Articles By: J.F. Arnold

James is currently working towards his MA in Philosophy of Religion at Talbot School of Theology. He holds a BA in Biblical Studies from Biola University, and is a graduate and perpetual member of the Torrey Honors Institute. James blogs on a number of subjects, including technology, theology, and hip-hop. He is also an editor for Mere Orthodoxy. You can keep up with him on Twitter (@jamesfarnold).

“Yeezus” and Pushing Boundaries

If you’re a hip-hop fan like I am, you’ve already listened to and absorbed Kanye West’s latest album, Yeezus. If you’re not a fan of the genre, I really doubt this album will convince you. Perhaps some of Kanye’s older works would have a better shot (808s and Heartbreak...
June 19th, 2013 | Music | Read More

Man of Steel: Morality Gone Wrong

If you haven’t seen Man of Steel yet, and you don’t want certain things about the film to be revealed to you, you should walk away now. In other words: Spoiler Alert. There’s a lot to be said about Man of Steel, whether we’re judging Snyder’s directorial imprint on the...
June 17th, 2013 | Film, Moral Philosophy | Read More

The Gay Marriage Round-Up: Thoughts from Around the Web

Same-sex marriage has been a major topic of discussion across the web, especially in evangelical circles. I thought it might be helpful to give our readers a round-up of some of the best and most interesting stuff around the web. A flurry of posts immediately followed The Atlantic‘s story “The...
June 5th, 2013 | Conservative/Liberal, Ethics, Family Issues, Religion | Read More

Against Christian Music (or “Destroying the Soul One Chord at a Time”)

Yesterday, Mackenzie attempted to defend “Christian Music.” For what it is worth, I’ve listened to a lot of the bands he mentioned. I grew up with each of them, in fact, save the O.C. Supertones. I’m not even here to tell you that he’s entirely wrong. Those artists will...
May 24th, 2013 | Culture, Music, Religion | Read More

Are Dolphins Persons?

India has banned holding dolphins captive for entertainment purposes. The act doesn’t concern me, at this point; I’m unsure how to tease out our relationship with creation, especially in terms of captivity or the ‘taming’ of animals. Christians may be able to encourage captivity...
May 22nd, 2013 | Bioethics, Ethics, Philosophy | Read More

Body Modification and Ethics: A Helpful Framework

If you aren’t reading Mere-O Notes, you really ought to be. Perhaps it is presumptuous to use an ‘ought’ so early in a discussion of ethics, but so be it. Really, go check it out. It is some of the best content curating on the web from an evangelical perspective. How do we evaluate...
May 17th, 2013 | Ethics | Read More

Of Games and God: An Interview with Kevin Schut

What follows is an interview with Kevin Schut. He’s a delightful fellow, and he happens to have written a book about video games. It’s called Of Games and God, and you should probably read it. There’s a lot to digest in the book, and the interview below is no different. Enjoy. Much...
May 10th, 2013 | Book Reviews, Gaming | Read More

“Of Games and God”: A Review

Note: Tomorrow, we’ll be posting an interview with the author of Of Games and God, Kevin Schut. Don’t miss it. In the meantime, here’s the review. It’s no secret around here that I’m a fan of playing video games. I heard there was a book out there that was attempting to...
May 9th, 2013 | Book Reviews, Gaming | Read More

Narratives in Video Games: Why The Stanley Parable Stands Out

Next week, I’ll be reviewing Of Games and God by Kevin Schut. It’s a good book, at least so far, and I’ll also be posting an interview with Mr. Schut himself. On that note, I’ve got video games on the brain. His work has got me thinking about a number of topics, most of which...
May 3rd, 2013 | Gaming | Read More

He Is Risen!

He is risen indeed! Jesus spent three days in the grave, and today He is risen. He is risen indeed! The resurrection gives us hope, even in light of death. Jesus died and rose again, and after we die we will rise again with him. This is a great hope for anyone who lives in the face of death, be that...
March 31st, 2013 | Holidays | Read More