Why exactly do we celebrate Advent? For many people, the season exists mainly to mark off the days until Christmas. In 21st century America, this lead-up period is almost as much fun as the holiday itself: buying presents, decorating a tree, eating Christmas cookies, and gathering as families for an...
Hoping Against Hope
By Chris Castaldo The great English journalist and satirist Malcolm Muggeridge, reflecting on forms of despair in the 20th century—particularly among proponents of Stalin in Russia and Western nihilists devoted to materialism and abortion—said modern man has a “suicidal impulse,” a type of self-hatred. This impulse has spawned a bewildering...
When Your World Crumbles
I lost a lot of confidence this year. I lost confidence when my plans for the year were canceled. I lost confidence when a family member passed away due to COVID-19. I lost confidence in our country’s unity. I lost confidence in my college decisions. Others have lost substantially more...
My Encounter with Christopher Hitchens
Hundreds of Christians and atheists were pouring into the ballroom in Dallas, all eager to hear well-known “anti-theist” pundit Christopher Hitchens debate four prominent Christian apologists on the theme, “Does the God of Christianity Exist, and What Difference Does It Make?” I was there to serve as moderator.
Who Are You?
“Who are you?” This question seems simple enough, but the answer is hopelessly entangled with our life experiences. If we happen to be singing on a mountaintop, for example, our self-understanding is backlit by a joyful radiance. But if we’re languishing in a valley, weighed down in lament, dark clouds...