All New This Week
From Seminary Survival to Space Aliens, Nihilism, and Norm Macdonald: A Week of Strange but Necessary Conversations
Monday: Five Tips For Staying Saved In Seminary
Some people go to seminary and come out sideways. A few even lose the plot entirely. Then others stand back and use those stories as their excuse for never darkening the doors of a seminary classroom. I hate that excuse. Seminary was one of the best experiences of my life. Every ministry leader, if they have the time and the funds, should go. So how do you make sure you do not graduate a cynical know-it-all who has more bitterness than Bible in their bloodstream? I am going to give you five tips for making the most of your seminary experience so you come out not just as a thinker but as a scholar whose heart is tender to the Lord, compassionate toward people, and ready to serve the world in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Tuesday: Is There Life on Other Planets? I’ll Give My Take
I cannot say for sure because I have only ever been to one planet. That limits my data set. Still, the question comes up more than you might expect. Students ask me, people at conferences ask me, and I see it in forums all the time. With Ancient Aliens running on the History Channel almost daily from 11 pm to 3 am, it is no longer the niche obsession of tin-foil-hat types. So how do we answer the question without becoming conspiracy theorists on one side or rigid scoffers on the other? I will lay out a way to approach it with curiosity and caution.
Wednesday: Five Theologians You Should Be Reading Right Now
People ask me what I am reading. The better question is who I am reading. I want to share five theologians you should make space for on your bookshelf today. I will skip the obvious names, the ones everyone knows even if they have never cracked a theology book in their life. Instead, I will give you some fresh voices. These are thinkers making important contributions right now, and I will highlight why they deserve your attention before they become the usual suspects on everyone’s syllabus.
Thursday: Why I Can’t Stop and Won’t Stop Talking About Nihilism
I am not the life of the party. The moment people discover I went from studying suffering and theodicy to digging into something even darker, nihilism, the conversation tends to thin out. But here is the truth. If you want to understand our cultural moment, you cannot ignore nihilism. It lurks behind the humor, the politics, the digital age, and the restless boredom so many feel. I have waded in those waters, and yes, they are dark. But if leaders cannot name passive nihilism for what it is, they cannot address it either. That is why I keep talking about it.
Friday: The Gospel According to Norm Macdonald
Norm Macdonald has to be one of the most fascinating comedians I have ever heard. He was odd, slow, and nonsensical, with a deadpan style that could make you laugh and squirm at the same time. Underneath the rambling and the anti-jokes, though, Norm was dealing with big themes: death, absurdity, God, and grace. Believe it or not, there is something here for us as thinkers, and even as theologians. Christians especially can learn from Ol’ Norm. His comedy reminds us that life is fragile, death is real, and the best laughs come from truths we usually avoid.