Denis & Margie Haack continue to write at Critique-Letters
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…
Category: A Glass Darkly
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…
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…
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…
To Bless and Not To Curse
As I walked into the nursing home where my mother lives, I was aware of being behind. Traffic was heavy—both an accident and construction…
What wrong with America?
It’s almost impossible to talk with anyone for very long before someone starts listing the reasons they think things are beginning to circle the…