What we believe about God affects how we practically live our lives and even how we worship Him. Sadly, too many Christians naively think that they don’t need theology or to be better informed about who God really is. They think, more or less, that all that is needed in the Christian life is to…
I want to share with you my journey as I traverse through the literary waters of writing a short story of Christian fiction for children in order to attain representation. Below is my book proposal, including cover letter, marketing analysis, chapter summary outline, and sample chapter, just as it will be read by literary agents…
Sin is a form of self-harm, some might even say, self-hatred. For example, when a man is not a good husband, and, say, repeatedly commits adultery, he not only hurts his wife and children, but also his own wellbeing. Put differently, by fulfilling his role as a faithful husband, who models his loving actions to…
It is widely acknowledged that some of the early church fathers, such as Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Jerome, and even Augustine, were partially influenced by Greek philosophy, particularly Plato’s metaphysical philosophy of splitting reality into two realms: an upper level of atemporal, immaterial ideals, and a lower level of temporal, physical matter.[1] The…
In the recent cinematic production of Marvel Studios Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017), a ruthless “Celestial” (deity), who came into existence millions of years ago and goes by the name “Ego,” has grown bored of his own immortality, not to mention being deeply disappointed with the inferior beings who inhabit the universe. So…
“When people think of a god that glorifies himself, they erroneously, although understandably, reach the verdict that he is an egomaniac. “John Piper talks about famous people, such as Oprah Winfrey and Brad Pitt, who have walked away from historic Christianity because they found the idea of God’s self-exaltation to be unloving and/or egocentric. (To…
From the dark abyss of suffering was born my book Biblical Ethics. Five years ago, the last thing on my mind was writing a book on how to live a morally happy, flourishing life. I was deep in the throes of a PhD program when the walls of my intellectual ivory tower came crashing down….
I am sharing with you what is now Chapter 7 of my book Biblical Ethics. This happens to be my favorite chapter because it’s chock-full of vivid explanations of God’s emotional life and flourishing. It’s also a topic that is not talked about much from the pulpit, which I believe needs to be discussed in…
When we live the way we are supposed to, God is glorified and we are blessed (happy)! Sadly, most well-meaning dutiful Christians take issue with the notion that happiness is for the here-and-now, delaying it for the afterlife. Too often they gorge themselves on an ethical diet of doing the right thing out of a…
The literary devices of style (i.e., how something is said), tone (i.e., an attitude towards the subject), and mood (i.e., feelings and emotions created in the reader), which make up the author’s voice is of no minor importance in a narrative. The same goes for the narrative of our life, which the Supreme Author writes….