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Author Archives: susan

Demons: Part Three

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The article series examines the nature of demonic forces according to Brad Jersak and Brian Zandh, Rene Girard’s mimetic theory, and biblical interpretations of sin. While demonic forces are seen as metaphorical, their destructive impact is real, fostering competition and scapegoating in societies. This entry delves into sin as a form of demonic enslavement, critiqueing the Penal Substitutionary Atonement theory prevalent in Western Christianity. It suggests aligning with Eastern Christianity’s approach of viewing sin as a disease needing healing, rather than a crime for punishment. Continue reading →

Demons: Part Two

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(10 minutes) Part two of this series looks at the demonic nature of scapegoating in the philosophy of the late Rene Girard. The demonic, understood as a “psycho-spiritual” phenomenon originating within individuals and metastasizing throughout society, is partially explained by Girard’s mimetic theory.  Child psychologist Jean Piaget taught that children… Continue reading →

Demons: Part One

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(8 minutes) Not long ago, my ten-year-old grandson asked me, “Granddad, do you believe in the Devil and demons?” Apparently, he had heard some talk from his friends about the presence and danger of the satanic in this world. His question reminded me of a comment by the nine-year-old son… Continue reading →

The Illusion of Freedom (Part Four)

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“THE TRUTH WILL MAKE YOU FREE.” JOHN 8:32 Some time ago, Jason Micheli interviewed David Bentley Hart on Micheli’s podcast Crackers and Grape Juice. (The interview can be found on YouTube under the title “All Creation Afire as a Burning Bush.”) During the interview, Hart spoke eloquently about freedom as… Continue reading →

The Illusion of Freedom (Part Three)

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In the first part of this series, I briefly argued that our freedom to choose is limited by our knowledge of our choices. We are free to choose only when we have an adequate and authentic understanding of the nature and consequences of what we choose. One may accidentally put… Continue reading →

The Illusion of Freedom (Part One)

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Equality and fraternity (the common good) have never enjoyed the same emphasis and evolution as liberty (defined as the right and ability of individuals to do whatever they choose.) Equality and the common good require restraints, justice, fairness, the experience of authentic community, and basic human decency to survive and thrive.  Continue reading →

Translations Matter: Part One

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There are times when translations fail miserably to capture the truth of certain words. The very meaning of those words can become lost in poor, distorted, or wrong translations. In this series, I want to mention several distortions found today in many English translations of the Bible which have had profoundly tragic consequences.  Continue reading →