I used to feel contempt and scorn for the new atheists like Christopher Hitchens, until I heard the great literary critic Terry Eagleton deliver his Gifford lecture at the University of Edinburgh. Eagleton was not apologetic on the behalf of the new atheists; he was thoroughly unimpressed by the new atheist illiteracy with respect to theological literature. But he explained that “Ditchkens” (the endearing conflation of Hitchens and Dawkins) was rightfully earned by the misappropriations of religion in post-911 materialistic America: people who wanted to make God into their own image and to fit Him into their own political programmes and...
[spaces] – The...
posted by Michael Biornstad
“Even when passages seemed to come easily, as though I were copying from a folio held open by smiling angels, the manuscript revealed the usual signs of struggle—bloodstains, teethmarks, gashes, and burns” –Annie Dillard, The Writing...
Mars and Myron
posted by Michael Biornstad
Mars’ Hill: I understand you’ve just returned from sabbatical. How much time does a philosopher on sabbatical spend...
New year, old resolu...
posted by Michael Biornstad
“The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is his faithfulness.” - Lamentations...
TEDTalks: Issue 7
posted by Michael Biornstad
Salvete, children! I hope that you found some time on your respective breaks for some rest and relaxation. However, it’s more than likely that, like me, you spent your break catching up on all manner of useless but highly important activities that have left you exhausted just in time for...
Waiting for God know...
posted by Michael Biornstad
Winter’s best magic is its snowfall, that bright white reflector to better illuminate the stained glass cinema of the human spirit. The cathedral of the mind naturally plays memories but each season brings back scenes we don’t recall till pressed to rewind there. And with imagination we...
[spaces] – Fat...
posted by Michael Biornstad
“This inner eye is you: your identity, your ego, the conscious focus of your being. Everything outside this subjective core is the objective world of a character… STORY is born in that place where the subjective and objective realms touch.” –Robert...
Book Review: How the...
posted by Michael Biornstad
Following exams and final papers, your Christmas vacation may look something like my own: a dozen episodes of animated television, one season of Game of Thrones, and two seasons of Cougar Town. I don’t judge. In fact, I encourage such self-indulgence as a means of purging the voluminous data...
Is polygamy protecte...
posted by Michael Biornstad
Polygamy has been illegal in Canada for 121 years, and yet, for the past 65 years, the polygamous community of Bountiful, B.C. has broken this law with no consequence....
TedTalks: Issue 6
posted by Michael Biornstad
At the risk of offending or exhausting readers by contributing what may well be the tenth article they read this year on Christmas (the meaning of Christmas, the culture of Christmas, the story of Christmas, etc.), I would nevertheless like to offer some reflections on the subject. And because...
Strahl: Faith/family/politics
posted by Michael Biornstad
On the evening of November 24th, Trinity Western University had the privilege of briefly welcoming back one of its most esteemed alumni: Hon. Chuck Strahl. The former parliamentary cabinet minister spoke to students and welcomed guests on matters of faith, politics, and family with an air of grace and humility recognizable as unique to the man himself. Mr. Strahl did not use a microphone. He didn’t need one. The man’s voice carries with a depth and authority that made him one of the most recognizable voices in government during his 17 year stint in...
Are your devices try...
posted by Michael Biornstad
In an attempt to bring greater efficiency to the distribution of electrical power, BC Hydro has introduced a new kind of power meter that uses wireless technology. Currently, there is an analog box that records your electricity usage but does not allow for real-time analysis of the usage of...

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