Epic Theology

A New Beginning

Yes, I’m still alive.

It’s been eight months since our last post, but man has it been an exciting eight months. Since we last spoke, I’ve finished my bachelor degree, travelled the world, brewed a few beers, turned one of my older posts into a capstone paper and presented it at a conference, and built a drama and arts ministry up from the ground to be a growing and thriving entity.

That’s why I haven’t been posting.

You see, all of this has made for a rather exhausting season for me. Rewarding, most certainly. And planned, of course. But in the end, I was barely able to maintain work, ministry, school, and family. Something had to give, and Epic Theology drew the short straw.

But now we’re back.

I have stories to tell about the last year. Brilliant successes and humbling failures. I started this blog because I had something to say about Christianity and the Arts. Now, I’ve been living in the midst of the coming together of these, and I want to help others trying to do the same. So, it’s a new beginning, of sorts.

Don’t worry, we will still have some of our favourites, like Faith and Film, or short stories. But we will also be trying to add interviews with local artists, and I’ll be scouring around for new forms of art to share. If you want to be featured on EpicTheology, or you know someone who would, just let me know.

Thank you for your patience. Especially those friends and family who have been reminding me that I haven’t been writing. Your encouragement and prodding have been noted and appreciated. This, in part, is for you.

And, finally, for your viewing pleasure: a picture of two hippos.

Because everyone loves hippos.

April 17, 2015 1

We’re back!

Hey folks,

It has been a crazy busy year! Working full time, going to school, and raising my son have all taken up a significant chunk of my time. I tried to keep everything going, but in the end, something had to take a lower priority, and Epic Theology drew the short straw.

Fortunately, all this time away from blogging has given me time to think of lots of awesome topics to talk about. I’ve got a couple Faith and Film entries to discuss, some probing questions, and even a short story that I want to run by everyone. It’s going to be an excellent summer for Epic Theology.

I’m hoping that everyone gets involved in the conversation. I love and appreciate every question, concern, and comment. Keep them coming, because I’m sure others are thinking along the same line you are. I am not the definitive voice for any of these issues we talk about on the blog. I’ve grown over the past ten months of blogging, and I hope you’ve been challenged as well.

We’re going to be starting with a two-post-per-week format, which will keep me from burning through ideas too quickly and running out of things to say before July. Monday and Friday will be when we post, so tune in.

We’ll begin on Friday with the first chapter of my short story, which will follow a robot’s journey with faith. It was a lot of fun to write, and I hope you all enjoy it as well.

I hope you are all set for an awesome summer (or winter, for my readers south of the equator). May God keep all of your safe and excited!

Blessings

April 21, 2014 0

Hey folks!

The year is just about over. Looking back, it has been a very exciting year. My wife’s pregnancy, the birth of our son, a job transition, and the creation of this blog have been some of the highlights from 2013. Hopefully 2014 will bring many more exciting adventures to go on.

I would like to spend the last post of each year talking about what I think are the top ten articles that have been posted on Epic Theology. Since we’ve only been live since July, however, this year I’m only going to be doing a top five. For those of you who have read all of my posts since the blog began, this can be a time to reflect on some of the older ideas we’ve been thinking about. For newer readers, it’s an excellent opportunity to dig back and find some articles that you haven’t read yet.

And so, my list of top Epic Theology posts for 2013 are:

1. Why the Church Needs Art

This is one of the reasons I started this blog. I have been in love with both Jesus and the arts for a long time and would love to see the Church alive with art. I’ve written papers on the subject, read books about it, and gone to conferences on the relationship between the Church and art. I’ve been trying to start an arts ministry at my church for almost two years now, and am still very excited to get it off the ground. This is my calling, and it’s why I’m writing today.

2. Why the Bible is Actually a Romantic Comedy

This was the first time I actually let myself have a lot of fun with my post. I’ve been spending a lot of time writing academic papers, which shows in my early writing here at Epic Theology. I finally let my own voice, free from the confines of the academy, shine through in a very tongue-in-cheek look at the Bible. This is the tone I actually carry throughout most of my life: a fun-loving yet respectful admiration for the glory of God. I hope this comes across more and more as we continue to explore the connections between the life of an artist and the life of a person of faith.

3. Coffee Cup Communion

Again, this one was fun. These off-the-wall thought experiments are a daily occurrence in our household. My wife and I love to discuss the weird observations we make about our lives as Christian artists. Sometimes our thoughts are profound, and sometimes they are just plain quirky. I think this is one of those latter times. This is also one of my wife’s favourite articles, so I hope you all enjoy it just as much.

4. 10 Quotes to Inspire Your Art

This simple post has been one of the most popular since we started here at Epic Theology. The idea is simple, and will probably return a few times as we move along. Sometimes we don’t need a lengthy discussion about art; sometimes we just need a few words to get our butts off the computer and onto the easel or dance floor or photo lab. I hope that those of you who need a little inspiration find it today. That way, we can start 2014 off right!

5. A Modest Proposal

This one scared me the most in writing it. It’s not really fun, and it’s a little scathing. I didn’t want to come across as angry or as some kind of Puritan, but since this blog is my soap box and I had something I needed to say, it came out. I hope that these kinds of articles, while fairly rare, will give everyone something to chew on for a while. While I may play with Jesus and culture, I can’t let culture run amok and make all the rules. This is the pastor in me coming out.

There are many more posts that I have been excited about, but I think this gives a good overview of what Epic Theology has been all about. I hope that you all had an excellent Christmas season, and that the New Year treats you well. Here’s to taking a cup of kindness, yet!

Blessings

Epic Update – Fall 2013

Well, readers, it has now been just about two months since I started Epic Theology, and I’m starting to get into a rhythm. I’ve been learning a lot as I go, tweaking both the site and my writing as I figure out what will best serve the conversation.

Now, however, I want to share my direction and plan for the next few months. I start school again tomorrow, which will be a consistent source of writing material, I’m sure. Especially my Philosophy of Religion and Christian Ethics courses, which I’m excited to be taking with two of my favourite professors. For those interested, I will also be studying Ancient Greek, so if you have any questions in that area, let me know! I probably won’t be able to help for a while, but some day I might.

This fall is extra exciting for me, as my wife and I are expecting our first child in November. My hope is that I will be able to continue writing twice a week once he arrives, but if I’m a little late, forgive my busyness. With God’s help, I will be able to keep my studies, work, family, church, and blog all running as smoothly as possible, but it will take a lot of time and energy. I appreciate all prayers that you can spare. I am also very open to words of wisdom and advice from any who wish to share. This is going to be an exciting adventure, to be sure.

As for Epic Theology, I am really looking forward to building the site up to be bigger and better over the next month or so. I have several features that I’m looking to add in the Fall:

PHOTOS

I love writing, but I know that huge chunks of text are not always exciting to look at. To remedy this, I’m going to be dusting off my camera and practicing my photography skills. I will also be looking for submissions, as I would like to start an ongoing feature of photographs taken from the point of view of the faithful seekers. Christian, Muslim, Hindu, New Age, or whichever faith you follow, I would love the opportunity to show off your work. Message me if you want to get involved.

GUEST POSTS

In order to get a more diverse voice on Epic Theology, I am going to be looking for guest writers for the next few months. This will also be a big help come November, when I’m trying to keep all my ducks in a row. If you have some thoughts that you have been mulling over for a while and would like to put out there, let me know, and we’ll see what happens.

ART

As this is a blog about faith and art, I really want to start putting up art by faithful artists. Poetry, stories, paintings, sketches, macaroni pictures, whatever you do for the glory of God, I really want to share it with everyone. If you have something you would like to share on the blog, contact me!

INSPIRATION

Finally, I really want Epic Theology to be a place where artists and the faithful come not only to talk and learn, but to be encouraged in their journey as well. The faithful artist walks a hard road, and I want to help where I can. Sharing the stories of those who are traveling along this path can help us lift up each other in our times of need. Expect stories to be coming sometime this fall.

So, that’s what I would like to be doing for the next few months here on Epic Theology. A more important issue, however, is what would you like to see? More probing questions? Posts on movies and books? Longer posts, shorter posts? Let me know what you would love to see and read on the blog, and we can grow the site together. Remember, we’re all in this, we humans on earth, so we might as well work together while we’re here.

Blessings

September 3, 2013 0

Finding God through the lens of an artist

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Epic Theology

A New Beginning

We’re back!

Recapping 2013

Epic Update – Fall 2013