Whoosh, I have actually made it halfway through the OHPT. *pats self on back and pours self gigantic glass of wine* I have another post of thoughts on this process, both the reading and the writing, so I'll keep this post to a review of Chapter 13. In we go.... Chapter 13, "Petitionary Prayer," was … Continue reading OHPT: Thoughts Petitionary Prayer (Chapter 13)
It's official. I give up. I give in. I surrender. MY APARTMENT IS OVERRUN BY BOOKS. I cannot even tell you how much time and energy I have devoted to keeping the books in my life contained to my bookshelf and a stack on my desk. HOURS. I have also spent mucho money mailing books … Continue reading My decorating aesthetic is BOOKS
Earlier this year I was diagnosed with a herniated disc. This meant a total cessation of all high-intensity physical activity, which meant I had to cease doing several of the major things that bring me joy and keep my happy hormones regulated and high. The rest has been wonderful for my back (and probably my … Continue reading The paces of reading
Ooooo this chapter is bringing me BACK. My first real undergraduate philosophy class was on the Problem of Evil, and I wrote my paper on theories of God's omniscience. At the time I found my conclusion frustratingly trite and non-philosophical ("there is no good explanation for how we can retain freedom and God's omnibenevolence and … Continue reading OHPT: Thoughts on Omniscience (Chapter 6)
What does a "full life" mean? What are its parts? How does one do it? I recently bemoaned how often I default to reading when I have free time, and how I rely too much on books to fill my moments. What I had in mind were all the OTHER things I love doing -- … Continue reading On living a full life
As much as I love writing and would love more than anything to be in a group of thinking writerly friends like the Inklings, I've never been part of an intimate writing group. I did join an online group back when I was on facebook. I don't remember much about my engagement with the group, … Continue reading The joy of editing
One of the things I like most about fiction is the way it presents ethical issues in helpful and novel (har har) ways. Every fictional story presents some kind of ethical conflict and its resolution, highlighting different kinds of people, different ways of thinking, different ways of relating to others, etc. Really, when we read … Continue reading Being vs. acting good — is there a difference?
Chapter 4 is "Theology and Mystery" by William J. Wainwright. Wainwright is Distinguished Professor Emeritus in Philosophy with University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. His research focused on the philosophy of religion and theology in the 17th and 18th centuries. He definitely has "philosophy of religion" credentials, as evidenced by the books he has authored. I was … Continue reading OHPT: Theology and Mystery (Chapter 4)
For a running list of all my reviews on the articles in the Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology, visit here. I really, really enjoyed this chapter and what it got me to think and articulate. You can tell by the WALL OF WORDS I wrote about it. This article is entitled "Science and Religion" and … Continue reading OHPT: Science and Religion (Chapter 3)
Isn't "heuristic" such an intellectual-sounding word?! I feel erudite. I also love the way it sounds, considering what it means. A heuristic is a way of approaching a question or problem that values the practical and easy over the accurate. Basically, it's our brain jumping to conclusions, rather than taking a beat and doing the … Continue reading Your Brain on Philanthropy: Availability Heuristic
