Overview
Thanks
for visiting this site, the repository for
several essays I have written while growing in my understanding
of the Christian faith and applying its teachings to my life
and thinking.
In 1988, after 30 years of life, most of which was spiritually confusing at best, I thought it likely that there was some god like force out there, but I had no understanding of who or what this force was, or how I could relate to it. Due to some curiosity sparked by Christian friends I did some reading. The most compelling of which was the book Surprised By Joy, by C.S. Lewis. This is an autobiography where Lewis relates the spiritual journey that lead him to back to the Christian faith he discarded after the death of his mother. I resonated with a lot of the the experiences and struggles Lewis relates. This compelled me to look into things further. In doing so I became convinced that God exists and that people can have relationship with Him.
Christianity is very broad in scope. I think most Christians will acknowledge that their understanding of Christianity changes, and hopefully deepens over time. Mine has certainly changed. Perhaps it has deepened as well, but in the process of understanding more I have found that I am certain about less, especially when it comes to the beliefs and practices of the different branches of Christianity, which appear to be in major conflict with one another while still sharing an essential core. I'm convinced that truth lies somewhere within the realm of broadly defined Christianity, but equally convinced that no one branch of it has the complete picture.
The Authorship and Reliability of the Bible. I wrote this essay defending my view
of the Bible at the time. I say, "at the time" because my view of the Bible is currently part of some fresh study and reflection that will not change the facts presented, or most of the implications, but do make me uncomfortable with the tone I take. I hope to revise this after further study.
Who is God? This is a short essay I wrote comparing
my God of the Bible to the god of the New Age world view."Because
our understanding of God greatly influences how we think and
feel about ourselves and those around us, we should strive
to be very clear in our meaning when we use the word god."
The
Origins of Life In Light of Contemporary Research . THESIS: For generations now we have been taught to believe that general evolution is the only scientific explanation to the origins of life, with some teachers insisting that it is a proven fact. The way we think and teach about the origins of life should be reevaluated in light of the lack of evidence supporting the neo-Darwinian Evolution Model, and the increasing evidence in support of Intelligent Design.
This is another essay I want to re-visit in light of the current "contemporary research". I have recently listened to a very compelling lecture by
Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., who is a key player in the human GNOME projects. Dr. Collins is also author of "The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief." Collins believes that God created through evolution. Yet another area I am currently finding compelling arguments for re-visiting.
"The
Interpretations of the Genesis 1 - 2 Accounts of Creation" This essay is a spin off from my research paper on Creation
Versus Evolution in Light of Contemporary Research, and addresses
the Christian theology issues of a young Earth versus an old
Earth view of creation. This will also need to be revisited in light of an expanding understanding of both the Bible, and the research surrounding the origins of life.
Issues
of Christian Stewardship : A series of talks I gave to
Christian Community Church in Murray, KY as inspired by the
writing of Randy Alcorn of Eternal Perspective Ministries
(EPM) http://www.epm.org
Book Recommendations
New Favorite: Letters to a Diminished Church: Passionate Arguments for the Relevance of Christian Doctrine by Dorothy L. Sayers.What must a person believe to be a Christian? Dorothy Sayers lays out age-old doctrines without prettying-up or watering-down. She brings them vividly to life by showing how the Bible, history, literature, and modern science fit together to make religion not only possible but necessary in our time. Read
one of my favorite books on-line,
"All
of Grace" by Charles Spurgeon. This Christian classic is
written in a charming, Old English style.
Currently reading: Wilfrid Cumbermede by George MacDonald. MacDonald is perhaps my all time favorite writer. Not only does his writing speak to me directly, but it has also influenced most of my other favorite writers. I will eventually read all of his work. I've read much of it already, but very thankfully he was very prolific and I still have many great reads ahead of me.
Christian
Theology is the understanding and appreciating
who God is and what he has done for us is at the center of
the Christian faith. There are many excellent books out
there and some not so great. These three have been very helpful
to me:
Mere
Christianity, C.S. Lewis. Lewis does an excellent job
of cutting through to the essentials of the Christian faith.
This is a wonderful first introduction to Christian theology
that has become a classic introduction to Christianity.
Christian
Theology, Millard Erickson. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book
House. Erickson does an excellent job of fairly representing
the major positions in each area of Christian theology. My
favorite reference for understanding the various doctrines
of the Christian faith from a variety of perspectives.
Know the Truth, Bruce Milne. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity
Press , April 5, 1999. An accessible, comprehensive guide
to Christian belief.
Christian
Allegory: I have understood and remembered more theology from reading these two allegories than anything else,
plus I found that I couldn't put them down. If you enjoy excellent
writing and can't seem to wade through theology I would give
these two books a read:
Pilgrim's
Progress, John Bunyan. Pilgrim's Progress has been printed,
read and translated more often than any other book than the
Bible. The earnest story of Christian, the pilgrim traveling
the roads and byways of life and experiencing the challenges
we all face as either believers or skeptics, has helped me
to identify the obstacles in my own pathway to eternal life.
Pilgrim's
Regress, C.S. Lewis. This is the first book that Lewis
wrote after his conversion to Christianity. Written in the
tradition of Bunyan allegory, it is the story of John, who
pursues a mysterious, sweet desire that leads him through
adventures with many characters who represent the various
philosophies of life and how to live it. It is said that this
work is a semi-autobiographical allegory of Lewis's own search
for spiritual fulfillment.
Stand to Reason, (Christian Apologetics) Greg Koukl's work and ministry has been a big influence
on my thinking. Stand to Reason trains
Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to
make an evenhanded, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical
Christianity and classical Christian values in the public
square.
The STR website has many excellent resources for interested
skeptics and Christians who want to become clear thinkers,
including this:
What
is Christianity? where Koukl defines the core beliefs
of the Christian faith.
The
bible passage I often reference is:
Colossians 3:23 and 24 Whatever
you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the
Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an
inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ
you are serving. Through
God's grace I seek to live up to this. I try to
apply myself to the work that is before me. God and Family
first, work on instruments, music, pipes, radio, and other
interests and hobbies.
Thanks
for stopping by,
Scott
E. Thile
scott.thile@murraystate.edu
