-
A Short Essay on Video Games and Violence Do video games cause violence and aggressive behavior? Is the answer truly cut-and-dry—a simple yes or no? Or are there social, psychological, cultural, and even religious factors that shape whether video game players are more prone to violent behavior than those who do not play them? This
-
The Character of Magus in Chrono Trigger The character known as “Magus” takes a central role in the plot of Chrono Trigger. Does the character named Magus employ some of the traits of the magus in the ancient world? First, we need to examine the character and traits of Magus in Chrono Trigger. Magus is
-
I Am Setsuna is a fascinating turn-based role-playing game (RPG) that any fan of the genre should play. The story is set in a world that is perpetually covered in snow. I was first intrigued by the game because the director stated that the battle system was inspired by Chrono Trigger. Any player familiar with
-
The Second Message of Islam reflects the thought of the Sudanese reformer and scholar Maḥmūd Muḥammad Ṭāhā. Ṭāhā was executed by the former president of Sudan, Jaʿfar Numayrī, on January 18, 1985. The book opens with an introduction by the translator, ʿAbdullāh Aḥmad An-Naʿīm, a prominent scholar of Islamic law and human rights. In the
-
Chrono Cross is my favorite video game, and it is widely considered a classic among fans of turn-based role-playing games (RPGs). However, I was unable to play Radical Dreamers as a child. Radical Dreamers is a text-based adventure game released in 1996 (Radical Dreamers: Nusumenai Hōseki, n.d.). The game served as an inspiration for Chrono
-
Mike Thomson is a reporter and presenter for radio and television news who has reported from conflict zones in the past. His book, Syria’s Secret Library: Reading and Redemption in a Town Under Siege, is well written and serves as a very readable introduction for anyone beginning to study the Syrian civil war. Thomson explains
-
The Lynx has intrigued me for a long time. It most likely started in my childhood. My favorite video game, Chrono Cross, featured an anthropomorphic character named “Lynx”. Lynx was a powerful, albeit misunderstood figure from that video game. I learned later in my adult life that various people groups across different geographic areas venerated
-
Brent Walters (RIP) was a professor of comparative religion at my alma mater, San José State University. He was known for amassing a vast collection of texts on the Greco-Roman world, early Christianity, and the New Testament. One of my biggest regrets is that I did not take a course with him. His scholarship examined
-
Raymond Brown was considered controversial by some. On the one hand, he was a Catholic priest; on the other, a historical-critical scholar. His arguments on the Gospel of John, the virgin birth and the appearance tradition of Jesus would disturb some modern readers. Nevertheless, his scholarship is essential and insightful. It also shows that one
-
Many retreated from regular society and chose a hermit’s lifestyle. These men were known as “The Desert Fathers”. Douglas-Burton Christie notes, “Many of the desert monks refused to participate in the growing establishment of the church under Constantine, choosing instead to live on the margins of society under the direct guidance of the Spirit and
Triggered to Thinking 