There's a lot that's strange about the story of the visit of the Magi. Not least of these for skeptical Christians is that it's a story in which astrology works: The Magi trusted a portent in the skies of a royal baby in Judea and their faith in their craft was rewarded — even if … Continue reading Lord of the Starfields
Today, Christians celebrate the great feast of Epiphany — the celebration of God's light shining into the world in the life of Jesus. In Western practice, the feast commemorates the visitation of the Magi — the Greek word generally referred to Zoroastrian priests versed in astrology — to the child Jesus. I can't help but … Continue reading A Feast of Confounded Expectations
I recently read a beautiful novel called The Lovely War. On the surface it's a fairly typical story about the strength of love amid the ravages of war. What sets it apart from similar stories is that the chapters are narrated from the varying perspectives of different Greek gods: Aphrodite (Love), Ares (War), Apollo (Creativity … Continue reading Archetypes
2019 was a banner year for my reading life. Not only did I read the most books I've read in a year, but also read more diversely than ever, both in terms of author demographics and genre. While this wasn't a 'goal' for my year as such, it was gratifying to see that, without even … Continue reading Top 11 Reads of 2019
Highlighting the most popular posts of the year, as well as some of the year's overarching themes.
Matthew Root 