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Posts Tagged ‘Theology’

It is no secret that among my favorite theologians Stanley Hauerwas stands tall.  My closest friends who have read Hauerwas’s “work” recognize how my theology has been influenced by his thought, his cantankerousness, his wit, and, most importantly, his love for the church.  I am not just a “fan” of Hauerwas.  I have done my best to read his writings carefully and mine from the riches found there those things which ring true and bring them to expression in an actual lived life–my own.  I have learned from Hauerwas that to be Christian we must undergo training that teaches us how to see, and we learn how to see through saying, or liturgy.  We are trained as we participate in the life of the people called “Church.”  There we are taught how to be God’s peace in the world through the power of the Holy Spirit, the telling of the story of Scripture, and the witness of the saints.

This week I have been reading A Cross-Shattered Church: Reclaiming the Theological Heart of Preaching.  The book is a collection of sermons written on various occasions.  Some are written for weddings or other special life-happenings, some for worship in local churches, and others for those gathered as part of the Divinity School at Duke University.  This morning this quote gave me pause:

We are well schooled as Christians.  We know that we are not to identify with Judas.  Yet we cannot help but think, thief though he was, Judas was right–the costly perfume should have been sold and the money given to the poor.  If we are honest we cannot resist the conclusion: Judas is appealing.

Moreover, if any conviction characterizes what it means to be Christian in our day, it is surely the presumption that we ought to be on the side of the poor.  No longer sure we know what it means to believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we at least take comfort that to be a Christian requires that we care about those less well off.  Of course that means for us–that is, for the moderately well off–to care for the poor usually extends no farther than our attempt to make the poor like us, that is, moderately well off.

Given the world in which we find ourselves, a world that thinks what Christians believe must make us doubtful allies in the struggle for justice, the Christian concern for the poor can win us some respect.  The cultural despisers of the church at least have to acknowledge that Christians do some good in spite of our reactionary convictions.  So it is good that we burn with a passion for justice.  The only problem with such a passion is that it can put us on Judas’s side.

-Stanley Hauerwas, “The Appeal of Judas”, A Sermon for Duke Divinity School, March 28, 2007 in A Cross-Shattered Church, 95

This strikes me as true.  For those of us that deeply burn for justice, our temptation is to sell out Jesus for a bag of silver.  Preaching Jesus as God’s Son, God’s peace in a violent world, who, in being hung on a cross brings an end to violence, an end to sacrifice, expresses the full measure of God’s grace, and there declares the forgiveness of sin, are peculiar truths in a world like ours.  It is much easier to say that we should be nice people with a concern for those who are monetarily less well off.

Hauerwas continues his sermon by reminding us that Jesus’s response to Judas is something we wish he would have never said, “You will always have the poor with you, but you will not have me.”  Hauerwas further raises excellent questions for the church, saying, “The church has glossed over Jesus’s response to Judas by not asking, ‘What if we did more than care for the poor?’ or, ‘What if we celebrated the poor?’”  He then follows by simply stating, “That such questions are not asked reflects a church that has forgotten that Christianity is determinatively the faith of the poor.”

Hauerwas’s reminder extends in two directions.  First, Hauerwas gazes across the span of church history and acknowledges the church’s buildings, liturgy, music and hymns, is a beauty for the poor.  In addition, “The literature of the church, her theology and philosophy, is distorted if it does not contribute to the common life determined by the worship of a Savior who was poor.”  This last quotation leads directly to Hauewas second point of emphasis–the Messiah Christians worship was poor.  Indeed, “The poor you will always have with you.”

I can only hope that my theology as it has been embodied among my peers and among the students I have mentored has reflected a celebration of those who are poor.  I also hope that I am not among those who are “no longer sure what it means to believe Jesus is the Son of God.”  I hope that my care for those that are poor is an extension of my belief that Jesus is who Scripture and the Church across time has proclaimed him to be.  

As I begin this day, that is my prayer.

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This past year I have had a couple of pieces accepted for publication by the folks over at Collide Magazine.  Thanks to Jeff, Scott, and the rest of the crew there for the opportunity to take part in the dialogue on church and media.  I’ve had some friends ask about my work and if they could read it, so here are the links:

You could also subscribe.  They have a good thing going.  I’ve had another article accepted for publication which is forthcoming.

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This past weekend I began asking friends on Facebook and Twitter, “Who are your most significant theological influences?”  I wanted to ponder the question, but didn’t want to do so alone.  As I considered persons who had impacted my life, I thought that opening a conversation with others regarding those who have molded their Christian thought and practice could be extremely fruitful.  To provide one example, I have dear friends who love the theology of John Calvin.  They know the one to whom they owe a debt, and express their gratitude not only by reading and passing along his teachings, but by attempting to live their lives as a testimony to God’s sovereign grace as captured by Calvin.

For those persons called “Christian” it may be high-time for self-examination and close review of those whom we would own as our spiritual and theological mentors, if we can name them!  The names mentioned by my friends were John Calvin, John Wesley, Charles Wesley, Karl Barth, Jurgen Moltmann, Augustine, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Stanley Hauerwas, Lesslie Newbigin, H. Richard Niebuhr, Marcus Borg, Martin Luther, Ravi Zacharias, John Hick, William Barclay, Paul Tillich, Irenaeus, Friedrich Schleiermacher, St. John of the Cross, Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen, Martin Luther King, Jr., Hal Knight, Stanley Grenz, and N.T. Wright.  A friend from Dallas Theological Seminary listed John Walvoord, Robert P. Lightner, and Charles Ryrie.  Other pastoral examples included Rob Bell,  John Piper, Tim Keel, Fr. Tim Kelly, and Molly Wiggins Simpson (Will this sentence explode due to the placement of John Piper’s name?).  Christian writers such as Brian McLaren, Shane Claiborne, Mike Yankoski, Dallas Willard, Philip Yancey, C.S. Lewis, Donald Miller, Mike Yaconelli, and Anne Lamott made the list.  Family members were also mentioned.  One of my friends listed his dad, another mentioned his mom, Barb Clinger.  A high school student mentioned other youth whom she had heard speak as part of Institute–a United Methodist youth camp here in the Kansas East Conference.  Two friends mentioned Rumi and T.S. Eliot (this reference warmed my heart).  Humorously, three or four of my friends listed me, complements which I can only take half seriously.  One moment I laugh, the next I’m scared to death.

As I think of my own theological influences, I would have to begin with my parents and (praise God) the church in which I was raised.  Who knew?  Theology in the church?  Yes.  David Dykes and Paul Powell taught me a great deal.  I learned from a man named Dick Ramsey as well, who I had the privilege to know and hear preach on occasion.  Sunday school teachers, youth leaders, and Christian friends helped teach me to think theologically during my upbringing.

As I browse my shelfs and think of the most significant works I have read, here are ten of the most significant theologians I have encountered (in no particular order):

  1. Stanley Hauerwas
  2. Dietrich Bonhoeffer
  3. Dallas Willard
  4. N.T. Wright
  5. Thomas A’Kempis
  6. John Wesley
  7. Walter Brueggemann
  8. Lesslie Newbigin
  9. Martin Luther King, Jr.
  10. John Howard Yoder

So, who are your most significant theological influences?  If you care to expand, why?

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This article from the BBC notes that a lawsuit filed in the state of Nebraska against God has been dropped.  Here is an excerpt:

A US judge has thrown out a case against God, ruling that because the defendant has no address, legal papers cannot be served.

The suit was launched by Nebraska state senator Ernie Chambers, who said he might appeal against the ruling.

He sought a permanent injunction to prevent the “death, destruction and terrorisation” caused by God.

Judge Marlon Polk said in his ruling that a plaintiff must have access to the defendant for a case to proceed.

“Given that this court finds that there can never be service effectuated on the named defendant this action will be dismissed with prejudice,” Judge Polk wrote in his ruling.

This isn’t the first time God has been called to the courtroom…for an example, read the book of Job.  

Chambers’ case is interesting.  I’m wondering where, specifically, he got this idea:

 He said God had threatened him and the people of Nebraska and had inflicted “widespread death, destruction and terrorisation [sic] of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants”.

I think this is an example of how widespread litigation has become as an avenue for those seeking justice.  In a world without a common, agreed upon morality, all we have is the courts.

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It’s been a while since I’ve been in a shopping mall.

Today Molly wanted to stop off at Oak Park Mall and shop for an outfit to wear to her 10 year high school reunion, which is coming up in about two weeks.  Finding the right clothes is important for this type of thing.

Since I haven’t been to a mall in a while a few things have struck me in fresh ways.  I’ve seen mothers and daughters who look remarkably similar passing through the stores.  A pretty broad perspective of races, classes, and styles are all present at the mall.  There are teenagers here hanging out.  Some of those teenagers have bags from multiple stores hanging from their wrist.  I can only wonder if their buying power comes from parents or from summer jobs.

I’m hanging out in the cathedral of consumerism, chronicling the moment on my Mac in a Panera cafe’.  After living among a group of people who embody values that are opposed to some of the gods who are worshipped in this place, I feel a bit more disoriented than usual.

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In recent years it has become increasingly popular to discuss “re-imagining” or “re-imaging” the life of faith, the form of the church, the gospel–the list could go on.  I’ve been an advocate of these conversations.  People are crying out that the church needs renewal, the gospel needs to be clearly preached, the name of Jesus needs to be named, and that his people need to recognize the costs that come with following him and take up their cross accordingly.  In North America, the waning of Christendom has left the church disoriented, yielding these cries, and we are unsure what to do.  Whatever we’ve tried, many of our efforts have focused on being relevant.

In his book Prophetic Untimeliness: A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance, Os Guinness observes that during a time in which the church has sought to become increasingly relevant, it has been relegated to irrelevance.  In the book he examines the pressures which our current understanding of clock-time has placed upon the church, and advocates a form of resistance thinking that “balances the pursuit of relevance on the one hand with a tenacious awareness of those elements of the Christian message that don’t fit in with any contemporary age on the other.”  As Christian people, Guinness claims that true faithfulness will lead to our being an untimely people. In this book, Guinness identifies the focus of his inquiry by saying:

By our uncritical pursuit of relevance we have actually courted irrelevance; by our breathless chase after relevance without a matching commitment to faithfulness, we have become not only unfaithful but irrelevant; by our determined efforts to redefine ourselves in ways that are more compelling to the modern world that are faithful to Christ, we have lost not only our identity but our authority and our relevance.  Our crying need is to be faithful as well as relevant.

These words are jarring, not so much to the church (though I might suspect this as well), but to me as a leader.  At one time or another I have contended that we don’t need to make the Bible, the church, Jesus, or the life of discipleship relevant–it already is.  I simply have to live in faithfulness to Jesus, invite others into that life, trust that God will draw others by his grace, and the relevance of the gospel will be made apparent.  At other times I’ve been frustrated with the church and with my own ministry because there are so many obvious things that we must do differently if we are to reach those in our world.  In these moments I’ve talked about the need to re-imagine, re-envision, and re-cast who we are to be as the people of God.  I’ve trumpeted our need for relevance over our need for God.

In light of ongoing conversations concerning how we can re-imagine church this book created a good deal of dis-ease.  Among others, this quote from Guinness provided me with a kick in the gut:

Is the church ours to reinvent, or is it God’s?  Does the head of the church have anything to say, or do the consultants have the last word?  Shouldn’t ‘doing church’ follow from what we believe is the church’s being?  Was the church first invented by a previous generation, so that it is our job to do it again, or is the church’s real need for the revival and reformation that can only come from God?

Guinness then encourages his readers to consider prayer, and the immense importance which this practice has held for all renewal and reform movements.

Though I think such efforts to re-imagine church are needed during our time, Guinness’ words have provided an immense challenge in how such efforts should be undertaken.  First, I am reminded to pray.  Second, I’m reminded how obsessed our culture is with the future–with the next thing–so much so that we cut ourselves off and forget to study and understand our past.  This doesn’t mean that we should cease the task of casting vision, but perhaps it means that we should become intensely focused on rooting ourselves in our past.  The pursuit of such knowledge, I think, would bolster our ability to discern where we now stand.  When church history reflects on our time period, we can only hope that it is said we “understood the times” as did the sons of Issachar (1 Chron. 12:32), who no doubt were perceptive thanks in part to the wisdom they’d gained from their ancestors.

For those out there in pursuit of relevance, who possess a deep desire to see the church live faithfully during our time, I pray that we would first seek God in prayer and invite the Holy Spirit to work through the conversations we have with friends, fellow disciples, and our congregations about being the church today.  I would also recommend a consideration of how we as Christians can become what Guinness describes as “untimely people,” possessing a sense of maladjustment like that of the prophets, who were seen as out of sync with their surrounding culture but clearly in tune with God, and thus able to point their world to renewed faithfulness.

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It is raining.

Today has been a productive day, though quantifying “production” may be problematic.  The measure by which I have determined that today was good is not economic, nor based upon industry.  I cannot show you something that I have produced (apart from this blog post), though my day has been wrapped up in life-giving activity.

Today I have finished reading a book, and I have begun three others (1, 2, and 3).  I have continued making progress through yet another book that I picked up weeks ago.  I had lunch today with a friend.  I spent the morning on the porch at a coffee shop, next to my dog.  The afternoon was dominated by a nap, as recent weeks and months have left me physically drained, and at times extremely tired (a tiredness which I have continually pressed myself to push through).  During the evening hours I will wait until I hear from Molly, who will need a ride home after a long day’s work.

In recent days (and weeks) I’ve spent a good deal of time reflecting on the past.  I’ve considered carefully the church who nurtured me in the Christian faith.  Despite some deficiencies, I am deeply grateful for what I’ve received.  I’ve thought about the world and the culture within which I have lived and moved and have had my being, and I’ve determined that I both love the world which surrounds me yet recognize the characteristics of life and culture which are debilitating and unhealthy.  I’ve thought a great deal about ministry–both what it means to lead and to be part of the priesthood who constitute the people of God.  I’ve considered friends, faces, stories, conversations, debates, discussions, meals, games, grief, celebrations, families (both biological and spiritual), and everything in between.  Thus far in my life I have been extremely blessed by those persons whom God has surrounded me with in times of triumph and despair.  Apart from this nexus of relationships I would be an entirely different person.  In fact, my own formation as a follower of Christ is largely, if not wholly, the result of the gifts I’ve received from so many others, beginning with my parents who received me hospitably into this world despite the fact I was a stranger.  All of my life has been an incredible gift.

Through the life I have led I have sought to bless others, though passing along such blessings has been difficult at times.  I’ve had to overcome my own depravity, my own sin, which I could not do apart from the grace of God.  My life has been focused on being a disciple of Jesus, though I have gone from one degree to the next in depth of understanding concerning what such discipleship means.  I have continued to learn, and as I have plumbed the deep vat of knowledge and wisdom which has become encapsulated in the Christian tradition I have been reminded again and again of just how much remains to be discovered and known.  Through such learning I have sought to be faithful in service, building others up for the purpose of strengthening the body, the edification of the Kingdom, the glory of God.  At times my words have been ill-chosen.  I know there are times that I have fallen short of God’s purposes.  At other times, however, I’ve been amazed by the degree of transformation experienced by students and friends when God has chosen to use me as an instrument.  It has blessed my soul when I have been able to listen to a fellow traveler and reach the conclusion that because of the steps we have shared together, both of us have been transformed.  Perhaps most rewarding are those moments when I can see how someone more clearly resembles Christ than the time we had first met, and my imagination takes off as I dream what the future might hold for this person(s).

Looking forward I appear to be at a point of transition.  In the coming months I’ll complete work on my thesis at the University of Kansas.  I’ll also apply to various PhD programs around the land, hoping to find a destination for further study.  I continue to discern an increase in three passions: (1) writing; (2) teaching and developing leaders; and (3) the intellectual love of God.  Those passions will be used for service, the recipient of such service being the church.  I am reminded of this on the opening page of one of my journals.  On the first page is a quote from Karl Barth, which reads, “If there is any discipline that both inwardly and outwardly ought to serve, it is theology.”  May God use my service to glorify his name.

As a conclusion to this entry I would make an appeal: I enjoy writing, and my interests are broad.  In recent weeks I have pursued contacts which I currently have about opportunities for writing.  Perhaps some of you reading this blog have others.  If you know of magazines, online publications, or publishers looking for willing writers, please let me know, or do me the kind favor of passing along my work.  My main areas of reflection are Christian theology, ethics, and Christian practice, as well as church leadership and visioning for what the faithfulness of the people of God may look like in our current cultural milieu.  I appeal broadly to the blogging world, but specifically to others within the Christian community who may be able to provide me assistance.  What may come of this I do not know, but I am trusting that God will direct my paths.

And as a final word:

The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.
-Numbers 6:24-26

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Everyone likes a good book that provides tools for apologetics, right?  Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, has provided an articulate, readable, and helpful book for thinking people who seek to better understand and explain Christian belief.  In this work he provides answers to some of the most common objections raised concerning the existence of God, and the ”reasons for faith” found in the Christian tradition.

In his introduction, Keller begins by saying:

There is a great gulf today between what is popularly known as liberalism and conservatism.  Each side demands that you not only disagree with the other as (at best) crazy or (at worst) evil.  This is particularly true when religion is the point at issue.  Progressives cry out that fundamentalism is growing rapidly and nonbelief is stigmatized.  They point out that politics has turned toward the right, supported by mega-churches and mobilized orthodox believers.  Conservatives endlessly denounce what they see as an increasingly skeptical and relativistic society.  Major universities, media companies, and elite institutions are heavily secular, they say, and they control the culture.

Which is it?  Is skepticism or faith on the ascendancy in the world today?  The answer is Yes.  The enemies are both right.  Skepticism, fear, and anger toward traditional religion are growing in power and influence.  But at the same time, robust, orthodox belief in the traditional faiths is growing as well. (ix)

Following this acknowledgement that both religious and secular outlooks are gaining adherents and are at an impasse, he recognizes the need for an alternative to the increasing polarization between these two extremes.  Keller’s own ministry has found that what may be emerging is a “spiritual third way.”  He believes younger Christians, who have wrestled with doubt and come out the other side, “are the vanguard of some major new religious, social, and political arrangements that could make the older form of the culture wars obsolete”(xix).

The book has two major divisions.  The first part, titled “The Leap of Doubt,” addresses these concerns:

  • There Can’t Be Just One True Religion
  • How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
  • Christianity is a Straighjacket
  • The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice
  • How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
  • Science Has Disproved Christianity
  • You Can’t Take the Bible Literally

In this portion of the book, Keller draws from philosophy, theology, and examples from his ministry to address these objections to religious belief.  Each chapter begins with a quotation from persons expressing these objections–presumably persons that could be met on the streets or in cafes in New York City (and perhaps your community).  Keller is not afraid to engage leading atheist thinkers, including Ricard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.  His responses to these objections are well-reasoned and invite conversation.  Because many of these objections are so common, I found Keller helpful.  At the very least his answers provide a platform from which one might develop their own responses to thinking people who may have objections to the existence of God.

In the second part of his book, entitled “The Reasons for Faith,” Keller presents reasons one might at least consider the existence of God, and whether the truth concerning that God might be found in the Christian story.  Here are the chapter headings:

  • The Clues of God
  • The Knowledge of God
  • The Problem of Sin
  • Religion and the Gospel
  • The (True) Story of the Cross
  • The Reality of the Resurrection
  • The Dance of God

As I hinted above, this book is good.  Throughout the book you hear excerpts from Keller’s story and ministry, largely drawing from his experience of planting a church in an area thought to be devoid of hope for the proclamation of the Gospel.  When Keller told others of his desire to plant a church in NYC, people scoffed.  Over time, Keller’s church has reached over 5,000 persons.  When Keller tells his story, it makes sense.  He is an intelligent, thoughtful person. 

Dr. Keller, in his preaching and in his ministry, has sought to create a welcoming space for thinking people and provide them with reasoned, compelling answers for believing that the Christian story was true.  The worship services which take place at Redeemer have no frills, and are simply composed.  In his book Keller describes the impressions of church gurus who visit Redeemer and are surprised at the lack of flash. 

Substance seems to drive Keller’s ministry at Redeemer.  He knew that citizens in New York are thoughtful, creative, energetic, and inquisitive people.  Therefore, Keller made it a practice to remain in their worship space following services so that people could ask questions about the sermon.  Sometimes discussion would last over an hour following the conclusion of the service.  In these spaces Keller could provide answers, allow his heart to be made known, and challenge his interlocutors when they raised objections.  These conversations also allowed Keller to better understand the city in which he was conducting his ministry.

Keller is Presbyterian, though he does his best to make this book accessible to persons from a broad range of the Christian tradition.  I appreciate Keller’s book because it is open, thoughtful, and articulate.  His telling of the Christian story does not shy away from categories of sin, the need for repentance, and an understanding of the atonement which includes belief that Jesus’ death is more than illustrative of the sacrificial type of life we ourselves should lead.  Keller asserts that Jesus’s death and resurrection possesses a cosmic significance affecting our redemption.  In the death of Christ we are justified, as Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins. 

I found this book helpful and would recommend it.  It includes both philosophical and theological treatments that are intellectually engaging, as well as personal stories which illustrate his key points.  If you’re seeking to improve your own ability to articulate your faith, or perhaps are seeking a resource to help you engage non-Christian friends, family, or persons in your community, you may find this a helpful resource.

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Tony Jones, Doug Padgitt, and Mark Scandrette hit the road for this Emergent adventure to “preach, sing, and sell healing balm in church basements from San Diego to New York.”  According to this website, the hearers “will be entertained, to be sure, but, more importantly, they will be given a vision of an alternative Christianity…of adventurous theology, passionate faithfulness, postmodern wit, and unrelenting concern for the justice and peace that God offers.”

I’ve heard Jones and Padgitt in person, and have surveyed their writings.  Scandrette, not so much.  I wish these three vagabonds the best.  I find this campaign a bit humorous myself.  Just how different, new, and critical is this “alternative Christianity” proclaimed by this trio (which they assert being “woefully lacking in today’s world”)?  The more I consider Emergent’s claims to espouse a rich, helpful “alternative Christianity,” the more I suspect these leaders vastly underestimate God’s provision and activity within those seemingly “old forms” of the people of God called Church.

As I continue to read and learn I find myself increasingly surprised and refreshed by the vastness of resources for a deep, vibrant, and passionate faith in Jesus Christ which have been right under my nose–and indeed all around me.  It may be true that the Christianity of my forebearers in the faith failed to notice the changes occurring in the world around them in America and failed to adapt to the challenges presented by the postmodern millieu.  Padgitt, Jones, McLaren, and others like them should be thanked for their contributions in this regard.  We should acknowledge, however, that a changed world is nothing new, as “The world was fundamentally changed in Jesus Christ, and we have been trying, but failing, to grasp the implications of that change ever since”(Hauerwas/Willimon, Resident Aliens, 17).

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Pretty fascinating ad from Diesel.  This reminds me of a quote from The Forgotten Ways.

I was trained as a marketer and advertiser before I came to Christ, and when I look at the power of consumerism and of the market in our lives, I have little doubt that in consumerism we are now dealing with a very significant religious phenomenon.  If the role of religion is to offer a sense of identity, purpose, meaning, and community, then it can be said that consumerism fulfills all these criteria.  Because of the competitive situation of the market, advertisers have become so insidious that they are now deliberately co-opting theological ideas and religious symbols in order to sell their products.  But this co-opting is merely incidental or functional; in so doing it is acting consistently with its own nature, namely that of the official priesthood of a new and all-pervasive religion.  The assimilation of religious symbols and rituals merely serves to bolster its appeal to the spiritual dimension of life.  An advertising executive recently confessed to me that they are now deliberately stepping into the void that was left by the removal of Christianity from Western culture. (Hirsch, 107, emphasis mine)

Interesting stuff, huh?  Your own thoughts?

PS: As a bonus, you can check out more from Alan Hirsch here.

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