Cross-cultural or intercultural?
Okay, okay, so this post probably needs a ginormous, flashing red Pedant Alert. But c’mon — terminology matters, right? I mean, just a little bit, you know? A smidgen?
Piped-in passion (John Piper in Australia)
Some of my mates are pumped! John Piper is much loved in Australia for his exalted preaching and heartfelt piety. He’s a publishing machine and is ubiquitous online. More than 3200 people are seeing John Piper speak tonight in Brisbane. Then, this weekend, others are heading to Sydney to hear Piper at […]
This census, stop the over-representation of Christianity
On the eve of the 2011 Australian national census, we religious types are interested in the proper recognition of our communities. Some Muslims are talking about about the under-representation of their communities. However, Christians like me are concerned about being over-represented.
Can New Calvinism go international?
New Calvinism is a phenomenon in American Christianity. Now its proponents want to take it offshore, claiming inroads in the UK, Australia and South Africa. Can it become a truly international movement, a movement that is cross-cultural and culture-portable?
Eternity magazine is great
I recently wrote to Australia’s Eternity magazine to let them know I’m excited about what they’re doing. The latest editorial mentions the complexity of Christian life in Australia, but I reckon Eternity is handling it superbly, covering a breadth of issues with both levity and seriousness, yet always with a persistently […]
The greatest story ever told, as Banjo Paterson might have told it
Will Mackerras is a storyteller and poet — the Ridley poet-in-residence, really! In 2010, his love of Australian bush poetry led him to recast a series of Bible stories in a traditional Aussie form. The results are brilliant. Some pieces are thoroughly chuckle-inducing, like The Man From Ironbark, while the sustained […]
Offspring and brokenness
At a superficial level, the comedy-drama Offspring is like an Australian mash-up of Grey’s Anatomy and Brothers And Sisters, combining frame narrative voiceovers and tumultuous family relationships. Plus, as a bloke, I can actually relate to its characters! It’s also cleverer and funnier than its more conventional Australian counterpart, Packed To The […]
Meet Jesus at uni 