Christian Piatt's Blog, page 67

More on the Beautiful Stupidity of Writing (Part 2)

Yesterday I wrote the first article in this series of posts on why it is that I write. Today I’ll jump ahead to the so-called more “successful” period of my writing work. I got my first book deal back in 2006, and it came, like everything else, by way of a rejection. I had this [...]

The Beautiful Stupidity of Writing (Part 1)

I’ve been asked how I knew I was called to be a writer. For me, calling if fairly easy to recognize. If the thought of doing something fills you with equal parts joy and terror, it’s probably a calling. There’s more to it than that, I suppose, since the idea of buying a new Tesla [...]

Cold Specks: Soundtrack for the Week

My friend, Amy Sheppard, turned me on to this band today and I bought it immediately after hearing the music in this video. The band is called “Cold Specks,” and the song is “Winter Solstice.” I dare you not to dig it.  

Church Sign Epic Fails, “Force-Fed Faith” Edition

You can either eat it or wear it. Your choice…   Church Sign Epic Fails, Hangover Edition Church Sign Epic Fails, “Chocolate Chip Christ” Edition Church Sign Epic Fails, Vol. (x = 40-3) Church Sign Epic Fails, Vol. 36 Church Sign Epic Fails, Vol. XXXV Church Sign Epic Fails, Birthday Edition Church Sign Epic Fails, [...]

Homebrewed CultureCast with Donald Miller

Christian Piatt and Jordan Green sat down around a mic with author Donald Miller, best known for his faith memoir, Blue Like Jazz. They talk about why Miller voted twice for Barack Obama, even though he’s a Paul Ryan fan (wha?!), how the movie studio Pixar saved Apple and why narrative is the lifeblood of [...]

Longing for the Unreachable God

I’ve wrestled for years with a Christian faith that focuses on personal salvation, on many levels, some of which I’m still excavating. First, the emphasis on individual salvation always seemed ironically selfish for a faith that seemed otherwise to be about putting yourself second to others. I also struggled with the idea that Christianity is [...]

Church Sign Epic Fails, Video Debut!

I’ve been invited by Sogo Media to contribute a weekly video offering to their new video channel. Step to the curb, Talk Soup and Tosh.O, because there’s a new smartass in town… Church Sign Epic Fails, “Keep It Real” Edition

Why Blood Atonement Theology Weakens God

I wrote a piece about communion recently, called “What Does Communion Mean Without Atonement?” which has gotten a lot of attention, both good and critical. That doesn’t surprise me, of course, but it’s such a core element of the Christian faith that I felt it was worth revisiting in some more depth. So below are [...]

Why Powerful Men Get In Trouble (And Why We Care)

First, we had CIA Director David Petraeus being held over the fire for a possible affair with his biographer, Paula Broadwell. Then General John Allen, the top-ranking NATO Commander in Afghanistan, drawn into the drama as allegations of indiscretions of his own with Jill Kelly (the credibility and severity of which remains to be determined), [...]

What Does Communion Mean Without Atonement?

I am part of a small denomination called the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), and I always have to explain that, yes, the parentheses are actually part of the denominational name. Long story. Just trust me on this. Our denomination is known for being very non-credal, which basically means we don’t tell churches what to [...]