A New Pen for 2010

Posted by Ryft

Feb 1

As had been mentioned, The Aristophrenium came under new management in late 2009. The original intent of this blog, although definitely unique in the blogosphere, was failing to be realized in the final analysis due to competing priorities of, and different demands placed upon, the authors of that original intent. At the same time that David Smart was seeking new partners for this enterprise, Mathew Hamilton wrote him an email to ask how he felt about launching a collaborative blog involving the two of them and one other writer, Duane Proud. Since a collaborative blog was the founding intent of The Aristophrenium and since David was already seeking new partners, it was decided between the three of them that it would make the most sense logistically and economically to restructure and launch this existing site as a team blog of Christian writers.

Under this new pen for 2010, we would like to introduce the founding members of this brand new launch and the basic themes and interests that will be explored and discussed here at The Aristophrenium.

Mathew Hamilton

mathew-hamilton Having been a firm agnostic all my life it wasn’t until young adulthood that I seriously began searching for answers in a world that I found inherently puzzling and conflicted. I tried expressing and finding meaning of this search by writing poetry, cathartically scribbling away in an old school diary – but this was largely an inward-looking, self-glorifying and egoistic practice that quickly got me nowhere. Fresh at University—the hotbed environment most unlikely to foster any investigation of Christianity—I eventually professed a faith in Christ, having been baptised (to the wonderful but dreadfully sung hymn, O Happy Day!) in a small, local parish of the Presbyterian Church of Australia. Since then, I have developed a keen interest in Christian ethics and in social values issues.

As the Bible reveals God to be a rational God, it is on that supposition that I believe the universe operates in a rational manner and that moral actions have rational, real-world consequences. We can therefore employ the scientific method to determine, for instance, the benefits of traditional, heterosexual marriage and also demonstrate why same-sex marriage will be a destructive pursuit for society—without resorting to Biblical arguments. We can do likewise with the life and death issues of abortion, euthanasia and stem cell research. Matters of free speech and of religious freedom in the political landscape also feature on my radar.

I believe there is a lot at stake riding on these values issues and others like them; admittedly, I once held lukewarm views on these matters. However, as I developed into a more mature thinker of Christianity and of its distinct worldview, I gradually became otherwise convicted. It’s my intent to share those convictions here. Hence, as an unashamed conservative and evangelical Christian, I am making it my business to critique society’s “progressive” mind, exposing and expounding on its flaws and weaknesses in order to equip others so they too can join the fight with an informed opinion. Here, at The Aristophrenium, you will find me to be unabashedly pro-life, pro-family, pro-Bible and—occasionally and intentionally—provocative.

Duane Proud

duane-proud Born and raised in Sydney, Australia (where I still reside); the eldest of three sons in a non-Christian household; I put my trust in Jesus seven years ago after attending a six-week pre-marriage course run by the church in the lead up to my wedding day, during which time I asked many questions and reflected regularly on the truth claims of Christianity. And although this might sound like the behaviour of an interested skeptic, strangely enough I cannot recall a single moment during the entire process that I resisted the information being provided. It was as if I began the experience wanting and expecting salvation. My conversion was very much the opposite of C.S. Lewis, at age 27, perhaps that day the most willing convert in all of Australia.

Soon after becoming a Christian I was alerted to the stark differences in the truth claims of Christianity and an evolutionary worldview, which I admit I had very little knowledge of or interest in until I became a Christian. In fact I probably would have considered myself a Theistic Evolutionist at the time if I knew what that even meant. However I quickly became convinced, much like Charles Spurgeon, that such a position was untenable, "If God’s Word be true, evolution is a lie." Since then my interest in the subject has increased exponentially, with the great majority of literature I read being devoted to increasing my knowledge of the claims made by each of the proponents and the evidence used in support, so that I can engage intelligently with like-minded others on the subject. The broadest phrase I can think of that sums up what I read, think and write about most is the scientific, philosophical and theological implications of the Creation/Evolution debate.

I would consider myself a Creationist in the “fundy” sense of the word; young earth and universe on the order of thousands of years, creation event in six ordinary days—all that kind of stuff. Even among Christians, these days that’s considered fairly unnecessary conservative theology and virtually dismissed a priori as a starting point for doing any kind of science (and for that matter, theology). I hope to correct this perception. At the other end of the scale my reasons for rejecting evolution (that is, Neo-Darwinism) are theological, philosophical and scientific. I am unable to develop these reasons within the scope of this inaugural post, so watch this space.

David Smart

ryft-braeloch I am a developing Christian personally, a skilled craftsman professionally, and skeptical philosopher intellectually. Hailing from beautiful British Columbia, Canada, I’m an avid blogger and aspiring writer who is endlessly fascinated with discovering and communicating the reality and meaning of our human experience. My goal is to become a published author, but for now I am still searching for my thesis (for I want to avoid beating dead horses). Until that day, I continue to blog in order to refine my writing, and continue to debate in order to refine my arguments.

My principle areas of interest and study, in which I invest the majority of my study and writing, are philosophy, apologetics, and theology (in that order). Prior to my conversion I was often defeated terribly in philosophical arguments, which led to a wholesale reconstruction of my world view with an emphasis on rational integrity, internally and externally. Consequently, I now have a keen interest in critical thinking, which governs all my pursuits. In philosophy I am interested in metaphysics, epistemology, and ethics. In apologetics I am interested in defending the superiority of the Christian faith. In theology I am interested in defending the biblical faithfulness of the Doctrines of Grace.

At this blog—and anywhere else, really—I write on philosophical issues as a student of revelational epistemology; although my language and presentations are typically contemporary, the views I defend are all based foundationally on and appeal to the revealed Word of God. When it comes to apologetics, I write as a student of presuppositionalism; although most people judge arguments based on certain criteria, I am a critical skeptic of those criteria themselves. And on theological issues, I write as a student of the Protestant Reformation; when it comes to exploring and evaluating issues of the Christian faith, I stand firmly on the ‘five solas’ of the great Reformers.

And so, welcome to The Aristophrenium

As indicated by the above introductions, our backgrounds are as varied as are our interests. But it is our passions that drew us together here at The Aristophrenium, our love for the Lord Jesus Christ and our passion for the Christian faith, in addition to our individual interests mentioned above.

We hope and pray that the topics the three of us bring to this blog will reflect the intensity of the thoughtful introspection with which we approach them in our own lives. We are enthusiastic to share with you our convictions in an open and honest forum—and we most certainly welcome you, the reader, to share in this journey, encouraging you to interact with and to challenge us.