The Brothers Karamazov – A Theological Portrait of Freedom, Faith, and the Human Soul This fortnight, I read Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov. It’s one of the most profound novels I’ve read, exploring, with extraordinary clarity and depth, the plight of...
Culture & Society
A Church Called Tov
I read four books this fortnight: "A Church Called Tov" (by Scot McKnight and Laura Barringer), "Redeeming Power" (by Dianne Langberg), "Art and Faith" (by Makoto Fujimura), and "Of Mice and Men" (by George Steinbeck). Here are short reviews and summaries of these...
When Narcissism Comes to Church
I read four books this fortnight and published one. The four books are "When Narcissism Comes to Church" by Chuck DeGroat, "The Way of the Heart" by Henri Nouwen, "Divergent" by Veronica Roth, and "Blood and Fire" by George R.R. Martin. The book I published is a...
Digital Grace: Cultivating Compassion and Connection in the Age of Social Media
Social media can build relationships and enrich lives, or it can be a destructive, addictive, polarising medium. The choice is ours. So, how do we create social media content with humility, integrity, and a desire to enrich conversations and people’s lives? How do we...
Karl Barth and a Theology of Mission
"The church exists to set up in the world a new sign which is radically dissimilar to the world's own manner and which contradicts it in a way which is full of promise." (Karl Barth, The Holy Spirit and the Christian Life, 22). Karl Barth's theology, especially as...
#MeToo – Stop asking women & girls to fix the problem! Men, #MeToo is on us
In the wake of recent revelations of sexual harassment in Hollywood, the #MeToo hashtag has been trending on social media. The aim is to raise awareness about how widespread the epidemic of sexual harassment and assault are. Sexual violence is a truly global problem....
Our World is Broken But Jesus Offers Restored, Reconciled, & Full Life (Colossians 1:15–23)
Jesus replied, “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29).
Goodbye Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Rodrigo Duterte: Rejecting strongmen and their style of leadership
Recently, Donald Trump said he’d “be honored” to meet Kim Jong Un, North Korea’s bloodthirsty, brutal dictator. Trump called him a “pretty smart cookie,” who showed political ability at a young age. Donald Trump has also praised Russian president Vladmir Putin, as a...
Healing Our Broken Humanity: Preorder Today
"Healing Our Broken Humanity: Practices for Revitalizing the Church and Renewing the World" by Graham Hill and Grace Ji-Sun Kim Book Description We live in conflicted times. Our newsfeeds are filled with inequality, division, and fear. We want to make a...
Review of Henning Wrogemann’s Intercultural Theology, Volume One: Intercultural Hermeneutics
Book Review Intercultural Theology, Volume 1: Intercultural Hermeneutics By Henning Wrogemann Published by: IVP Academic, Downers Grove, IL, 2016, 431 pages. ISBN-10: 9780830850976ISBN-13: 978-0830850976 This review was first published in the "Australian Journal of...
12 Essential Qualities for Christian Spirituality & Theology in a New Urban World
To take head on oppressive structures like consumerism, militarism, multinational capitalism, international communism, racism, and sexism, we need a spirituality of missional engagement… Mission without spirituality cannot survive any more than combustion without...
Is Your Church Structured for Mission?
I grew up suspicious of structures. For me, institutions and organizations symbolized much that was wrong with the world. Sometimes, I speculate on the source of this suspicion. How did it take root in my life? I came from a working-class background that...