I I don’t think it’s a particularly original observation that western modernity’s exaltation of individual autonomy has done us much harm. Of course, modern individualism has brought us a lot of good, that I hope not to take for granted. For all that many of us, and perhaps especially the contributors to this blog, mightContinue reading “The existential community“
Author Archives: Four Discoursemen
A Coronavirus Advent
The Second Discourseman Through the year, no season gives us such consciousness of time as Advent. We experience both the brevity of daily light and the sluggishness of winter, as we wait for the eternal Light to come once more into our world. This year it is even more stark. Our liberties seem likely toContinue reading “A Coronavirus Advent”
City Reflections
The First Discourseman Since moving into a city, I have wondered about the spiritual dimension to geography, and how a city can shape our reality.
The Long Work of Conservatism
The Second Discourseman I am inspired by The Fourth Discourseman’s article, Christianity, Conservatism, and the Tyranny of the Present. Amid the unhappy conflict between conservatism and progressivism, it is easy to forget that at heart these are just two different views of time. They are no more than expressions of frustration at our pace throughContinue reading “The Long Work of Conservatism”
Is nominalism that bad?
The First Discourseman Is there a greater evil than religious nominalism? A carapace of piety masking the unrepentant heart; salvation received through communion and confession; or a culture where the Church has been irredeemably conflated with the state. Nominal Christianity is where the right things are done for the wrong reasons, or when people payContinue reading “Is nominalism that bad?”
A mind renewed
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. I A common line of concern amongst Christians is that our faith become a matter of the mind alone.Continue reading “A mind renewed“
‘Lego Movie 2’ as Death of Masculinity
The First Discourseman Lego Movie 2 does not kill the man. He is already dead. It flogs the corpse and holds him up high, for the world to see.
The Holy Scriptures and the Divine Word
In the first instance, I do not believe that ‘God’s word’ means the Bible. I know that will outrage some, probably many, of my readers, and rightly so. For what makes those of us labelled ‘evangelicals’ distinctive within the wider sphere of those professing Christ is our conviction that the Bible, as God’s authoritative revelation,Continue reading “The Holy Scriptures and the Divine Word”
God of the Nations
The Fourth Discourseman One of the big problems facing evangelical churches in the West is a dearth of proper thinking about politics. Not that we have incorrect political theologies per se; it’s more that we lack any real political theologies in the first place. The reason for this is that we have too readily breathedContinue reading “God of the Nations”
On Mental Health
A critique of contemporary thought I It’s impossible to start an article of this kind without the token clichés. So I’ll keep them short. We all know, as we certainly can’t avoid being told, that today mental health problems abound. I’ve heard countless sermons that cite statistics indicating as much, and doubtless my readers haveContinue reading “On Mental Health”
The Four Discoursemen 