”There’s nothing new under the sun” is paraphrased from the Bible verse Ecclesiastes 1: 9. “Standing on the shoulders of giants”, a 12th century metaphor popularized in 1675 by Isaac Newton. These are 2 ideas that sum up my viewpoint on the content of the posts in this blogsite. I don’t pretend to be terribly smart and will be the first to say that if there is a thought or perspective presented in what I write that seems innovative, clever, or insightful, it probably came from someone other than me.
I have noted some of the many brilliant thinkers and sources of inspiration that inform my point of view and understanding. The list is far from complete, and I most certainly will omit a multiplicity of individuals and groups who have and will contribute to my education. I will continue to update the list and add descriptions from time to time.
Resources for further study
Bible – Christians credit the Bible as the primary resource for learning God’s word, the creation of the universe, development of man and God’s desires for humanity. They consider everything contained in the Bible to be literature inspired by God, and as such is sacred text and not to be modified. In the Christian Bible there are 2 sections, the Old Testament which teaches the origin of the universe and mankind, and the New Testament which depicts the life and teaching of Jesus Christ who Christians profess to be the Son of God and upon whose teaching the Christian doctrines and religion were formed. There are several translations, some more accurate than others.
Strong’s Concordance – An amazing compilation of the words and phrases from the Bible that enable users to cross reference the words and phrases from various translations of the Bible to their original words in Greek and Hebrew with the original meanings of those words. This is a phenomenal tool for Bible study that helps reduce the uncertainty caused by unusual phrasing and brings clarity to words and phrases by providing the original meaning. I have only recently begun using Strong’s Concordance so my understanding of its capabilities is very rudimentary. As you use it I’m sure you will find many more uses.
Dr. James Tour – ( jmtour.com ) With over 785 research publications, over 130 granted patents and over 100 pending patents Dr. Tour is preeminent in the field of science today. The list of his scientific accomplishments and accolades is far too long to include in this description. As a devoted Christian Dr. Tour has written extensively to refute the misleading information coming from the scientific community about the origins of life. Although he resists labeling himself as a proponent of the Intelligent Design theory he is adamant that the current scientific thinking on how life began is flawed to the point of being a severe disservice to the public and the scientific method. With his significant accomplishments in the fields of chemistry and nanotechnology Dr. Tour possesses the acumen and insights to understand the errors in current thinking on the topic and has produced a series of YouTube videos that explain, in layman’s terms, the mistakes in the science that promotes the primordial soup origin of life theory.
Dr. Stephen C. Meyer – ( stephencmeyer.org ) Author of the bestselling Darwin’s Doubt: The Explosive Origin of Animal Life and the Case for Intelligent Design, and Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design, and Return of the God Hypothesis. Dr. Meyer is the Director of the Center for Science and Culture at the Discovery Institute in Seattle. Dr. Meyer provides clear scientific evidence for Intelligent Design being the most plausible explanation for the origin of the universe as opposed to Darwin’s Theory of Evolution.
Tim Keller – ( gospelinlife.com ) The late Tim Keller was a brilliant pastor with a gift for delivering sermons that were based on biblical truth, engaging and pertinent. They are still relatable, instructional, sometimes provocative and always make you engage your brain. His sermons are still available to hear at the Gospel in Life podcasts.
Discovery Institute – ( discovery.org ) This website provides thought provoking articles and information from some of the world’s foremost thinkers on how science and technology can benefit free markets, discovery, public policy, human dignity, and metaphysical foundations in the interest of promoting a free society.
Dr. John Lennox – (johnlennox.org) According to Wikipedia – John Carson Lennox (born 7 November 1943) is a mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist originally from Northern Ireland. He has written many books on religion, ethics, the relationship between science and God (like his books, Has Science Buried God and Can Science Explain Everything), and has had public debates with atheists including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. (read more https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Lennox )
Socrates In The City – ( socratesinthecity.com ) – Interesting and highly informative conversations with a variety of thinkers and doers hosted by Eric Metaxas. Witty, fresh and thought provoking.
Eric Metaxas – (ericmetaxas.com) -According to Wikipedia – Eric Metaxas (born June 27, 1963) is an American author, speaker, and conservative radio host. He has written three biographies, Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery about William Wilberforce (2007), Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy about Dietrich Bonhoeffer (2011), Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World (2017), If You Can Keep it (2017), Fish Out of Water: A Search for the Meaning of Life (2021) and Letter to the American Church (2022). He has also written humor, children’s books and scripts for VeggieTales.
C.S. Lewis – According to Wikipedia – Clive Staples Lewis FBA (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963) was a British writer, literary scholar, and Anglican lay theologian. He held academic positions in English literature at both Magdalen College, Oxford (1925–1954), and Magdalene College, Cambridge (1954–1963). He is best known as the author of The Chronicles of Narnia, but he is also noted for his other works of fiction, such as The Screwtape Letters and The Space Trilogy, and for his non-fiction Christian apologetics, including Mere Christianity, Miracles, and The Problem of Pain.
Lewis was a close friend of J. R. R. Tolkien, author of The Lord of the Rings. Both men served on the English faculty at Oxford University and were active in the informal Oxford literary group known as the Inklings. According to Lewis’s 1955 memoir Surprised by Joy, he was baptized in the Church of Ireland but fell away from his faith during adolescence. Lewis returned to Anglicanism at the age of 32, owing to the influence of Tolkien and other friends, and he became an “ordinary layman of the Church of England“.[1] Lewis’s faith profoundly affected his work, and his wartime radio broadcasts on the subject of Christianity brought him wide acclaim.
Pastor Troy Smith –Evansville Vineyard Church – ( evansvillevineyard.org ) – Troy and his brother Jeff have been friends of mine for a long time. They have taught me, shepherded me, and shown me much of what I know about the Christian faith and the workings of a church. Many of the experiences and epiphanies that have lead me to my current spiritual character were through Troy and Jeff. Troy has a knack for bringing the Christian experience into the reality of our daily lives and Jeff knows how to make biblical teachings understandable.
Unbelievable? podcast – (www.premierunbelievable.com) – Presenting balanced conversations between Christians and skeptics. Hear both sides of deep questions.
Cold Cas Christianity – (coldcasechristianity.com) – J. Warner Wallace – This podcast and associated videos , books and website are unique and compelling. J. Warner Wallace is a cold case homicide detective who has received national recognition for his work. He is also a Christian apologist who applies the evidence gathering techniques used in cold case homicide investigations to searching for evidence pointing toward God and Jesus Christ. He does this to great effect.
Dr. Frank Turek -I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist podcast
Jason Jiminez – Challenging Conversations podcast
Praxis Circle – Building Worldviews podcast
Pursuing Christianity 