Redeeming Emotions…
Most studies of emotion suggest that there are seven basic human emotions, and that in one way or another, all emotions fit within the categories of anger, anxiety, surprise, trust, grief, fear and love – well that’s Diane Raymond’s list. Humintell suggests they are anger, contempt, fear, disgust, happiness, sadness, and surprise – so there is some overlap, although they are hardly identical lists. Apparently a combination of basic emotions leads to secondary emotions. Thus another site (which suggests there are six not seven basic emotions – happiness, anger,...
Read MoreIs there a place for denominations?
It has become common to declare that we live in a post-denominational era. Increasingly church attenders are indifferent to the label a particular congregation might carry… Presbyterian, Baptist, Vineyard, Church of Christ… whatever. Indeed, many churches declare to the public that they are simply the local community church, sometimes using a verb to describe their ministry (Impact Church, Encounter Church, Dreambuilders Church…). Often these churches have a denominational allegiance, but prefer to downplay this, mentioning it only in the small print, if at all. Knowing...
Read MoreManaging Monday with G.K.Chesterton, take 4
This is the fourth and (for now) final Managing Monday post on G.K.Chesterton. Noted for his ability to highlight the paradoxical, Chesterton was one of the intellectual giants of the 20th century. A significant Christian apologist, he often used his skills to defend the Roman Catholic Church. His love for the church comes across in his fictional detective-priest, Father Brown. Being our final Chesterton post, I have thrown in a few bonus quotes… The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried – G.K.Chesterton We do not want...
Read MoreWhat about fundamentalism…
Fundamentalism has become a dirty word in our day. It’s not hard to understand why. With ISIS and other Islamic extremist groups spreading terror and creating havoc, being in any way associated with extremism becomes something to avoid. Not that fundamentalism has to be viewed as bad. In the early part of the 20th century a version of Christian fundamentalism arose that initially simply wanted to defend the fundamentals of the Christian faith. In the wake of increasingly liberal interpretations of Christianity that increasingly denied orthodox Christian truths, the original authors of...
Read MoreWhat about other religions? In conversation with Lloyd Porter
In my latest book, When Faith Turns Ugly one of the topics discussed is that of other religions. It is clearly a controversial subject, and some who oppose Christianity, and indeed any form of religion, often point to inter-faith conflict and see it as the source of much of the world’s division. They are consequently suspicious of anything that is seen as missionary activity or the attempt to convert people to faith – be it a conversion to the Christian faith or any other. Chapter 2 of When Faith Turns Ugly explores both intra-faith dialogue (discussion between different versions...
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