-
Archives
- June 2021
- May 2021
- March 2021
- January 2021
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- May 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- October 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- January 2018
- April 2017
- November 2016
- September 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- December 2015
- June 2015
- March 2015
-
Meta
Category Archives: christianity
Chuck deGroat and the Narcissistic Congregation
I have recently had the opportunity to read Chuck deGroat’s confronting book When Narcissism Comes to Church: Healing Your Community From Emotional and Spiritual Abuse (1). DeGroat’s purpose in this study is twofold: first, he explores the how and the why … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, church, mental health, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged christian, christianity, Chuck deGroat, church, congregation, mental health, ministry, narcissism, narcissistic, theology
Leave a comment
A Boy, a Preacher, and a Wizard.
I remember 1997 well. It was the year that the Ricky Martin phenomenon hit the rural Victorian town of Echuca. The girls at my high school were losing their minds over how hot he was. Little did they know that … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged childhood, christianity, church, funny, minister, nostalgia, theology
Leave a comment
Writing Passionate History: The Example of Jules Isaac
Must the writing of history always be undertaken in a spirit of cold detachment, or is there a legitimate place for the use of passion as a guiding force in the pursuit of historical inquiry? Traditional wisdom would suggest that … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, Uncategorized
Tagged antisemitism, history, holocaust, jewishhistory, judaism, julesisaac, religion, thirdreich
Leave a comment
Die Botschaft Gottes: A Translation of Introductory Material
In 1940, theologians from the Jena-based Institute for the Elimination of Jewish Influence on German Church Life published an edited version of New Testament titled Die Botschaft Gottes(The Message of God). [1] The purpose of the translation was to offer German Christians … Continue reading
Legacies of Sexual Abuse: My Experience
I. John came into my life when I was around 14. He had been invited to our Church as a guest speaker and had soon moved to our town to start a new life for himself. He was charismatic, friendly … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, mental health, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged addiction, childhood, church, god, healing, recovery, sex abuse, sexual abuse, sexuality, trauma
Leave a comment
A Haunting in an Empty Church
When I was in primary school I used to practice my drums at Church. My Dad was the senior minister there, allowing me to be in the privileged position of being able to access the building out of hours. For … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged childhood, church, drumming, ghosts, haunting, memory, reflection, shortstory, spirit
Leave a comment
On Becoming Who One Is
In 1971 the Who’s Pete Townshend wrote the following lyrics: ‘Please don’t say that you know me Cause I don’t even know myself.’ Known for his turbulent and often troubled life, Townshend’s angst and confusion reflect the difficult journey many … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged augustine, christ, existentialism, faith, god, kierkegaard, life, nietzsche, redemption, sin, theology
Leave a comment
Why Study the Nazi Church?
I have recently been asked on several occasions why I have decided to dedicate the next three years of my life to studying for a Ph.D. focussing the Lutheran State Church under Nazi rule. The question is asked by those … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged church, churchhistory, contextutaltheology, germany, hitler, nationalsocialism, nazis, nazism, theology, thirdreich
2 Comments
Historical Interpretation and the Example of the Holocaust
In his brilliant panorama of German cultural and intellectual history, Peter Watson draws attention to a dimension of the Holocaust tragedy which is seldom acknowledged. The Holocaust, suggests Watson, ‘operates as an obstacle, a stumbling block, a reflecting mirror, that … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged adolfhitler, forgiveness, germanhistory, germany, guilt, history, memory, miroslavvolf, nazis, nazism, peterwatson, theology
Leave a comment
Modern Circles of Hell: Some New Proposals
As Dante’s tour guide through hell, the Roman poet Virgil introduces the former to the nine circles of torment that will face the condemned upon death. These concentric circles roughly correspond to the seven deadly sins, but are extended to … Continue reading
Posted in christianity, literature, religion, Uncategorized
Tagged circlesofhell, dante, dantesinferno, devil, god, hell, satan, satire
Leave a comment
