An Introduction

Here I am, beginning my second attempt at blogging. I've been reading so many books on theology lately, and I hope that writing on the subject will help clarify my thoughts. I believe that the most important factor in life is our relationship with God, and that means not just communion with Him through prayer and worship, but also trying to figure out what exactly it is that we can really know about Him through scripture; this then leads us, naturally, to theology. While in a sense it's just my "hobby" (I am in fact a musician by profession, which has a great deal to do with how I came to faith in the first place), I consider it far more crucial than anything I will ever do to make money. And something I've discovered is that putting thoughts on paper (or at least a computer screen) can lend them a clarity that they lack when they just remain upstairs.

In other words, this isn't some attempt to enlighten anyone with my "wisdom". I haven't been a Christian long enough to imagine I have any on the subject. And we all know what the bible says about human wisdom anyways. That said, others have told me that, as a lifelong-atheist-turned-committed-Christian, I have a rather unique viewpoint on this subject, and that it might be helpful to others (particularly to those on the fence about faith) to get that narrative out there. So I guess there's that. And hey, two of my favorite authors (C. S. Lewis and Saint Augustine) converted at roughly the same point in their lives (late 20's/early 30's), so I guess that means I'm someday destined to write books that touch millions of lives, right? Yes, that's a reasonable conclusion to draw.

At any rate, anything I write is non-denominational, and doesn't presuppose any fixed doctrine. One thing I've noticed is that I'm finding great writings in a wide variety of places, from a great many Christian traditions - you certainly don't have to believe in Papal infallibility to find a lot of useful wisdom in Catholic writings, both ancient and contemporary. Another point is that I will be using simple, matter-of-fact language to describe issues because I think that's the best way to construct an argument - little is worse than an essay gummed up with a bunch of "I believes" or "in my opinions" - but don't assume that that presupposes certainty or even strong confidence. I admit I'm sure to be treading into oft-times controversial waters on some things, and am well aware that quite a few theological issues remain very unsettled (and am most likely equally unaware of some that for all intents and purposes have been), but that is what it is. Heck, if no one ends up reading this than it won't matter anyways, but just in case, it needs to be said.