Further thoughts on evangelicalism as a protestant renewal movement

(Following this previous post: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/12/07/an-evangelical-hypothesis/) In my previous post on this topic, I suggested that evangelicalism is best understood as a protestant renewal movement, and that when evangelicalism is unmoored from its protestant roots, it becomes distorted in various ways. Here, I outline three specific ways this happens. 1) Loss of vocation One of the … Continue reading Further thoughts on evangelicalism as a protestant renewal movement →

You are not your own by Alan Noble

Belonging to God in an inhuman world I found this book helpful in articulating why our “choose your own way” modern world feels so crushing, unreal and inhuman. It starts with something most people agree on- the modern world is hard. There is a sense of alienation and inhumanity, which means despite our wealth we … Continue reading You are not your own by Alan Noble →

Direct simplicity and intriguing depths

Pete William's new book, "The Surprising Genius of Jesus" (https://uk.10ofthose.com/product/9781433588365/the-surprising-genius-of-jesus) focuses on one chapter of Luke. He shows that Jesus is able to tells stories that are directly addressing the crowds, understood simply as a direct answer to the challenge of the Pharisees. But he also shows that Jesus is working into his stories layers … Continue reading Direct simplicity and intriguing depths →

God’s word and wisdom

(The outline of McGilchrist’s thesis is here: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/11/07/introduction-to-the-master-and-his-emissary/) Last post on McGilchrist, we saw a correlation between hemisphere processing and Biblical interpretation. This time, we’re going to explore if that applies to God’s own communication to us. A reminder that McGilchrist suggests that the hemispheres’ distinct ways of attending to the world are brought together with … Continue reading God’s word and wisdom →

An evangelical hypothesis

Here are some theses on evangelical church culture (with a UK focus as that is what I know). 1. Evangelicalism is a Protestant renewal movement 2. Evangelical distinctives (relative to historic Protestantism) are a focus on gospel preaching calling every individual to personal conversion, personal heart-felt relationship with God for every believer, excellent mid-level teaching, … Continue reading An evangelical hypothesis →

Hemisphere order of processing inputs and implications for Bible interpretation

(The outline of McGilchrist’s thesis is here: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/11/07/introduction-to-the-master-and-his-emissary/) Fairly early in his book, McGilchrist highlights research showing how information is processed between the hemispheres. This piqued my interest as having implications for the process for interpreting the Bible. McGilchrist suggests that the hemispheres’ distinct ways of attending to the world are brought together with a distinct … Continue reading Hemisphere order of processing inputs and implications for Bible interpretation →

The Secret Place of Thunder John Starke

Subtitle: Trading our need to be noticed for a hidden life with Christ John Starke starts his book with the pastoral crises of professionals during the covid lockdowns. He helpfully shows how we have moved from expressive individualism to performative individualism. People no longer seek to express their inner self with freedom, but a carefully … Continue reading The Secret Place of Thunder John Starke →

A corrective to reductionist religion and atheism

(The outline of McGilchrist’s thesis is here: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/11/07/introduction-to-the-master-and-his-emissary/) One of the ways McGilchrist is very helpful is that he exposes the lopsidedness of much atheistic philosophy and the new atheists. On page 170, he argues that the left and right hemispheres ways of thinking have different definitions of belief that mean many debates are people talking … Continue reading A corrective to reductionist religion and atheism →

Closing reflections on Dunbar’s “Friends”

(Continuing a series based on Dunbar’s book, “Friends”. You can find the basic thesis here: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/09/18/introduction-to-friends-by-robin-dunbar/ ) I really enjoyed this book- it is well written and full of interesting anecdotes and details. Four things that stand out to me as I reflect on the whole. 1) Friendship is a really good thing. It is something we … Continue reading Closing reflections on Dunbar’s “Friends” →

How does hemisphere difference help us understand some problems in the modern world?

(The outline of McGilchrist’s thesis is here: https://jotsandscribbles.blog/2023/11/07/introduction-to-the-master-and-his-emissary/) In his book the Master and the Emissary, Iain McGilchrist sets out to show how the two separated hemispheres of the cortex process the world differently. The world of the left hemisphere, dependent on denotative language and abstraction, yields clarity and power to manipulate things that are known, … Continue reading How does hemisphere difference help us understand some problems in the modern world? →