Category Archives: Memorable Quotes

Diana Butler Bass on C.S. Lewis and the Inklings

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

The work of C.S. Lewis is not lost on Church historians. Dr. Diana Butler Bass, a student of George Marsden and prominent columnist, author, and American church historian, turns to Lewis and some of his friends as an answer to … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, Original Research | Tagged apologetics, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams, Christian spirituality, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy L. Sayers, George Marsden, History, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, Mere Christianity, spiritual theology, Stanley Hauerwas, theology | 3 Comments

Greatest Shakespeare Post Ever: The Top 50 Shakespeare Insults

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

Readers of Shakespeare know that the Bard wrote with a wink and a burn. The reason most schools put off teaching Shakespeare until high school isn’t just the difficulty of language, but that it is awkward for teachers to explain … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes, News & Links | Tagged humor, humour, Shakespeare, Shakespeare Insults | 12 Comments

From the Mouths of Atheists: Faith Lessons from Terry Pratchett

Posted on April 6, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

In creating the Discworld, Terry Pratchett set for himself an interesting problem for an atheist of his era: he created a world where gods are a reality. From an artist’s perspective, this is no particular problem at all. Pratchett made what … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Memorable Quotes, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged apologetics, atheism, Bart Ehrman, Carpe Jugulum, Discworld, faith, Granny Weatherwax, Mightily Oats, Small Gods, Terry Pratchett, The Golden Bough, Theology of Culture, vampires | 7 Comments

“I’m a Sad Ass at the Moment” C.S. Lewis’ Words with Sr. Penelope (From the Vault)

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

I have had a terrible, horrible, awful week. Though it moved in and out relatively quickly, I had a version of the flu I would not wish on anyone, and now I have a week of catching up to do. … Continue reading →

Posted in Feature Friday, Memorable Quotes, Reflections | Tagged Balaam's Ass, C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, depression, letters, literature, spiritual dryness, Sr. Penelope, The Screwtape Letters | 8 Comments

“The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry

Posted on December 21, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

There are few of them left: the kind of used bookstore with old, over-stuffed wooden shelves, literate staff, and stacks of volumes crowding the aisles. This is the kind of used bookstore that plays the Canadian Broadcasting Company in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Memorable Quotes | Tagged Christmas, O. Henry, The Gift of the Magi, Used Bookstores, writing | 5 Comments

Christmas With J.R.R. Tolkien: The Father Christmas Letters

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

What a find! At a yard sale a good friend scored a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Father Christmas Letters and she was good enough to give it to me. Published by his daughter-in-law in 1976 on the 3rd anniversary of Tolkien’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Letters, Memorable Quotes | Tagged art, art of letter writing, children's literature, Christmas, Christopher Tolkien, fantasy, Father Christmas, J.R.R. Tolkien, letters, literature, Lord of the Rings, myth, Santa Claus, writing | 17 Comments

Lewis, Wagner, and Frankenstein: Literary Accident or Reader’s Providence?

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what I call “Pilgrim’s Providence.” This is when we as travelers embrace the challenges and opportunities that come along our pathway as a kind of opportunity provided for us. It is a perspective … Continue reading →