Tag Archives: Christianity

The Book of Common Prayer

Posted on December 3, 2025 by smellincoffee

The Book of Common Prayer is the heart of the Anglican communion, and for my money contains some of English’s best phrasing outside Shakespeare and the Bible. Since 2011, its liturgy has been part of my life, its phrases embedded … Continue reading →

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American Orthodox

Posted on September 30, 2025 by smellincoffee

A few months back, I happened to hear one of my favorite Orthodox pieces of music, the Paschal Troparion, put to the tune of an Appalachian folk melody. As it happens, I adore folk music: I spend time actively memorizing … Continue reading →

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Crunchy Cons: The Reread

Posted on July 17, 2025 by smellincoffee

Eleven years ago I stumbled onto a book called Crunchy Cons by Rod Dreher. I’d begun moving towards ‘localism’ in my later progressive period (circa 2009 – 2011), and had found unexpected insight in online magazines with some localist-oriented writing … Continue reading →

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Χριστός Ανέστη!

Posted on April 20, 2025 by smellincoffee

Christos anesti to my Christian readers: today is an interesting day because both the Orthodox church and the Roman church (along with its Protestant offspring) are both celebrating Pascha/Easter on the same day. So, here’s the only good thing to … Continue reading →

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My Dear Hemlock

Posted on December 12, 2024 by smellincoffee

During Advent I like to revisit The Screwtape Letters as a devotional exercise, but this year my ladyfriend discovered My Dear Hemlock, a new Screwtape-esque book that focuses on a female “patient”, and follows her from early young adulthood through … Continue reading →

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Living in Wonder

Posted on December 12, 2024 by smellincoffee

“The world is not what you think it is.” Rod Dreher opens Living in Wonder with that line, one that can rattle the reader when it actually begins sinking in throughout the course of this book. I’ve struggled with writing … Continue reading →

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Selections from Living in Wonder

Posted on December 11, 2024 by smellincoffee

Review to follow tomorrow.

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Beauteous Truth

Posted on November 5, 2024 by smellincoffee

I encountered Joseph Pearce over a decade ago via a podcast on literature: he is a man whose life was transformed through literature and the grace he experienced through it. His passion seeking the ‘good, the true, and the beautiful’ … Continue reading →

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The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis

Posted on October 25, 2024 by smellincoffee

Most people encounter C.S. Lewis as a Christian apologist or an author of stories — either the children’s series of Narnia, or his fascinating “space trilogy”, which combined mythology, medieval cosmology, and character drama to good effect. His occupation, though, … Continue reading →

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Against the Machine: a weekend of mysticism and wonder

Posted on October 20, 2024 by smellincoffee

This past weekend I had a rare opportunity to meet not two, but three authors, two of whom I’d read previously and one of whom I consider my favorites. Some months ago Rod Dreher, author of The Little Way of … Continue reading →

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