An Unexpected Journal
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Celebrating the Ancients
From before the time of Christ, pagan philosophers and storytellers have been influencing thought and shaping culture. In this issue dedicated to the ancient philosophers that formed the foundation of Western culture, we examine the way Christian thought was influenced by and engaged with those early writers and how the Jewish Messiah fulfilled the best hopes raised by what C.S. Lewis referred to as the "good dreams of the...
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J.R.R. Tolkien was the British author who fired the imagination of a generation with his beloved works: The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.
In this collection of essays, short stories, and poems, we explore the magic of Tolkien's works that defined high fantasy and illustrate the underlying Christian themes that are so essential to the joy his work brings.
Contributors: C.M. Alvarez: "Melchizedek, Bombadil, and the Numinous in The Lord of the...
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G. K. Chesterton seemed to have something to say about almost anything. A cultural critic and writer of the highest degree, he utilized both wit and paradox as he sought to not only to challenge bad philosophy but promote the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. Although best known for classics such as Orthodoxy and The Everlasting Man, Chesterton was also a prolific poet, essayist, and storyteller. This volume is a celebration of Christmas, one of...
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The imago Dei: Man as God's Image Bearers "Let us make man in our image," so begins the relationship between God and his image bearers, beings made in his own image. What does it mean to be God's image bearer? In this issue on the imago Dei, we explore the ways man reflects God's light.
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Donald W. Catchings, Jr.: "Stained-glass Man," a poem on man's own image.
Annie Crawford: "Gender and the Imago Dei: Together We Reflect the Image of...
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What Makes a Superhero?
Superheroes captivate our cultural imagination. From reading comic books in our childhood bedrooms to watching the latest blockbuster on the silver screen, we long to see the champion defeat the villain and ultimately rescue the world from certain destruction. Though the stories may be fantastical, our desires are not. Our hearts are drawn to superheroes because we want someone to triumph over evil and save the world. This...
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Mystery: Detecting Truth in the DarknessA good mystery brings the reader into the mind of the detective: searching for clues, questioning suspects, and coming to conclusions. We like to play along, hoping to crack the case before the ultimate reveal. In a way, it feels like our real lives as we try to piece together the parts of our existence and discover what they mean. That is why mysteries are the perfect playground for the cultural apologist who...
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A Garden of Medieval Minds
The medieval period was a time of greats: great courage, great words, great light, and great darkness. The writers, philosophers, and artists of the time still touch and influence our lives today. This volume celebrates these masterpieces that merged the physical and the spiritual into meaningful, incandescent truth.
Contributors: C.M. Alvarez: "Death, Grief, & Hope in Pearl" on progressing through grief as illustrated...
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What is it about a story that has the power to change a person, through a person a society, and through a society the world?
It is that through story and the faculty of imagination, we connect and engage with something outside of ourselves. We can see through a lens not our own and experience circumstances not ours. This issue explores the role story plays in imaginative apologetics, explaining the Christian truth, through a collection of both essays...
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It is in the deepest darkness that light shines most brightly. For this reason, dystopian stories are often an effective channel to communicate the good news of the Gospel. Our worst failings illustrate the transformation of the Holy Spirit most clearly. We cling most tightly to hope in times of deepest despair.
This collection of essays and first release short stories illustrates the journey dystopian stories take us on, highlighting the problem,...
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Dragons: History, Myths, and Legends
Greedy, wicked, vengeful, powerful. Dragons occupy a powerful position in cultural imaginations across the world and across the years. From C.S. Lewis's boy who almost deserved to be named Eustace Clarence Scrubb to the Hydra of Greek mythology, these creatures Contributors:
"Dragonish Thoughts in Our Hearts: Dragons as Mirrors of the Human": Junius Johnson on Our Internal Tension
"Desolation": Donald Catchings...
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The Power of Imagination
Our imaginations are often treated as relics of our childhood. We are told to grow up and leave that sense of awe and wonder behind. What if these modernistic tendencies were entirely wrong? What if we were meant to live enchanted lives, seeing the world with the joy and amazement?
This collection of essays, stories, and poems is meant to explore the power of the imagination and its unique connection to our human nature.
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Where would a culture be without its heroes and their acts of courage? How can a society survive without strength and hope?
It is in the dark times and in moments of weakness that stories of courage and strength, those which promise hope, have the most value. This issue explores the redemptive power of stories and their ability to impact and transform.