[A term paper I wrote for my course Desire of Every Nation at Davenant Hall. A PDF copy is available here.] Introduction "The consolation of fairy-stories" is, Tolkien tells us, "the joy of the happy ending."1 On that note, then, tragedy as a genre is dead. Fairy tales have won the day. This is prob… Read more…

[A paper written for my Davenant class "Discovering J. R. R. Tolkien." Full PDF here.] Introduction In this essay, I will argue that Tolkien's famous protest against allegory in favour of the "varied applicability of history" was a conscious overstatement meant to deflect simplistic interpretations … Read more…

[A paper written for my Davenant class "Discovering J. R. R. Tolkien." Full PDF here.] Introduction In this essay, I will argue that Tolkien's view of the cosmic and personal destiny visible in Leaf by Niggle, especially in light of its distinctive portrayal of Purgatory, could be called a kind of "graci… Read more…

[A term paper I wrote for my course Natural Law and Natural Rights at Davenant Hall. This version does not include citations: for those get the PDF here.] Introduction On March 17, 2022, news media around the world broke the story that Amazon acquired the famous MGM film studio. Included in this purchase were the righ… Read more…

[A term paper I wrote for my course Philosophy as a Way of Life at Davenant Hall. This version does not include citations: for those get the PDF here.] Introduction "By me kings reign, and princes decree justice."1 So declares Lady Wisdom as portrayed by the wisest natural king who ever lived. "[He] has… Read more…

On the Human Need for a Reckoning [A term paper I wrote for my course Approaches to Defending the Faith at Davenant Hall. This version does not include citations: for those get the PDF here.] Introduction "Therefore the law is slacked, and judgment doth never go forth."1 This sentiment, expressed by the bibli… Read more…

[A term paper I wrote for my course The Reformation and the Modern World at Davenant Hall. This version does not include citations: for those get the PDF here.] Introduction “If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?”1 Since Luther emerged onto the medieval scene as a lightning bolt from heaven, the … Read more…

[A term paper I wrote for my course The Theology of the Heidelberg Catechism at Davenant Hall. This version does not include citations: for those get the PDF here.] Introduction That wonderful catechism from Heidelberg, justly famous among the chief Reformed confessional documents, is much more widely recognized than o… Read more…

[A term paper I wrote for my course Philosophy for Theology at Davenant Hall. This version does not include citations: for those get the PDF here.] Introduction Not everyone likes philosophy,1 and often this stems from the widespread impression that it is of no practical use. Philosophy, many believe, is simply recrea… Read more…

"I, the Lord, do not change." So God declares in Malachi 3:6. We find similar statements throughout Scripture, and some of the most constant refrains in Scripture are that God remains faithful to His Word, that He keeps His promises, that His character neither falters nor shifts. Most of the time, there is a … Read more…

Often one of the first things we learn about God as children is that He is everywhere. In children's catechisms, we have question and answer pairs like, "Where is God? God is everywhere." But what exactly does this mean? If you tell a child God is everywhere, you are not particularly likely to get a look of u… Read more…

God is infinite. Now, we should point out from the start that, in one sense, infinity is not a divine attribute per se. As we said about divine simplicity, it does not necessarily tells us in and of itself any specific content about what God is. Rather, it cuts off one possible category for understanding God as unaccep… Read more…

"God is perfect." We talk about God being perfect all the time, but how often do we stop to think about what this means? In fact, for as much as we say that God is perfect, I would dare to guess that we hardly ever even come close to thinking all the way through God's perfection. It is more than we could ever… Read more…

[This is the first in a series of divine attribute summaries I wrote for my systematics class last term.] Before we can really talk about who God is and what God is like, it is critical that we understand some basic facts about how we talk about God. God is very much not like us. We were created; He created us. We are … Read more…

An Analysis of Luke 23:27-31 Caleb Smith Reading the Gospels with Wisdom November 28, 2020 Introduction Around the world over all of time, there may be no historical account that has received quite so much study and attention as that of Jesus of Nazareth's trial and crucifixion. This extraordinary event has come down t… Read more…

Introduction Every year when the Christmas season rolls around, pulpits and televisions recite as though under orders Matthew 2 in all its glory. Anyone strolling the streets will find Nativity scenes full of donkeys, mangers, stables, shepherds, wise men, and often a bright star. The star itself is a staple, but rarel… Read more…