Confessional Archives - Justin Ariel Bailey

Articles & Essays Confessional Short Articles

In gratitude for Tim Keller (1950-2023)

From Christianity Today: https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2023/may/tim-keller-dead-redeemer-new-york-pastor-cancer.html Tim Keller passed away on Friday, May 19, 2023. I cried when I learned about it. This is my tribute, in gratitude for his ministry. I first heard about Tim Keller about 20 years ago, during my first year in seminary.…

Justin BaileyMay 20, 2023

Confessional

Twenty Twenty Two: Year-end review & reflections

And just like that we come to the end of another calendar year. Here are some snapshots, highlights, and reflections from the year of teaching, scholarship, ministry, and family life. Teaching at Dordt I taught five courses this year: Biblical Foundations, Aesthetics, Ethics, Leadership &…

Justin BaileyDecember 16, 2022

Confessional

Twenty Twenty One: Year-end reflections

I've decided to try to take the last two weeks of the year off from my to do lists – and hopefully away from the Internet as much as possible – so I'm writing my year end reflections a bit early. Here are some snapshots,…

Justin BaileyDecember 17, 2021

Books Confessional

“Maybe It’s Enough”: Reimagining Apologetics Turns One

I finally got to see Reimagining Apologetics at the American Academy of Religion conference! I had planned to write this two months ago, when Reimagining Apologetics turned a year old (e.g., one year after its release date). I felt that inner call to write, along…

Justin BaileyDecember 2, 2021

Confessional Lists

Reflections on Turning 40: 10 (More) Important Things I’ve Learned

I turned 40 today. Life has been too frenetic for me to give this milestone the reflection it deserves. But I did set aside one afternoon to give turning 40 some concentrated attention. When I turned 30, I wrote a series of posts on the…

Justin BaileyApril 15, 2021

Articles & Essays Confessional Short Articles

“Jesus Saves”: Fragments on the Storming of the Capitol

The last few days I had scheduled large blocks of time for a major writing project. But I can't seem to write. Instead I find myself glued to the news. I normally do my best to moderate the amount of news I read: an email…

Justin BaileyJanuary 8, 2021

Confessional

Twenty Twenty: Year-end reflections

I looked over my post at the end of last year and had to laugh at all the places I thought I would be going in 2020. We live a quiet life in Iowa, and so it is nice to balance routine with a change…

Justin BaileyDecember 29, 2020

Confessional In All Things Short Articles

When Words Are Weapons: Inside a Crisis of Faith

Lately, I’ve been having a crisis of faith. But I am not doubting the presence or goodness of God—what I am doubting is the power and goodness of words. Let me explain: my work is words. Every day I wake up to pore over, prepare,…

Justin BaileySeptember 22, 2020

Confessional

When Words Fail: A Writer’s Confession

Writers write. Teachers teach. Preachers preach. The vocations are distinct, to be sure. Writers seek to say something authentic and true, to "speak what we feel, not what we ought to say." Teachers hope to meet students where they are, leading them along step-by step.…

Justin BaileyJune 1, 2020

Confessional Costly Hope

Crisis, Cliché, and Costly Hope

What makes a cliché a cliché? Is it the sheer fact of overuse, like a pop hit that has been overplayed? Or is it the brevity, boiling down complexity to fit on a bumper sticker? Or is it the sugary comfort that dissolves like cotton…

Justin BaileyMay 4, 2020