3.02.2026

Satan Reconstructed: Part 2, Satan

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Two stories from the gospels. The first is from Luke 10. The seventy-two return from their preaching efforts and report back to Jesus: “Lord...
2.27.2026

Psalm 143

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"no one alive is righteous in your sight" Church tradition identifies seven penitential psalms: Psalm 6, Psalm 32, Psalm 38, Psalm...
2.26.2026

Satan Reconstructed: Part 1, Four Names

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In 2016 I surprised some people by publishing a book about the devil and spiritual warfare. At that time, most of my work would have fit the...
2.25.2026

Where the Gospel Matters

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I've served as a prison chaplain for over fifteen years now. In many ways, I credit prison ministry with saving my faith. How so? As I...
2.24.2026

Joy Demands Transcendence: On Mental Health and Anti-Materialism

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As I've shared here many, many times before, the big point of The Shape of Joy is that transcendence is good for you. This is, in my e...
2.23.2026

Holy and Safe: On Decontamination, Atonement, and Rahner's Rule

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Defenders of penal substitutionary atonement often cite what they believe to be a knockout prooftext from Hebrews 9:22: "Without the sh...
2.20.2026

Psalm 142

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"I am very weak" Tradition describes the setting of Psalm 142 as a song David composed while hiding in a cave. This could have be...
2.19.2026

To Make the Love of God Believable: On Relational and Existential Mattering

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As regular readers will know, I share in  The Shape of Joy how psychologists have come to highlight the impact of "mattering" upo...
2.18.2026

If It's Popular It's Not Christian: Christ and Audience Capture

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I have this really simplistic discernment tool for how to determine if authentic Christianity is operative or at work in a given community,...
2.17.2026

Living in Dorito World

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So in class the other day I started comparing everything to Doritos.  Here's the heart of the analogy.  The flavor/taste sensation of um...
2.16.2026

The Misperception of Christ

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In light of my recent post describing the power of Satan as delusion and misperception, I pulled some posts together from a series I did a f...
2.13.2026

Psalm 141

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"make haste to me"  When we reflected on Psalm 59 I shared how, in  Hunting Magic Eels , I describe the  lorica  prayers from the ...
2.12.2026

Your Worth is Not Your Work: Reflections on Identity, Calling, and Vocation

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As a college professor working with young people who are choosing majors and career paths, you spend a lot of time talking about identity, c...
2.11.2026

Do Not Be Deceived: On Perception and the Demonic

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In my Psychology and Christianity class we were in a unit discussing faith and mental health. I was sharing insights from The Shape of Joy ....