There is no doubt that music is a major part of society, both present and past. Music uniquely expresses feelings, opinions, and experiences. Musical expression has evolved over time to include a wide range of genres and changing styles that rise and fall with popularity. The church is no exception: hymns have been sung as …
Category Archives: Bell Tower, Volume 1, Issue 1
Surface of the Deep
JAEL STILWELL Surface of the Deep explores how God brought forth light on the first day of creation, “[T]he earth was a formless void and darkness covered the face of the deep, while a wind from God swept over the face of the waters. Then God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.”1 …
Dusty Road
JAEL STILWELL Dusty Road explores the life of the disciples as they followed Jesus so closely that their feet became dusty in his footsteps. Living as Christ’s disciples, we are continually called to walk through life in the footsteps of our Lord, “[W]hoever says, ‘I abide in him,’ ought to walk just as he walked.”1 …
Dimensions of Divine Simplicity
St. Thomas Aquinas’ doctrine of divine simplicity has been a cause of substantial debate among philosophers. While some uphold it as a central, pivotal doctrine within a robust understanding of God, others consider it logically incoherent or necessarily generative of other undesirable theological outcomes. I argue that this doctrine is logically coherent and legitimate in …
Modeled After Christ
Broadly speaking, economics is the study of the choices that human beings make in the face of scarcity and the factors that contribute to that decision-making process. However, each human is a complex and unique being who deals with different constraints and preferences when making decisions about how to use scarce resources. Since the Industrial …
Miracle of the Mind: The Transformative Power of Neuroscience and Faith
With the growth of naturalistic thought, the apparent dichotomy between Christianity and empirical sciences is rapidly growing. However, the empirical sciences and faith are not truly at odds. Specifically, a deeper examination of the field of neuroscience reveals an astounding harmony between the two. Faith and neuroscience complement one another, as having an active faith …
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Sanctuary
Inspired by “Sanctuary” from H2 Dance Co.’s Fall Concert: Chapel(choreography by Lindsey Hanson) Sanctuary — this word has wriggled its way onto wooden pewsthrough a tunnel of languagesand centuries.Sanctuaire, sanctuarium, sanctus — holy.A set apart place where Medieval fugitives were safe fromarrest,because sanctuary is not where you find grace;it is where grace finds you.Grace,dancing in …
Platonic Imagery in C.S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair
In C.S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair,1 Lewis relies heavily on the themes and imagery found in Plato’s works, most notably in the “Analogy of the Cave,”2 to show his characters’ development from ignorance to knowledge. Throughout the book, he creates his own version of the Cave by portraying different levels in his world. As his …
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The Role of a Christian in Today’s Political Climate
We live in an increasingly secular world. According to the Pew Research Center, in 2021, 63% of Americans identified as Christian, down 12 percentage points over the span of a decade.1 In contrast, 29% claim to be religiously unaffiliated, a trend which is becoming especially common among younger generations. The year 2019 saw the largest …
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Science and Miracles: The Aspects of Surrender and Faith in Miraculous Events
The notion of miracles is undeniably a part of the Christian faith. Specifically, miraculous and scientifically unexplainable events are frequently depicted throughout the Bible. Such accounts display connections to contemporary miracles as well as unignorable revelations of the relationship between God and humanity.1 However, the presence and importance of miracles has been overshadowed by the …
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