Tag: Christianity
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I found religion in ‘Palm Springs’
What do you do when you encounter the impossible? Something that doesn’t compute with your understanding of reality and drastically challenges your worldview? You can ignore or deny it, confident the existing story you tell yourself can render any mystery or inconsistency meaningless to your everyday life. You can resent it and lash out in…
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Siskel & Ebert, Mark Driscoll, and the Power of Popularity
Among the podcasts in my regular rotation, there are two others I’m listening to that are both limited series, airing concurrently, and happen to share a surprising thematic overlap. One is Gene and Roger, an eight-part Spotify-exclusive series from The Ringer that serves as an oral history of Gene Siskel, Roger Ebert, and their movie…
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One Wild Life’s Too Short
I’ve learned that when I encounter two different works of art saying the same thing at basically the same time, I should probably listen. This is what happened when I recently came across references to this query in two different places: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and…
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The Church of NaNoWriMo
My name is Chad Comello and I am a failed novelist. I’m in the midst of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), which issues a lofty goal for aspiring literary types: write 50,000 words in the span of 30 days, no matter what. Budding scribes of every stripe participate in this movement throughout the month of November,…
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DDC 290-299: Like the ending of LOST
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: As acknowledged back in DDC 220-229, the 200s have been overwhelmingly biased toward Christianity. But don’t fear, every other religious person reading this: your time has come! The Lords of Dewey have deigned the 290s the “Oh Crap We Forgot All The Other…
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DDC 280-289: The denomination is in the details
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: 280 Christian denominations & sects 281 Early church & Eastern churches 282 Roman Catholic Church 283 Anglican churches 284 Protestants of Continental origin 285 Presbyterian, Reformed, Congregational 286 Baptist, Disciples of Christ, Adventist 287 Methodist & related churches 288 No longer used—formerly Unitarian…
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DDC 270-279: Persecution junction
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: 270 Christian church history 271 Religious orders in church history 272 Persecutions in church history 273 Heresies in church history 274 Christian church in Europe 275 Christian church in Asia 276 Christian church in Africa 277 Christian church in North America 278 Christian…
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DDC 260-269: Fred Phelps would hate this
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: 260 Christian social theology 261 Social theology 262 Ecclesiology 263 Times, places of religious observance 264 Public worship 265 Sacraments, other rites & acts 266 Missions 267 Associations for religious work 268 Religious education 269 Spiritual renewal Is Christianity cool? Starting with this…
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DDC 250-259: Parish Administration: The Movie
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: 250 Christian orders & local church 251 Preaching (Homiletics) 252 Texts of sermons 253 Pastoral office (Pastoral theology) 254 Parish government & administration 255 Religious congregations & orders 256 No longer used—formerly Religious societies 257 No longer used—formerly Parochial schools, libraries, etc. 258…
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DDC 240-249: Ain’t your mama’s Christian writing
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: The thing I like about sections like this is how it surprises. Even though (or perhaps because) I grew up in the Christian world and am very familiar with its tropes, biases, and tendencies, I love when I find new things—perspectives that challenge…
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DDC 230-239: Fresh loaves and fishes
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: 230 Christian theology 231 God 232 Jesus Christ & his family 233 Humankind 234 Salvation (Soteriology) & grace 235 Spiritual beings 236 Eschatology 237 No longer used—formerly Future state 238 Creeds & catechisms 239 Apologetics & polemics Probably because, not in spite of,…
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DDC 220-229: Blessed is Samuel L. Jackson
A Teach Me How To Dewey production This Is How We Dewey: Regardless of how accurate it is in a given situation, deploying “Old Testament” as an intensifying adjective/adverb–i.e. “It’s about to get Old Testament up in here”–is one of my favorite things. To me in implies a righteous fury or a majestic/violent power that…
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In Heavenly Peace
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7 NIV) Paul beckons us to present with thanksgiving our requests to God. But…
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The God of Freedom
Andrew Sullivan highlighted this post by a woman named Rachael, the daughter of Matt Slick, the founder of Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry (CARM). Rachael is now an atheist, largely in response to what (at least according to her post) was a spiritually abusive upbringing at the hands of her fundamentalist father. To sum up: For…
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Colbert and The Constitution
I want to highlight this recent interview the real Stephen Colbert did with NPR’s Fresh Air, because he shows yet again how intelligent, empathetic, and savvy is the man behing the blowhard. You should listen to the entire thing, but one part that stuck out to me was his take on churches who wish to…
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You Can’t Argue With Goodness
Like many people, I enjoy This American Life. I only started listening regularly about a year and a half ago. One episode from April 2011 called “Know When To Fold ‘Em” in particular struck a chord with me, specifically the first act, which you can listen to here (or read the transcript). It’s a short story from…
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New Wonders We Will Sing
Sandra McCracken’s In Feast Or Fallow is a true beauty. This collection of old hymns re-imagined is appropriate for any time and any mood, but especially for Easter. The peril and the promise, the despair and the hope, and the pain and the renewal of this holiday – it’s all in the hymns. The good ones tell Christ’s story…
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A Genuine Faith
Rodney Reeves writes on his blog about the “loss by cross” example set by Paul, and how that example is not compatible with American culture. You should read the whole thing, but here’s the kicker: “Thinking like an American comes naturally to those of us who live in these United States. Thinking like a follower of Christ…