[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…

"Everyone should eat and drink, and find enjoyment in all his toil, for these things are a gift from God." — Solomon, the wisest man ever "There is no such thing on earth as an uninteresting subject; the only thing that can exist is an uninterested person." — G. K. Chesteron "Christianity, if f… Read more…

[A review I wrote a couple years ago on Goodreads but which I ran across again and still like.] James Jordan is always a worthwhile read, but I was not expecting this Crisis, Opportunity, and the Christian Future to be what it is. This book is perhaps one of the most important books for the 21st century Church that I'v… Read more…

My sister Dixie, a missionary to the Balkans (who you can support here), recently suggested that I give her a list of books to read. Such a request, naturally, I could not by any means refuse. But I figured such a list might be of use for others, as well, so I'm putting it here. The broader target audience for these re… Read more…