Category Archives: Literature

“Perversion is a failure of the imagination,” part two

Posted on April 1, 2009 by Stephen

Link to part one. Continuing the thought from yesterday’s post, in his book American Fascists: the Christian Right and the War on America, the ever-provocative Chris Hedges writes about attending a political rally disguised as a Christian crusade, designed to … Continue reading →

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“Perversion is a failure of the imagination,” part one

Posted on March 31, 2009 by Stephen

To further explicate the point I’ve tried to make in the last couple posts, allow me to quote from a couple of authors who first planted these ideas in my head. To sum up the point beforehand, I’m trying to … Continue reading →

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David McCullough

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Stephen

Tonight, some friends and I went to hear a lecture by author David McCullough, sometimes called America’s preeminent social historian, given at Belmont University. He talked a bit about his biographies of Harry S. Truman and John Adams, but the … Continue reading →

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Best song lyric of 2009

Posted on March 24, 2009 by Stephen

I’m in the middle of reading David Dark’s newest, The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, along with Peter Rollins’ How (Not) to Speak of God, and I just discovered a line on the new U2 CD that goes along with both … Continue reading →

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My favorite definition of “the Church”

Posted on March 22, 2009 by Stephen

“The Church is one cat in one ditch and one nobody of a son of a bitch trying to pull her out.” For some reason, I find myself about once a week or so trying to explain why I go … Continue reading →

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RR: Tell Stories

Posted on March 19, 2009 by Stephen

I have a new post up at the Rabbit Room, quoting Peter Rollins, Walter Wangerin, and Frederick Buechner. I’ve been re-reading and thinking about the excerpt from Wangerin’s essay on preaching that takes up most of that post for the … Continue reading →

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Coming Soon: The Sacredness of Questioning Everything

Posted on March 5, 2009 by Stephen

The wait is almost over. David Dark’s new book, The Sacredness of Questioning Everything, arrives in bookstores April 1st. I blogged about hearing David read some selections a while back while he was working on it, and have been eager … Continue reading →

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RR: Mystery, Defeat and Death

Posted on February 24, 2009 by Stephen

I have a new essay up at the Rabbit Room blog, quoting G.K. Chesterton, Bertrand Russell, N.T. Wright, Leslie Newbigin, and Andy Gullahorn. My favorite song from Jill Phillips’ new CD, Resurrection, is streaming at the bottom of the post. … Continue reading →

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“Writing is a test of sense.”

Posted on February 11, 2009 by Stephen

I was having lunch with my friend Andy last week, and the conversation turned to blogging. Andy’s blog was one of the first blogs that I read, but his postings are not as frequent these days. And I always intend … Continue reading →

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Tim Keller in Nashville

Posted on January 30, 2009 by Stephen

On Wednesday, I had the chance to hear Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in New York city, talk about his new book here in Nashville. My thoughts from the evening, It Takes a Community, are up on the Rabbit … Continue reading →

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