Tag Archives: philosophy

Mark Vernon’s “A Secret History of Christianity,” review by Wesley Schantz (On Owen Barfield)

Posted on July 16, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

Review of A Secret History of Christianity: Jesus, the Last Inkling, and the Evolution of Consciousness, by Mark Vernon A guest post from Wesley Schantz Rating: 4 out of 5 stars For purposes of calibration or, if you like, conversion, … Continue reading →

Posted in Guest Blogs, Reviews | Tagged A Secret History of Christianity, C.S. Lewis, Christianity, History, J.R.R. Tolkien, Mark Vernon, On Fairy-Stories, owen barfield, philosophy, Splintered Light, Surprised by Joy, The Discarded Image, Verlyn Flieger, William Blake | 42 Comments

On Being a Digital Leopard Frog, or Living Among the Digital Natives (Throwback Thursday)

Posted on August 16, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

This summer I introduced an occasional feature I call “Throwback Thursday.” This is where I find a blog post from the past–raiding either my own vault or someone else’s–and throw it back out into the digital world. This might be an … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays, Throwback Thursdays | Tagged culture, digital immigrants, digital natives, frogs, leopard frog, luddites, philosophy, social media, technology, Theology of Culture | 7 Comments

Charles Taylor’s A Secular Age as a Background to Study of C.S. Lewis

Posted on April 26, 2018 by Brenton Dickieson

Charles Taylor has been called the leading philosopher of today. If narrowed to the questions of religion, the self, and human experience, the claim has some grounding. For students in theology, religious studies, modern intellectual history, or the philosophy of … Continue reading →

Posted in Original Research, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged A Secular Age, C.S. Lewis, Charles Taylor, Dom Bede Griffiths, Elizabeth Anscombe, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Mary Augusta Ward, Matthew Arnold, Mrs. Humphry Ward, Oxford, philosophy, religion, Robert Elsmere, theology, Theology of Culture | 18 Comments

The Problem of Good: Thinking about God and Evil with “The Giver”

Posted on August 28, 2017 by Brenton Dickieson

One of the great questions that fixes the attention of thinkers in our generation about the existence of God is the Problem of Evil. The argument is so simple it is almost sublime. I summarize the argument here in this … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged apologetics, C.S. Lewis, Jennifer Garner, Lois Lowry, philosophy, Ricky Gervais, The Giver, The Invention of Lying, the Omnitrilemma, The Problem of Pain, theology, utopia | 14 Comments

Changing Signs of Truth: Thinking about Postmodernism with Stan Grenz and Crystal Downing

Posted on June 27, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I will always be indebted to InterVarsity Christian Fellowship (IVCF) for its culture of developing the Christian intellect. It isn’t that I had come from a brain-less community. My undergrad studies were rigorous, if anything my church culture had been … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Camus, Crystal Downing, Derrida, Foucault, Generation X, Lévi-Strauss, philosophy, Postmodernism, Sartre, Stanley Fish, Stanley Grenz, Star Trek, Teaching, theology, Theology of Culture | 27 Comments

Simone de Beauvoir and the Keyspring of the Lord of the Rings

Posted on May 17, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

If I were to pick a public intellectual least likely to have influenced J.R.R. Tolkien, Simone de Beauvoir may not be the first person I would think of. There’s a good chance, though, that she would make the shortlist. French … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Memorable Quotes | Tagged Albert Camus, Betty Friedan, Death, existentialism, feminism, intertextuality, J.R.R. Tolkien, literature, Lord of the Rings, philosophy, Return of the King, Simone de Beauvoir, The Feminine Mystique | 56 Comments

Call for Submissions

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Brenton Dickieson

I have been pleased to have had a blog published at the Fellowship of the King. They have now sent out a call for poetry, short stories, and essays. Check it out! “The Fellowship of The King” (www.thefellowshipoftheking.net) is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Creative Writing, News & Links | Tagged art, C.S. Lewis, fantasy, g k chesterton, George MacDonald, History, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, liberal arts, literary criticism, philosophy, theology, writing | 18 Comments

Letter to a Friend on the Front Line of the Culture War

Posted on August 31, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Dear Friend, This letter may shock you, but I think we’ve known each other long enough that I can mention this. I’ll just come out and say it: You know that person/group that you admire so much? Well, I disagree with … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged culture war, disagreement, love, Partisan Politics, philosophy, Politics, Theology of Culture | 17 Comments

Age of Ultron: Mythic Mess or the Absurd Man?

Posted on May 6, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

Joss Whedon is a smart filmmaker. Buffy was genius, and The Avengers was an intelligent, funny, moving, high-action, hyper-effects superhero movie—a package I wasn’t sure was possible. I like how Whedon delves into big stories with what many will assume … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews, Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Age of Ultron, Albert Camus, Artificial Intelligence, Asimov's Laws of Robotics, film, film criticism, Inception, Joss Whedon, Marvel, myth, myth of sisyphus, mythmaking, philosophy, Science Fiction, The Avengers | 18 Comments

C.S. Lewis According to the New Atheists

Posted on April 10, 2015 by Brenton Dickieson

“A common argument, attributed among others to C. S. Lewis (who should have known better), states that, since Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, he must have been either right or else insane or a liar: ‘Mad, Bad … Continue reading →