Getting Past Bread: A Holy Week Reflection — The Bossuet Project
I have an Iranian office mate. My contact with the Iranians has been educational in my understanding of the Scriptures. One thing he’s really big on is bread. One time we went to a bakery where he brought a loaf of sourdough bread, which he consumed in its entirety–in one sitting. I bring bread from […] …
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The “Acceptable Religion” Concept Makes a Comeback
Historical amnesia is a common American malady. One of those aspects of American life that is oft forgotten is that of the "acceptable religion," the idea that certain religions are more socially acceptable (and thus more amenable to their adherents moving up) than others. In the past, this was mostly an intramural contest within Christianity …
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Settling for Lehigh Isn’t the Worst Thing That Could Happen
In Caitlin Flanagan's interesting piece on the college admissions scandal, she makes this statement that jumped out at me: I just about got an ulcer sitting in that office listening to rich people complaining bitterly about an “unfair” or a “rigged” system. Sometimes they would say things so outlandish that I would just stare at …
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Bob Ayala: Joy by Surprise
My Lifeway Memory: Doing Church of God Business in a Baptist Bookstore
The news that Lifeway Christian Stores will all close brought back a memory of something that happened in one of them that was, in some ways, life altering. In 2010 the Church of God decided to abolish the Department of Lay Ministries, which I was working for at the time. That left me without a job …
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Word of God: New Life
Meritocracy? What Meritocracy? Just Pay the Money!
It's pretty sad out there: What many are calling the worst admissions scandal in higher education emerged Tuesday, with federal authorities announcing 50 indictments in a scheme that allegedly involved faux athletes, coaches who could be bribed, cheating on the SAT and ACT, million-dollar bribes and "guarantees" that certain applicants would be admitted to highly …
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The Limitations of “Trad” Catholicism
To be Roman Catholic these days is an unenviable business, especially if you're aware of what's going on in the Catholic Church (and many Catholics, sad to say, are not.) It's easy to comment on what's happening, but what really matters is how one plans to fix the problems that face the Church. Let's start …
Beating the Sheep Doesn’t Work
I recently reviewed Latta Griswold's The Middle Way, this is another quote from that, in his advice on sermons: The most ineffective, and ultimately the most objectionable of all preachers, is the scold. There is a vast difference between rebuking evil and exposing to a congregation the sins to which they are prone, and scolding. …
Positive Infinity 