RECENT WRITINGS / 2021
A collection of some of my publications (movie reviews, essays, book excerpts, etc.) from 2021.
Whataboutism Is a Mark of Foolishness (January 15, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My analysis of a common, lazy rhetorical tactic: whataboutism
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‘Our Friend’ Could Have Been the Year’s Best Faith-Based Film (January 29, 2021, THE GOSPEL COALITION)
Review of the film, Our Friend
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How to Weather the Worsening Trust Crisis (February 2, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Reflections on the information ecosystem that is making us sick
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Don’t Fill Every Open Moment with Content (February 16, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
One small thing we can all do to become a bit more wise.
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‘Nomadland’ Is a Masterpiece of Spiritual Searching (February 19, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Review of the Oscar-winning film, Nomadland
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Healthy Habits of Wisdom for Busy Moms (March 1, 2021, Risen Motherhood)
Applying the Wisdom Pyramid concept to the habits of busy motherhood
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Apple’s Logo and Eden’s Forbidden Fruit (March 4, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Expanded thoughts on a paragraph from The Wisdom Pyramid
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6 Ways to Equip Your Church to “Do Good” on Social Media (March 8, 2021, 9Marks)
Six suggestions for how believers can bear good fruit on social media
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From March to March, How Music Made Meaning (March 13, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Musical highlights from the first year of the pandemic
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Deconversion Is Not as Countercultural as You Think (March 16, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My chapter from the TGC book, Before You Lose Your Faith
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Log Off Instagram. Embrace Your Place. (March 24, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Book review of Grace Olmstead’s Uprooted
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Saturday Songs in a Cemetery (April 3, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
An adapted excerpt from The Wisdom Pyramid
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‘My Octopus Teacher’: Good and Bad Ways We Learn From Nature (April 8, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Review of the Oscar-winning film, My Octopus Teacher
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Why we desperately need wisdom in this age of information (April 26, 2021, ERLC)
An interview with Josh Wester and Jordan Wooten
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Christianity Can Be the Safest Space for Truth-Seeking Intellectuals (April 28, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My argument for why biblically literate Christian communities should be the most intellectually fertile communities on earth
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2 Trees, 2 Films, 10 Years (May 26, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Reflections on the 10th anniversary of The Tree of Life and the new film The Father
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‘Final Account’ Shows Beauty of Repentance, Ugliness of Excuses (June 4, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Review of the documentary, Final Account
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Origins of Vice and Virtue: ‘Cruella’ and ‘A Quiet Place II’ (June 16, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Reviews of two new films, Cruella and A Quiet Place II
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Why Christians Should Prioritize Arts Patronage (June 30, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Interview with Justus Stout of Renew the Arts
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The Depressing Dead End of ‘Your Truth’ (July 3, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Excerpt from The Wisdom Pyramid
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Before You Lose Your Faith: Deconstruction and the Church (July 23, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Video from a panel discussion I moderated at TGC21 on faith deconstruction
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‘Nine Days’: 2021’s Most Spiritually Curious Film (July 30, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Review of the film, Nine Days
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5 Foundations That Lead to Compromise on Sexual Ethics (August 3, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Reflections on why so many deconstructing Christians shift on sexual ethics
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Quality Christian Music: 16 Artists to Watch (August 13, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My 2021 version of an annual list highlighting quality Christian artists
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TGC’s Manifesto: Prioritize Your Church! (August 19, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Or, the dangers of being a Highly Online Christian
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‘Stillwater’ and the Post-Truth Struggle for Moral Authority (August 21, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Review of the film, Stillwater
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How Pop Culture Made Sense of 9/11 (September 4, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Reflections on how three areas of pop culture—movies, music, and TV—helped make sense of and were changed by 9/11
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‘The Eyes of Tammy Faye’ Condemns One False Gospel, Celebrates Another (September 17, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Review of the film, The Eyes of Tammy Faye
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‘Friday Nights Lights’ at 15: Texas (Is Not) Forever (October 4, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Looking back on the show Friday Night Lights, 15 years after it premiered
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‘The Card Counter,’ ‘Mass,’ and Our Ache for Atonement (October 8, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Reviews of two new films, The Card Counter and Mass
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With ‘Blue Flower,’ The Gray Havens Put Sehnsucht to Song (October 13, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
Interview with Dave Radford of The Gray Havens
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BEHIND THE SONG podcast series: Poor Bishop Hooper, Tenielle Neda, and LOVKN (November 5-19, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My first foray into podcast storytelling
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New Advent Resources: 100-Song Playlist, Books, and More (November 22, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My recommendations for 2021 Advent resources
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Best Christian Music of 2021 (December 22, 2021, The Gospel Coalition)
My recap of 2021’s best albums and songs in Christian music