Sowing chaos for no good reason

My most recent column has been published at Christian Courier's website: Trump is sowing chaos for no good reason. An excerpt:

Minneapolis holds a special place in my heart because, as a young man, I attended a Christian university in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. I grew to love the area’s numerous lakes, Minnehaha Falls, the many Lutheran churches, the Dinkytown neighbourhood near the University and the many friendly, hospitable people who lived there. There is even a suburb in Saint Paul called Little Canada, testifying to the presence of early French Canadian settlers. While the severe climate was definitely a trial, at the time I thought it was a place where I might eventually make a home.

Read the entire article here.

The death of the parish

A friend recently informed me that the daily First Things newsletter for 27 January 2026 contains a reference to an article I wrote for the periodical in 2014: The Death of the Parish. Here's an excerpt:

The territorial parish cannot easily withstand this new ecclesiology. Near universal automobile ownership has made Christians of virtually every tradition into consumers of perceived spiritual goods. It is de rigueur these days to claim to be “spiritual but not religious,” because religion implies binding obligation within a larger authoritative community, while spirituality leaves the individual in control and need not entail a transformed life and redirected affections. Everyone becomes a seeker and churches are compelled to attract potential members by whatever means necessary. Why? Because no one has to show up, after all. They can easily drive past the nearest church building and find another congregation that better meets their subjective needs. Or they can simply stay home and sleep late. The net effect is that the institutional church has no more authority than its members are willing to grant it. In other words, it is one more voluntary association not essentially different from the local birdwatching society.

Last year it looked as though FT had removed virtually everything I had written for them when they revamped their website, but it seems that at least some of these posts have been restored. I am grateful for this, despite my having cancelled my decades-long subscription for reasons indicated here: FT's evolution: 'populism' overtakes 'highbrow'. The article is also posted on my blog.

¿Puede el NACIONALISMO CRISTIANO considerarse bíblico?

Several weeks ago I was interviewed by Jairo Mendoza for the Spanish-language Cápsulas de Teología podcast. The subject matter: Can Christian nationalism be considered biblical? The interview has now been posted and is embedded below.

I cannot help but comment on the AI-generated version of yours truly in the cover image. There is a superficial resemblance, but that's as far as it goes.

Recent activities for January 2026

My Global Scholars Canada newsletter for January 2026 is now posted for your perusal. Included this month are a reflection on mentoring young people, thoughts on an unpleasant anniversary, three podcast interviews, a brief visit to Toronto, and how seeking security can go wrong. Thank you, as always, for your support for my work!

Justice for Ukraine

My latest in Christian Courier: Justice for Ukraine may rely on Canada and Europe. An excerpt:

Next month marks four years since Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine began. In undertaking this military operation, Russia has arguably stretched itself dangerously thin. It has been unable to defeat Kyiv outright and is now playing a waiting game. There are no victors in a war of attrition. Who will hold out the longest? Kyiv or Moscow? Who will get exhausted first and throw in the towel?

Read the entire article here. 

Schuman Talks, episode 60

“Being a Christian does not make you immune to the temptations of political ideologies.” Five years ago Jeff Fountain interviewed me on an episode of Schuman Talks. We had another conversation last week on the subject of my three books. Listen below:

How seeking security can backfire

Christian Courier has just published my latest: What Trump’s actions in Venezuela mean for Canada. An excerpt:

In this second quarter of the twenty-first century, the United States seems bent on repeating the mistakes of the past, unilaterally seeking a type of security that can only alienate friends and enemies alike, thereby paradoxically making the country less secure than before. One hopes that saner heads will eventually prevail and that decades of efforts to build solid international ties, especially among Western nations, will not be quickly undone.

Read the entire article here. 

January 6 plus 5

Five years ago today many of us watched in disbelief as a mob of protesters stormed the Capitol building in Washington, DC, egged on by a President who refused to admit that he had lost the previous November's election. During his four years in the presidency Donald Trump had deliberately sown division in the American public, putting family members in important positions, and using his high office to advance his personal brand. But in his first term, he was surrounded by officials, such as Vice President Mike Pence, whose principal job seemed to be damage control, that is, to put the brakes on Trump's more outrageous behaviour. Following the events of 6 January 2021, the House of Representatives moved quickly to impeach the President for the second time. However, the following month the Senate decided to acquit him of the charge of inciting an insurrection.

Mentoring young people: a moving tribute

If one feature of my ongoing ministry can be said to give me the most joy, it is mentoring young people. I've been doing this in some fashion for nearly four decades—formally in the classroom, and informally in my semi-retirement. When I retired nearly nine years ago, I never expected mentoring to continue and thought I was leaving it behind for good. But over that time, especially since affiliating with Global Scholars Canada in 2019, God has put in my path several young people whom I have had the pleasure of getting to know and love. These have come about mostly by accident, although some have sought me out and others I have sought out, especially those with a previous connection through parents or grandparents.