The Journey That Never Ends

  

By late 1951, C. S. Lewis had written the majority of his most influential books: The Problem of Pain, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Abolition of Man, Miracles, his Space Trilogy, two of the seven Chronicles of Narnia (The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian), and his WWII BBC broadcasts were about to be repackaged and published under the title of Mere Christianity. Why refer to this litany of Lewis’s works? One would think that… Read more »

Questions Worth Asking

  

“It would not perhaps be altogether surprising if, in this nominally Christian country, where the Creeds are daily recited, there were a number of people who knew all about Christian doctrine and disliked it,” wrote Dorothy Sayers. She concluded that thought with this: “It is more startling to discover how many people there are who heartily dislike and despise Christianity without having the faintest notion what it is.” That statement comes from her essay, “The Dogma Is the Drama,” and… Read more »

The Witness of Hilary of Poitiers

  

Periodically, I share a story sent to me via e-mail from Christian History magazine. This one, which highlights the fight for maintaining orthodoxy and the ability to unite those who are true Christians despite minor differences, was inspiring to me. I hope you find it to be also. HILARY OF POITIERS was one of the best-known churchmen of the fourth century. His fame rested largely on the holiness of his conduct and his defense of orthodox Christianity. However, Hilary was… Read more »

Impasse: The Limitations of Government

  

The new congressional session has begun with the Democrats back in charge of the House of Representatives. While a lot of attention has been given to the younger Democrats newly elected, we’re actually being treated to the a lot of the Same Old Thing. I did see Mary Poppins Returns, by the way, and liked it very much. But the return of Nancy Pelosi to the reins of power is a sequel I could have skipped. She’s exhibiting a fascinating… Read more »

Religion & the Presidents

  

A couple of years ago, I had an idea for a new course that would examine the religious beliefs of the presidents. The course would also attempt to determine how those beliefs may have influenced the policies each president followed. That proposed course will now be reality this semester as I teach, for the first time, “Religion and the Presidents.” It will be a little different in structure than my other courses. First, no exams—how does one adequately “test” students… Read more »

Teaching Whittaker Chambers
& His Christian Witness

  

There has never been a society or a nation without God. But history is cluttered with the wreckage of nations that became indifferent to God, and died. That quote by Whittaker Chambers might form one of the centerpieces of his classic book, Witness, that is the cornerstone of my course on Chambers that I am teaching once again this semester. I teach this course regularly every two years for a number of reasons. First, it tells the tale of a… Read more »

Man’s Praise or God’s?

  

You know how you can be reading through the Scriptures and a passage jumps out at you? That happened for me this morning as I was meditating on chapter 13 of the Gospel of John. Here’s what stood out: Many even among the leaders believed in Him. But because of the Pharisees they would not openly acknowledge their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue. For they loved human praise more than the praise from God…. Read more »