Life's Inanities and Ironies

  Digital theology is an emerging field that examines how digital technologies—social media, the internet, algorithms, artificial intelligence, virtual spaces, and online platforms—intersect with Christian faith, practice, doctrine, and community. It asks questions like: - What does it mean to be the church in a digital age? - How does technology shape (or distort) discipleship, worship, and spiritual formation? - Can sacraments or deep fellowship truly happen through screens? - What does Scripture say about tools that extend human reach but also mediate (and sometimes distort) reality? It is sometimes called cybertheology, virtual ecclesiology, or simply a theology of technology. While the term is relatively new, the underlying questions are ancient: How do God’s people use the tools of their age faithfully?   Ecclesiology in Digital Space (The Nature of the Church Online) The central debate concerns whether “church” can truly exist online. Optimistic views argue that worship...

In the early years of the twenty-first century, the internet felt like an open prairie. You could set up a simple blog on Blogger or early WordPress, join a forum on theology, parenting, or classic cars, and enter conversations that stretched across time zones without anyone deciding in advance what deserved attention. The “feed” — if you could even call it that — was raw, human, often messy, and gloriously unfiltered. Discovery happened through blogrolls, links in posts, and patient reading. Serendipity was normal. Today the landscape has changed. Most people experience the internet inside beautifully designed, tightly controlled gardens owned by a handful of corporations. You enter through an app store, follow paths the algorithm has already chosen for maximum engagement, and rarely see beyond the walls. The flowers may be bright, but the soil is shallow. Genuine, thoughtful interaction has become the exception rather than the rule. As a conservative Christian who writes and reads ex...

Religious liberty — the freedom of individuals to believe, practice, change, or reject religious convictions without state coercion, penalty, or discrimination — represents one of humanity’s most significant and fragile achievements. It did not emerge fully formed but developed through centuries of conflict, theological reflection, political compromise, and cultural evolution, primarily within the Western tradition. Its story is messy, marked by both profound advances and tragic regressions. Ancient and Early Christian Foundations In the ancient world, religion was typically intertwined with political power. Empires tolerated diverse cults if they did not threaten order or loyalty to the ruler. The Roman Empire exemplified this pragmatic approach for centuries, incorporating gods from conquered peoples. However, Christians faced periodic persecutions (notably under Nero, Decius, and Diocletian) because their exclusive monotheism and refusal to participate in emperor worship or civic pa...

A Call for Christian Conviction and Cultural Stewardship In recent years, America has seen growing demands for public accommodations to Islamic practices and sensitivities. These include requests for prayer spaces and schedule adjustments in schools and workplaces, halal food options in institutions, foot-washing facilities, and broader cultural shifts around speech, gender norms, and foreign policy. At the same time, the U.S. Muslim population has grown from roughly 3.5 million in 2017 to over 4.4 million today (about 1.3% of the population), with projections of further increase through immigration and higher birth rates. While many individual Muslims are peaceful, law-abiding citizens who value American opportunity, a deeper issue remains: the core doctrines, historical patterns, and legal aspirations of orthodox Islam often stand in significant tension with America’s constitutional order and the biblical foundations that undergirded it. As conservative Christians committed to the in...