Summer listening: June: @ianharber and 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 July: Emily Harrison of Dear Christian Parent (Substack) on what parents need to know about AI August: Robert S. Smith and 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘎𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴

I've been sitting on this for a bit. I've joined @mereorthodoxy.bsky.social as the Director of Communications and Marketing. I couldn't be more excited. I wrote a little about it. www.backagainwords.com/p/something-...

Something New

New job, new format

backagainwords.com

"If faith only works when we, the people of God, are immune to the cruelties of the world, then the house of belief will crumble and fall." Read Jen Pollock Michel from CT's review of 'Walking Through Deconstruction' by @ianharber.bsky.social: www.christianitytoday.com/2025/03/ian-...

Faith Torn Down to the Studs - Christianity Today

A deconstruction survivor seeks ways to repair faltering houses of belief.

christianitytoday.com

The subtitle of @ianharber.bsky.social’s 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 is 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘣𝘦 𝘢 𝘊𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩. Here he explains what such companions can expect:

“Suffering must be integral to our picture of discipleship. Alongside learning Scripture and doctrine, Christians should be prepared for trials. As a teacher of mine once said, ‘We do theology in the light so we can stand on it in the dark.’” @ianharber.bsky.social, 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯

Completed Part 1 of @ianharber.bsky.social’s 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Very good. Recommended it just yesterday to someone who told me their longtime friend recently announced that they no longer believe and they want to talk about it.

The valorizing of doubt is the theme of the morning. Read in @ianharber.bsky.social’s 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 in which he writes: “One of the first things you will find in deconstruction circles is the valorization of doubt.” (1/2)

“It’s only possible for someone to doubt one belief if they are weighing it against another belief that they aren’t doubting. Many doubts are born out of an implicit acceptance of another belief that hasn’t been recognized yet.” @ianharber.bsky.social

Tim Challies reviews @ianharber.bsky.social’s new book, 𝘞𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘛𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘋𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. www.challies.com/book-reviews...

Walking Through Deconstruction

I suppose by now we all know a least a few people who have begun the process of deconstructing their faith. Meanwhile, we have undoubtedly heard of many more who are doing so in a public way—celebr…

challies.com

“Apologetics can be a good thing. We need to be able to speak intelligently about our faith. But apologetics w/o love, without character, without personal integrity, without a gracious & compassionate heart is nothing more than a clanging cymbal.” @ianharber.bsky.social 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

Grateful to @ianharber.bsky.social for this!

“Do whatever you want as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone” is a hollow and dehumanizing way of life compared to “Love your neighbor as yourself” Aim higher.

Much of the peace we look for is found in accepting that the life you have is the life God has given you, and God has not made a mistake or forgotten about you.

“What I am to make my child I must first be myself.” — Andrew Murray

We need habits that help us bear life so we have the capacity to love. I wrote about a few of the habits I've implemented that help me do that. www.backagainwords.com/p/5-habits-t...

5 Habits That Changed My Life

Please forgive the clickbait title. I don't know what else to call this.

backagainwords.com

One thing that blows my mind when I think about it is how CS Lewis covers the 7 virtues in Mere Christianity—you know, one of the most widely read Christian books ever—and yet Protestants just… don’t talk about them.

Tell me what you believe about the Christ in “No creed but Christ!” and then I have a surprise for you.

“It will be weird when the exvangelicals who left the church for the culture in the name of justice are left by the culture for the church in the name of righteousness.” @ianharber.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/ianharbe...

Bibles, Books, and Brain Rot

On the vibe shift and the progressive squeeze

open.substack.com

“In him you also…” - Ephesians 1:13 The gospel is in the grammar.

The next stop after the liturgical recovery is the virtue recovery.

Three stories caught my attention over the past week. www.backagainwords.com/p/bibles-boo...

Bibles, Books, and Brain Rot

On the vibe shift and the progressive squeeze

backagainwords.com

Announcing the winners of this year’s Christianity Today Book Awards! Congratulations to our Book of The Year: “What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church” by @gavinortlund.bsky.social Zondervan. Read more: bit.ly/3ZDOuQ8

Today is Giving Tuesday. Mere Orthodoxy exists to create media for Christian renewal. We hope to grow and expand in our capacity to accomplish that mission. If you have been blessed by the ministry of Mere Orthodoxy and would like to see us grow, consider supporting us today.

Walking Through Deconstruction has broken into the top 100 of Adult Christian Ministry books. Still a month and a half to go until release.

This is so so good. mereorthodoxy.com/constructing...

Constructing Toward Catholicity

I've known many people who left one evangelical church and found another, or who simply leave altogether. I have known few who leave and find catholicity.

mereorthodoxy.com

Instead of Christmas presents, my wife and I bought a home espresso machine and now I'm debating coming out of barista retirement and opening up a coffee shop in my home

Jake Etheridge@handle.invalid · 2y ago

Everyone needs a friend who makes them an americano on tough days @ianharber.bsky.social

Not sure how to say this but Dinx the Puppet is a pretty good apologist it's just kind of off-putting that he's a puppet.

Good advice from Blaise Pascal: “Let them at least learn what is the religion they attack, before attacking it.”

I loved this conversation so much.

Amanda Held Opelt@amandaheldopelt.bsky.social · 2y ago

The Holy Unhappiness Podcast is back for Advent & I’m so thankful for this conversation about HOPE in the midst of doubt & deconstruction with @ianharber.bsky.social - listen now wherever you get your podcasts! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/h...

Do you see the vibe shift yet?