Hugh Hefner’s Legacy is Nothing to Celebrate (an Important Guest Post)
Sometimes a friend of mine will get a fire in their belly and write something we should hear, however uncomfortable. Clare Bruce is a journalist and friend who was more than a bit concerned about the accolades Playboy chief Hugh Hefner garnered recently. Given today is the UN's International Day of the Girl Child, this
066 My Chat with William Paul Young, Author of The Shack
When William Paul Young sat down to write a story for his children about a man who meets God in a forest shack, little did he know it would become a publishing phenomenon—and now a movie. In 2008 Paul dropped by the Open House show, to chat about the book’s meaning, the personal story behind
Is Spock a Christ Figure? After 50 Years of Star Trek, Some Think So
It was fifty years ago this week when the sci-fi pop culture phenomenon Star Trek, first hit TV screens. While it's mostly largely secular humanist in outlook, that hasn't stopped religious themes slipping into Star Trek's storylines, sometimes quite overtly. In fact, its most beloved character has done some very Christ-like things.
Can You Be Born Again Through a Pair of Jeans? Plenty Of Us Think So
I saw an ad the other day. The headline read, 'Be born again.' It was for a plastic surgeon. It's not the first time advertisers have promised eternal life. Levi's jeans once did the same. And yet, science has proven what Jesus taught centuries ago: material things will never satisfy spiritual needs
Watch This Brilliant Conversation Between Bono & Eugene Peterson on Art, Faith & Being Honest with God
What happens when U2's Bono pays a visit to his favourite Christian author, Eugene Peterson? This wonderful conversation results: two creative minds talking about art, music, the Bible, and emotional honesty. Bono and Peterson couldn't live in more different worlds, but their shared love of the Psalms has brought them together. This is a delightful
15 Things I Learnt from a Month in America
America is a nation under threat, I have family in Colorado I never knew about, you haven't lived until you've ridden a horse at sunset, and God has a soft spot for Pennsylvania. These are just a few of the lessons I learnt during my four weeks in the United States. Here are the rest.
037 Recovering Your Creative Calling with Andy Crouch
Culture isn't a word reserved for artists. If you plant gardens, plan towns, cook, sew, play sport or do business, you are also involved in culture-making. In this interview with Andy Crouch you'll learn how to recover your creative calling as someone who shapes the world for good, whatever gifts and interests you have.
036 The Problem with Kitsch Jesus
You’ll find him in Christian bookstores, on ‘Christian art’ sites and all over Facebook. He may hang on your friend's lounge room wall, or even on your own. He is kitsch Jesus. But while he may remind us of how sweet and gentle he is, kitsch Jesus has a problem. Here he is in pictorial
The Meaning of Life? 4 Options in 4 Video Clips
Each month around 550,000 of us search the phrase 'meaning of life' on Google. And we're not all looking for the Monty Python film. Does my life have any meaning? we ask. Our culture offers four main answers to the question, as reflected in our books, stories and films.