New Persuasive Words

  We need not view a friendship with another human being either as having no other end but itself or as being solely a means to friendship with God. God is known in communion, but of course communion, the eucharist, is not passed between God and the individual alone, but shared among the community of... The post Friends appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

JOY IN NONSENSE. How can men take joy in nonsense? They do so, wherever there is laughter-in fact, one can almost say that wherever there is happiness there is joy in nonsense. It gives us pleasure to turn experience into its opposite, to turn purposefulness into purposelessness, necessity into arbitrariness, in such a way that... The post Don’t Worry, Be…Happy? appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

  We can probably all agree that smartphones are now an inseparable part of ourselves (if you can afford one, that is), and so is the Internet. Whether that’s a good thing is still undergoing intense philosophical scrutiny. What is not up for debate is that a lot of our socializing occurs online, and as... The post Know Thy Selfie appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

MAELSTROMS — THOSE POWERFUL SWIRLING whirlpools in the open seas — have been known to pull hapless fishing boats, crew, and cargo down into a deadly vortex to the ocean’s dark depths. Maelstroms take on epic proportions in the world of fiction. In Edgar Allan Poe’s short story, “A Descent into the Maelstrom,” the lone... The post Beware The Maelstrom appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

Contemporary American culture, however, holds a much more optimistic view of human moral capabilities than does the Bible, and this has unfortunately crept into churches. How else to explain the fact that a religion based on acknowledging our own faults and shortcomings has become widely associated with extraordinary judgmentalism and self-righteousness?…American Christianity now is in... The post I Fought The Law appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

Some things you make. Some you recover. Some you discover. This podcast is a combination of all three. Often times after people see, hear or read something they connect with want to know where it came from. This came from our interaction with the work of Brene Brown, specifically around our need for relational connections,... The post Blessed Are The Vulnerable appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

We recently had the privilege of talking with pastor, professor and author Tony Jones. You can find out more about Tony and his most recent Did God Kill Jesus? at his website: tonyj.net. Enjoy the conversation and grab a copy of Tony’s book! The post Did God Kill Jesus? appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

This converastion was inspired by an article in the New Yorker by Katherine Schultz. She describes a massive earthquake heading for the Pacific Northwest. It’s not if but when will this monster hit. Despite the certainty that this awful monstrous event will happen, there has been little or no preparations made for it. What does... The post The End Of The Word As We Know It…But Please Not In Winter!!! appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

We continue reflecting on the complexities of translating ideas from an ancient sacred text into contemporary concepts and language. The conversation was partly inspired by N.T. Wright’s review of Wesley Hill’s new book Paul and the Trinity.  Click here for a copy of the review. WARNING: This conversation will have special appeal to theological nerds. The post Lost In Translation, Part 2 appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

This podcast was inspired by some questions asked by an old friend of Bill Borrer’s. Bill and I attempt to wrestle with how you hold onto faith amidst confusion about things like biblical interpretation and frustration with the church using the Bible like a weapon. We mention the following quote by Pope Emeritus, Benedict XVI.... The post Lost In Translation, Part 1. appeared first on New Persuasive Words.

In the next four years there are 30, YES 30, comic book super hero movies or sequels scheduled to hit theaters near you. Why are there so many films being made about comic book heroes and why do we keep going to see them again and again? The post Summer Super Hero Movie Extravaganza appeared first on New Persuasive Words.