Denis & Margie Haack continue to write at Critique-Letters
Ashes and Repentance
The association of ashes (or dust) with repentance has a long history. After Job, for example, encounters God, his response is to “repent in…
Author: Denis Haack
The Growth of Nones
It is an interesting exercise to ask friends what changes going on in our world seem to them to be most significant. The answers…
Reading novels about (Un)Belief
A failure of imagination In the July 30, 2018 issue of The New Yorker, Laura Miller, a Slate columnist published “Accept the Mystery,” a…
Believe Me (John Fea, 2018)
“Fear not” The 2016 election accomplished two things simultaneously. It put Donald Trump in the White House and it revealed some issues within the…
The Gulf (2017)
The tension of stewardship A few years ago Margie and I were invited to lecture in Florida, after which one of our hosts generously…
Social media and spirituality
In a New York Times review of Jaron Lanier’s book, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now, which I have not read, Franklin…
A Book for Hearts & Minds (2017)
For the love of books Hearts & Minds Bookstore is in Dallastown, PA, so if you ever pass through that area be certain to…
When Rumor Becomes Fact
The second Thursday in February Margie and I drove to Rochester to speak at the 2018 L’Abri Conference. I dropped Margie and our luggage…
Saying “I’m sorry” isn’t enough
I’ve heard those two words recently, and spoken them myself. I’ve watched people who seem to be incapable of speaking them, confident that they…
When Attention is Paid
“Attention,” Gregory Wolfe, the editor of Image says, “is a form of currency. And it’s in limited supply.” It’s a striking metaphor, perfect for…