Latest Posts
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What Is the Basis for Authority? Part 2
Read more: What Is the Basis for Authority? Part 2In my last post I went through the cultural developments that led to the basis of our modern understanding of authority detailing the historical shift in religious and political viewpoints. Eventually we have come to understand in the modern context a delegated authority that tends to come from the will of the majority of individuals…
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Collapsing into Detail
Read more: Collapsing into DetailI think about problems spatially. I often find myself producing graphs or diagrams or drawings that, in my mind, make everything perfectly clear only to show them to someone else and be shocked by their confusion. Even abstractions get turned into pictures for me. This is especially true of the work I am now doing as…
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God’s Presence & Absence (Or, Practical Eschatology)
Read more: God’s Presence & Absence (Or, Practical Eschatology)This summer I am working on my upcoming book on Esther for Wipf and Stock. This has taken me miles away from Galatia (where my doctoral research has largely resided) to the capital of the Persian Empire, Susa. Additionally, I am no longer in the first century, but am thinking about the reign of King…
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Confessions of A Hip-Hop Head
Read more: Confessions of A Hip-Hop HeadIn every one of my friendships there comes that one moment. That one moment when they find out I’m a hip-hop fan. It’s actually more than fandom. It’s probably closer to obsession. Most people don’t expect it. I’m pale and have red hair. I study theology and have an intense love of all things sci-fi….
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The Reality of Rhetoric: Reflections on a LGBT Milestone
Read more: The Reality of Rhetoric: Reflections on a LGBT MilestoneAlthough originally written in response to a prior event in the national spotlight and debate on homosexuality, this article seems apropos to share in light of the US Supreme Courts decision on the Defense of Marriage Act on Wednesday. In light of the On May 19, a member of the Biola Underground (an online forum for self-professed…
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What is the Basis of Authority? Part 1
Read more: What is the Basis of Authority? Part 1Since the twentieth century, no topic has shaped the philosophical conversations more than the question of authority. It is not that the topic wasn’t brought up previously, certainly the Reformation and the Revolutions in America and France centered on the topic, but the fervor with which the debate raged in academic circles during the twentieth…
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The 30-Year-Old Virgin
Read more: The 30-Year-Old VirginToday’s my birthday, which means I’m officially the 30-year-old virgin. I’m not embarrassed. I’m not afraid to say the V-word. My lack of (ahem) experience is a running joke with my friends, and I’m happy to keep it going—as long as they don’t start believing that virginity equals purity. In a world where sex is…
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Megadeth: God’s Metal Band?
Read more: Megadeth: God’s Metal Band?Megadeth has recently released their fourteenth album, Super Collider. An event like this is a big deal for me because Megadeth is my all-time favorite band. I’ve seen them live three times; I even caught both a guitar pick and an arm band from Dave Mustiane at one show. Classic metal is my staple when it…
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The Call
Read more: The CallJust a few weeks ago I was running up Bancroft and Telegraph in my cap and gown to claim my masters degree in social work from UC Berkeley’s school of social welfare. I stood in awe of the journey I had been on to find myself in that place. This is a bit of that…
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The Great Banquet
Read more: The Great BanquetMy local church set aside this past week for a time of focused ministry in our own community here in Durham. A wide variety of service projects were engaged, from activities for children of all ages, serving coffee at the train station for the many commuters, cleaning up and doing repairs around the city, and…