Author Archives: Christopher Ames

The Difference Between Grooming and Taxidermy

The Difference Between Grooming and Taxidermy

I ran into a situation recently where I was searching high and low for the original wording to Watts’ “Alas! And Did My Savior Bleed” set to the tune MARTYRDOM. I was looking for the tune MARTYRDOM so I wouldn’t have to deal with Ralph Hudson’s degenerate refrain; but I was also looking for text that… Continue Reading

Worshipers Against Pure Worship

Worshipers Against Pure Worship

Now when the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people of the exile were building a temple to the Lord God of Israel, they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them, “Let us build with you, for we, like you, seek your God; and we have been sacrificing… Continue Reading

Standards: A Shortcut for Inept Workmen

Standards: A Shortcut for Inept Workmen

It is seldom profitable, and I don’t recommend it to you as a worthwhile use of your leisure time, but every once in a while, reading folks you’d otherwise never read can reward you. It’s akin to fly fishing in the desert: if you go into it knowing that you’re not going to catch any trout, but… Continue Reading

Worship Implies a Theology

Worship Implies a Theology

We spend a lot of time thinking about how our culture has affected Christian worship, and we often reflect on what sorts of things we need to address in order to even begin to think about leaving a better church for our kids and grandkids. It’s usually not pretty. Over the last decade or so,… Continue Reading

The Invisible Impulse

The Invisible Impulse

One of the impulses among the earliest New Evangelicalism was to make a name for themselves. E. J. Carnell was probably the most explicit: Carnell, a dour and troubled scholar, in 1952 complained to Carl Henry of the “lukewarm reception” given his largely unbought, unread, unreviewed, unnoticed A Philosophy of the Christian Religion. Carnell aspired to… Continue Reading

We Talk Past Each Other

We Talk Past Each Other

If you’ve spent any time reading Religious Affections, whether for personal edification or to exercise your spleen, you’ve probably noticed that not all of the individuals who comment here seem to agree with us. That’s okay: we don’t always agree with each other either. Sometimes we end up disagreeing with ourselves just for fun. The… Continue Reading

Gold from a Nearby Mine

Gold from a Nearby Mine

A few years ago a tallish South African pastor and all-round capital chap wrote a book. It’s free on Kindle, and would be worth every penny if it cost a hundred times as much. [note to self: insert clever comment about “product placement” here] In all seriousness, I read it right away when it came… Continue Reading