Generalizing from “literary genre” to “tradition” and substituting the term “faith” for “literature” on pg. 106 of M.M. Bakhtin’s Problem’s of Dostoevsky’s Poetics, we get: A tradition, by its very nature, reflects the most stable, “eternal” tendencies in faith’s development. Always preserved in a tradition are undying elements of the archaic. True, these archaic elements […]

On Gossip
My speech toward and about others whom I claim to love must be rooted in “agape.” If not, then either my love or my character is flawed. (Agape in this context is to will that which is best for the person or persons whom I profess to love.) In all instances I must first ask, “Is my speech idle? malicious? thoughtful? […]
Review of Betrayal by Robin Lee Hatcher
Perhaps my own flawed nature steers me to identify more with characters that lug around the heavy burden of their pasts. I suspect it could be the reason I found Hugh and Julia so compelling. Their hearts held secrets. Their former lives dictated their responses to current events. They knew pain. They had depth. Or […]

Review of Belonging by Robin Lee Hatcher
Writers of Romantic Fiction must abide by certain conventions: Boy meets girl, conflict arises, the plot thickens (sorry about the cliché); boy and girl end up together. The Christian author may also intertwine a salvation message or spiritual growth component into the mix. I have long been an admirer of Robin Lee Hatcher, but had yet […]
“The Worship Industry”
(Insert obligatory “I don’t endorse Brian McLaren’s theology” here.) follow and share herenowkingdom

Michael Lewis On Luck
Anton Chigurh: You know what date is on this coin? Store Proprietor: No. Chigurh: 1958. It’s been traveling 22 years to get here. And now it’s here. And it’s either heads or tails. It’s impossible to watch this iconic scene from the Coen brothers morality tale No Country for Old Men without contemplating the place […]
The Local Church and New Monastic Practice
Shane Claiborne at Willow Creek Pt. 1 Shane Claiborne at Willow Creek Pt. 2 follow and share herenowkingdom
“How Our Religious Narratives Affect Us”
Robert H Thompson on Blog Talk Radio Peter Block, best-selling author of The Abundant Community, among others, joins Robert Thompson and Mike Neiss again this week. Peter has invited his colleague Dr. Walter Brueggeman to join us as well. One of the most influential Old Testament scholars of the last several decades, Dr. Brueggemann is […]
On Jonathan Frederick Will, Baby Dedications, and Community
George Will recently penned a column about his 40-year-old son, Jonathan, who has Down syndrome. In it, he related how upon his arrival, the doctor told Jonathan’s parents their first question was whether they intended to take him home from the hospital. Will continues: Nonplussed, they said they thought that is what parents do with […]
Footwashing and the Church’s Telos
In my readings, it seems the majority of those who think footwashing should not be considered an ordinance focus on three things: That footwashing (as opposed to Baptism and celebration of the Eucharist) appears only once in the Gospels; that footwashing is not practiced in Acts; and that there is no detailed instruction regarding when […]
About herenowkingdom
"The local church is the hope of the world." Husband to Shawn. Dad to Matthew and Simone. Grandy to Kianna, Mica, Aiden, Cassie. Willing participant in the Divine Conspiracy. Colossians 3:1-17.