol You Were Made To Be
Read more: The Idol You Were Made To BeWhether you know it or not you’re an idol. Many people have role models and they call these people idols. At the moment the world is watching the greatest athletes competing in the Olympics. Many of these athletes are ‘idolized’ in their home countries. This year American television audiences are gearing up for the tenth…
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How to find Westvleteren: Directions to Vleteren for those making the pilgrimage
Read more: How to find Westvleteren: Directions to Vleteren for those making the pilgrimageMany beer connaisseurs claim that the best beer in the world is made in a small town in western Belgium called Vleteren. This beer is known as Westvleteren. It is brewed by Trappist monks in their monastery and the proceeds support various charities. It is incredibly rare and hard to find in Belgium, let alone…
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Christian Beer and the Question of Weed
Read more: Christian Beer and the Question of WeedThis week I’m in Amsterdam for the International Meeting of the Society of Biblical Literature. Yes, that’s right, a Bible conference in Amsterdam. I can already say that this city is one of my favorites. It is absolutely wonderful. The canals and architecture are picturesque and make me wish I intended to stay longer. Of course,…
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On F Bombs and Christian Music: A Reflection on P.O.D.’s Newest Album, Murdered Love
Read more: On F Bombs and Christian Music: A Reflection on P.O.D.’s Newest Album, Murdered LoveLast week the Christian rap-metal band P.O.D. (Payable on Death) came out with their eighth album, Murdered Love. When I first heard that P.O.D. was releasing a new album I was quite excited. There was a time when P.O.D. was my all-time favorite band. Indeed, they functioned like a doorway for me into the world of…
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The Hunger Games: When in Rome… Do as the Romance Do?
Read more: The Hunger Games: When in Rome… Do as the Romance Do?I’m usually a step behind most pop-culture phenomenons. So true to form I just finished my reading of The Hunger Games series and watched the first movie. Here is my one-sentence synopsis of the series for those who care to know: The first book sucks you in, and the last book, well… sucks. Despite that…