“O my friends, he said, if the soul is really immortal, what care should be taken of her, not only in respect of the portion of time which is called life, but of eternity! And the danger of neglecting her from this point of view does indeed appear to be awful.” That is Socrates talking in Phaedo, Plato’s account of the last conversation of Socrates’ life. If the soul is immortal, then surely Socrates is right. Indeed, if the soul is immortal, it is hard to imagine how that could be … [Read more...] about Do You Have a Soul?
Christianity
Cheap Repentance
“Repent and believe in the gospel.” Jesus says that at the outset of the gospel of Mark. This has become one of those “church phrases,” often used in Christian circles and everyone nods and knows exactly what it means. Well, everyone knows exactly what it means until you start asking what exactly it means. Consider the word “repent.” As I have heard in numberless sermons, it means turning away from your past sins, expressing sorrow for those past sins, asking for forgiveness … [Read more...] about Cheap Repentance
Solitude, Silence, and Prayer
“Arsenius prayed again: ‘Lord, lead me in the way of salvation’ and again he heard a voice saying, ‘Arsenius, flee, be silent, pray always, for these are the sources of sinlessness.’” From that story, Henri Nouwen devises the plan for a Christian Life, explained in The Way of the Heart. It is a three step program. Solitude, Silence, Prayer. But, right now you are imagining a pleasant mountain retreat for a weekend of relaxation with no TV and a few prayer times in the … [Read more...] about Solitude, Silence, and Prayer
Ticket to Paradise
Imagine being asked to make a travel brochure for Heaven. Could you do it? The goal is to make one of those glossy things beloved by all-expense paid resorts or cruise liners. But, your brochure will be about Heaven. The challenge: make the Heaven brochure more enticing than the Caribbean resort’s brochure. When you actually start imagining the pages of your brochure, what do you include? After saying in Big Letters “Best Place Ever!” what do you say? The popular head picture of heaven is … [Read more...] about Ticket to Paradise
Calvinists Anonymous
“Hi. My Name is Jim, and I am a Calvinist.” (That is true, by the way.) According to J.A. Medders, Calvinists have a problem; the first step is to admit that. He doesn’t suggest setting up a Calvinist Anonymous chapter, but that is the logical conclusion of his book, Humble Calvinism: And if I Know the 5 Points but Have Not Love… First, a note about the audience for this book. Is this a book for you? Quick Test: If TULIP makes you think about a 17th century financial crisis, your … [Read more...] about Calvinists Anonymous
Episodes of Grace
An Episode of Grace is a collection of short stories by Linda McCullough Moore. The title of the collection is apt. Yes, one of the stories bears the same name, but really every story in the collection could have that title. The stories present an interesting way to think about life. It seems obvious to think of our lives as akin to a novel. There was a beginning, someday there will be an end, and we spend our lives working out the middle. The events of our lives are all part of the … [Read more...] about Episodes of Grace