New media offers real advantages, but always at a price, for "media aren't just channels of information... they also shape the process of thought" (6). And what is the process of thought the internet rewards? The internet rewards swift skimming and undermines deep concentration and contemplation. »more
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New media offers real advantages, but always at a price, for "media aren't just channels of information... they also shape the process of thought" (6). And what is the process of thought the internet rewards? The internet rewards swift skimming and undermines deep concentration and contemplation. »more
We must not only view them from the perspective of his Jewish heritage, but also from the perspective of his Greco-Roman setting. When we do this, we discover that many of the passages that moderns react against as narrow and intolerant are really, in Paul's Greco-Roman setting, progressive and revolutionary. »more
The toleration of making fun of nerds and geeks is not harmless fun but has serious consequences for our children and for our society. If our children come to believe that their only two options are to be sexy and attractive or intelligent and ugly, there is little doubt which option they will pick - especially as their hormones kick in during their tweenage and teenage years. »more
We dwell in a secular world, but we believe in a sacramental world - a world alive in God, created by God for God. The gospel will always clash with secularity. Reason is not the ultimate authority. Matter is not all that matters. And yet in spite of its extremes, secularity has much to commend it. We would do well to affirm its positives while critiquing its negatives. »more
Too many people make it sound like transforming the culture is simple. They fail to recognize how deeply we are transformed by culture and how difficult it actually is to change culture, much less the world. In contrast to our common naïve posturing, Crouch asks us to seriously consider, "What would it mean to 'change the world,' after all?"
»more
Though the internet gives the sense of connecting us to others, this is nothing but an illusion. We remain alone before a screen with our own desires at center stage. The vast majority of self-expression is little more than self-indulgence and self-promotion. Imagination and creativity are rare. The self-expression may be amusing, but rarely moving. »more
In the sacred scriptures, we are constantly admonished to “fear not” because fear is a spiritual and moral issue. Fear keeps us from becoming the kind of people God wants us to be. When fear rules our lives, there is no place for faith, courage, hope, risk, or love. Following Jesus requires that we fight fear and step out “into faith’s daring.” »more
The new wired world we live in is not all sunshine and roses. The vast majority of the internet is little more than “ignorance meets egoism meets bad taste meets mob rule.” The radical democratization of all voices does not lend itself to greater truth. Though all people are entitled to their own opinion, not every opinion is of equal weight or value. »more
Every group has a message – a gospel, or good news – that they hope to transmit. This is certainly true for the “most popular, repeatedly covered, influential, and enduring rock group of all time:” the Beatles. The goal of this essay is to piece together from the music, lyrics, and lives of the Fab Four the Gospel according to the Beatles. »more
Results tagged “Culture”
New media offers real advantages, but always at a price, for "media aren't just channels of information... they also shape the process of thought" (6). And what is the process of thought the internet rewards? The internet rewards swift skimming and undermines deep concentration and contemplation. »more
We must not only view them from the perspective of his Jewish heritage, but also from the perspective of his Greco-Roman setting. When we do this, we discover that many of the passages that moderns react against as narrow and intolerant are really, in Paul's Greco-Roman setting, progressive and revolutionary. »more
The toleration of making fun of nerds and geeks is not harmless fun but has serious consequences for our children and for our society. If our children come to believe that their only two options are to be sexy and attractive or intelligent and ugly, there is little doubt which option they will pick - especially as their hormones kick in during their tweenage and teenage years. »more
We dwell in a secular world, but we believe in a sacramental world - a world alive in God, created by God for God. The gospel will always clash with secularity. Reason is not the ultimate authority. Matter is not all that matters. And yet in spite of its extremes, secularity has much to commend it. We would do well to affirm its positives while critiquing its negatives. »more
Too many people make it sound like transforming the culture is simple. They fail to recognize how deeply we are transformed by culture and how difficult it actually is to change culture, much less the world. In contrast to our common naïve posturing, Crouch asks us to seriously consider, "What would it mean to 'change the world,' after all?"
»more
Genesis 4 and 5 are transitional chapters that take us from Adam to Noah. Along the way they chronicle the escalation and scope of human sin. Alongside this downward spiral, we find small pockets of light. It reveals the good news that, in spite of human sin and its progression, God remains determined to bless.
In this session, we cover the first city, the rise of human culture - arts, technology, and religion, the cycle of violence reflected in Lamech's savage song of vengeance, and Enoch's walk with God and his strange and unusual end. Though these chapters are merely transitional, they fill in humanity's story and set the stage for God's call to Abraham.
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Though the internet gives the sense of connecting us to others, this is nothing but an illusion. We remain alone before a screen with our own desires at center stage. The vast majority of self-expression is little more than self-indulgence and self-promotion. Imagination and creativity are rare. The self-expression may be amusing, but rarely moving. »more
In the sacred scriptures, we are constantly admonished to “fear not” because fear is a spiritual and moral issue. Fear keeps us from becoming the kind of people God wants us to be. When fear rules our lives, there is no place for faith, courage, hope, risk, or love. Following Jesus requires that we fight fear and step out “into faith’s daring.” »more
The new wired world we live in is not all sunshine and roses. The vast majority of the internet is little more than “ignorance meets egoism meets bad taste meets mob rule.” The radical democratization of all voices does not lend itself to greater truth. Though all people are entitled to their own opinion, not every opinion is of equal weight or value. »more
Every group has a message – a gospel, or good news – that they hope to transmit. This is certainly true for the “most popular, repeatedly covered, influential, and enduring rock group of all time:” the Beatles. The goal of this essay is to piece together from the music, lyrics, and lives of the Fab Four the Gospel according to the Beatles. »more
