The US Occupation of Iraq (2003-2026)

After twenty-three years, the final US troops are being removed from Iraq - a full thirty-five years after The Gulf War, a decade of genocidal sanctions and bombing, the full invasion of 2003, years of civil war and spin-off wars (including the ISIS period) and now the US-Israel war with neighbouring Iran.

Thaçi, Mladic, and Memories of Yugoslavia

Recent news has rekindled memories of the Yugoslav Wars of the 1990's. First, Ratko Mladic died on 27 August. Mladic, Slobodan Milosevic, and Radovan Karadžic are the the most famous Serbian figures associated with the Bosnian War. The Republika Srpska was a Serbian autonomous region within Bosnia - which in turn was a component of the larger Yugoslavia which had already started to break up in 1991 with the departure of both Slovenia and Croatia. In 1992, Bosnian independence led to a conflict with its Serbian population over territorial claims. The Republika Srpska was backed by Belgrade and its Serb-led government.  

Triablogue's Take on Child Rearing

On more than one occasion I've had people recommend Triablogue to me as a sterling Reformed website. I've explored it on numerous occasions and never really found much that interested me or that I agreed with. It seems like it's mostly Baptistic-leaning material and thus contains a lot of minimalist rationalist-driven theology alongside a good deal of dubious historical commentary. I've always felt like there was something a bit off about the site. 

Ignatius of Antioch

Ignatius of Antioch (d.108) is counted among the Apostolic Fathers, those who had direct connection to the Apostles or were taught second-hand by someone connected to them. In other words they represent the earliest testimonies of Christian leaders in the period just after the New Testament was completed (around the year 95). 

Ignatius was the Bishop of Antioch, the city where the disciples were first called 'Christians' (Acts 11:26).

Western Evangelicals Provide Putin Justification for Persecution in Russia

https://www.christiandaily.com/news/evangelical-leaders-join-kyiv-prayer-breakfast-call-on-world-not-to-grow-weary-of-ukraine-s-war

Putin is afraid of a fifth column at work within his country. He knows the West has been scheming to remove him from power. He also is attempting to forge a Russian unity or monolith - or what I would call a sacral state. But even this is nuanced as Russia has no issues with its Tatar population or those of Central Asian heritage who are Muslim. They may live as something akin to second-class citizens (in some cases) but they are not persecuted on the basis of religion. There are even indigenous Buddhists in Russia - such as the Kalmyks who have their own autonomous republic. This too is not a problem for the Kremlin.

Finney, the Burned-Over District, and a Day in Northeast Ohio

I was in Oberlin, Ohio recently. Every once in a blue moon, we take a trip over to Cleveland, and I've been meaning to do the little side-trip over to Oberlin for years. I'm not fan of Charles Finney but (like him or not) his influence on American Church history has been nothing less than profound.

Ukraine, Iran, and the State of the World

The instability of the world order is starting to snowball. It's overwhelming and frankly it's hard to keep up. I cannot remember a time like this where a combination of factors are coming together to create a situation in which the world seems precarious, and precedent provides little guidance.