A recent article from the Washington Post reveals that 14% of evangelicals have left their church community after the election of Donald Trump. This blow to church attendance and membership may, in fact, grow if the Church continues to pledge allegiance to Republican power. It would be unfair and untrue to suggest that politics do …
Category Archives: Social Criticism
Media & Individuality in the Age of Fake News
It is no surprise that in an age of post-truth that fake news flourishes. When facts become trivial and discredited by our personal biases, we become easily swayed by what we want to believe. The compelling nature that truth should possess is ignored.
Embracing Empathy, Embracing Liberation
I’ve lately been reflecting on the relationship between liberation, empathy, and how we view others. In our internet age, we so often quickly succumb to mocking others in their very public failures. Whether it is a celebrity or sports star who has made a poor choice leading to public shame or yet another political scandal, …
Cultural Indictment: The New Star Trek
I’ve been a lifelong science fiction fan, especially so of the Star Trek franchise. As a kid, I was drawn to the stories and to the ability to use reason to guide humanity past difficulties and solve complex problems (though I could not put such words to it as a child). As an adult, I …
On Public Discourse & Debate
I’ve been rereading Robert Roberts and W. Jay Wood’s Intellectual Virtues: An Essay in Regulative Epistemology (New York: Oxford, 2007) in preparation for some academic speaking engagements that I have over the next few months. The book examines, as the title suggests, how one must be intellectually virtuous. A few short pages of the text …
The Value of Star Trek
Many know how much I value science fiction, namely the franchises of Star Trek and Star Wars. In fact, there is a perennial debate on which franchise has a more lasting impact on people. As you will be able to infer from this article, I am a strong proponent that Star Trek is the most influential …
Jacques Ellul on Technology and the Sacred
Ponder the thoughts of this great, brilliant man.
Against Fragmentation: A Holistic Approach to Music
Boredom is the greatest evil, amusement the greatest good. -J.P. Moreland I With technological change comes cultural change. In many ways, the only constant in today’s culture is the expectation of change and further technological development. Music is not immune to such transitions. The question that must be posed is whether or not the ramifications …
Continue reading “Against Fragmentation: A Holistic Approach to Music”
Instantaneousness
I recently started reading a 700-plus page biography of one of my favorite philosophers, Soren Kierkegaard. Such a task is daunting and reading this book will surely be time-consuming. Yet, such a book is necessary and sufficient for gaining knowledge on not only Kierkegaard himself, but also for shedding more light upon his works and …
Vicarious Living and the Deification and Demonization of Celebrities
Michael D. Stark Student of Philosophy at Denver Seminary I have recently finished Soren Kierkegaard’s seminal tract, The Present Age. While Kierkegaard discusses a variety of subjects in this short book, none of which ought be overlooked, one that specifically remains pertinent for our present age is his exposition on talkativeness, or, in a more …
Continue reading “Vicarious Living and the Deification and Demonization of Celebrities”
Former Aspiring Philosopher 