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Books by Michael Philliber

We live in the time of plague. A coronavirus has sickened and killed millions. But spiritual plag... more We live in the time of plague. A coronavirus has sickened and killed millions. But spiritual plagues-polarization, conspiracy theories, hatred, and violence-have taken their toll on us as well. Philliber's fine book delivers a challenge and an opportunity for the church to be sober minded in this unstable world, to stand apart from the mayhem, and to point the way to Christ. William Price, PhD  In a world that seems "out of its mind," Dr. Philliber's book comes at the right time! In an overly anxious culture, a bit of sober-mindedness would go a long way. Dr. Philiber takes what we already know (what Scripture says) and reminds us that its power, principles and practicality can help lead the way for us to find a richer trust in our storm-calming savior, thereby finding that desperately needed sober-mindedness. Paul G. Rebelo, Pastor, Chapel Hill UMC  We live in a world that has found a personal justification for every wrongful suspicion and an echo chamber for every conviction. In Our Heads on Straight, Mike traces out the Biblical roots of sober-mindedness. From there he sketches out the present consequences of a lack of sober-mindedness, but also the remedy available in Christ. We would all be better from reading this book and reflecting on our own heart in such a contentious age. Zack Carden, Pastor, The Church of the Apostles  There are a multitude of Christian books today on how to pursue successful lives, families, and churches. Perhaps even more on how to have an impactful, meaningful walk with Christ.

Papers by Michael Philliber

Canadian Journal of History, 2018

Choice Reviews Online, 1999

Religious Studies Review, 2016

The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 2017

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2016

Augustinian Studies, 2016

Toward the end of Shakespeare's play Henry IV, Part 2, Prince Hal (''Harry'') sits by the bed of ... more Toward the end of Shakespeare's play Henry IV, Part 2, Prince Hal (''Harry'') sits by the bed of his ailing father, King Henry, whose crown lies beside him on the pillow. Seeing an unmoving feather upon his father's lips, Prince Hal assumes that his father has died. After briefly grieving, Prince Hal takes the crown, places it on his own head, and leaves the room. When the king stirs and calls noblemen to his room, he asks about his son: ''Is he so hasty that he doth suppose/My sleep my death?'' (4.5.60-61). Ashamedly reentering the room, Prince Hal says, ''I never thought to hear you speak again'' (4.5.91), and King Henry responds, ''Thy wish was father, Harry, to that thought'' (4.5.92). The relationship between wishing and thinking takes center stage in James K. A. Smith's You Are What You Love, a popularized version of his book Desiring the Kingdom (2009), which was the first installment of his recently completed Cultural Liturgies trilogy. This more accessible version of Smith's work is no less insightful, and while there are many perspectives from which to view this book, we want to focus on how Smith uses literature to communicate his main claims. Ultimately, Smith seems to be engaged in a project of teaching people to read. But this reading is not necessarily the reading of literary texts. Smith desires to awaken Christians to recognize that they are constantly encountering soul-shaping liturgies, including shopping malls and stadiums, which function as secular temples in the sense that they often induce us to form allegiances to kingdoms that rival the Kingdom of God (37, 40-45). Defining liturgy as ''rituals that are loaded with an ultimate Story about who we are and what we're for'' (46), Smith insists that we learn to read these liturgies to become more aware of their potential for deformation , and that we develop counter liturgies that shape our desires and help us practice various virtues. As readers of cultural liturgies, we begin by acknowledging that reading is not simply an intellectual enterprise. Drawing upon Augustine and David Foster Wallace, Smith argues that we are lovers and worshipers as well as thinkers, and that virtues are acquired affectively (18). In other words, affection drives cognition. Of course, this observation is not groundbreaking. The literary record has long acknowledged that reason alone is incapable of fully accounting for human experience. For example, in his Paradiso, Dante describes reason as having short wings (2.57), and in Part 4 of Swift's satirical Gulliver's Travels, the pride of the intellectually superior Houyhnhnm (talking horses who have Stoically eliminated all passion and love) reveals that brainpower is insufficient to make one virtuous. But even if Smith's observation is not new, the fact that generations of people are continually surprised to discover just how much they are being shaped in nonintellective ways reveals the need to continue to repeat this important observation.

Liturgy, 2012

viii psalm.) The General Refrains Appendix (p. 1054) provides shorter options that may be used ac... more viii psalm.) The General Refrains Appendix (p. 1054) provides shorter options that may be used across the spectrum of the Psalter. ADDITIONAL EDITORIAL NOTES 1. Translations: This volume draws upon multiple translations, representing a variety of Christian traditions: • The initial presentation of a psalm text is taken from the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV). • Lectionary-based responsorial psalms are taken from Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Augsburg Fortress Press), a text used in a wide variety of ecumenical settings. • Other translations or paraphrases include the New International Version (NIV), the New Living Translation (NLT), Eugene Peterson's The Message, Calvin Seerveld's Voicing God's Psalms (Eerdman's Publishing Company), the Book of Common Prayer (BCP), Common Worship: Daily Prayer, and the Psalter for the Christian People, each of which is identified. 2. Use of LORD and Lord: Modern Bible translations indicate the use of the Tetragrammaton (the four-letter Hebrew name for God, "YHWH") using all capital letters, as in LORD. When the sources of the musical settings indicated the use of the Tetragrammaton with LORD or GOD, this was maintained. When text writers did not intend to make such distinctions, no further editorial attempts were made to reconcile their versification to the use of the Tetragrammaton in the psalm. The use of the word "Jehovah" has been avoided. 3. Use of the Gloria Patri: In some traditions it is customary to conclude each psalm with the singing of the Gloria Patri (Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit...). In most cases when the Gloria Patri was found in the original source, it was maintained in this book. Where possible (i.e., when it is set as an additional stanza or as a coda) the text is presented in italics, indicating that its singing is optional. 4. Psalm Prayers: A Christian prayer in a communal voice is provided at the end of each NRSV setting of the psalm. These prayers are not so general as to be appropriate for all contexts. Rather, they were prepared to model the full spectrum of possible prayer responses to the various psalms. (See Options for Imagining Our Relationship with the Text on p. iii.) Care should be taken to ensure that the prayer is appropriate for the way in which the psalm is being used in worship. For example, if the psalm prayer takes the approach of being in solidarity with others who are suffering, it may need to be adapted in order fit a context where the psalm and the prayer express the community's own suffering. 5. Chords for Guitar and Keyboard: Chord symbols have been provided for nearly all of the musical settings. These chords are for use by both guitar and keyboard players. Every attempt has been made to accommodate both users. For most settings chords are inserted at a pace that is logical for the use of guitar. No attempt was made to represent each change in the given harmony. Usually this will allow for the use of guitar and keyboard harmony together. The use of added tones (e.g., Am6 or Asus) or indications of bass notes (e.g., Am/C) are more useful to keyboard players and bass players who play using the chord symbols. On the whole, guitarists can ignore these marks and drop the numeral or the suspension. Some settings in this Psalter, however, include suspended chords that are followed by a minor chord (e.g., Dsus followed by a Dm, see 70B, p. 431). These chords should either be played as suspended chords or as minor chords. In other instances a chord is followed by the instruction 'no3.' The third should be dropped from these chords. If the third is added to the chord it cannot be assumed that this is a major chord. Guitar players need to determine

Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 2013

International journal for the Study of the Christian Church, 2012

Purpose-Since the challenges confronting a system is better addressed when known and understood, ... more Purpose-Since the challenges confronting a system is better addressed when known and understood, this paper reports the findings of a study that investigated the factors confronting professional quantity surveying using Nigeria as a case. Design/Methodology/Approach-A questionnaire was developed and pre-tested as the instrument for collecting data. A total of sixty-four quantity surveyors practicing in Lagos, Port Harcourt and Enugu completed the questionnaire out of a non-probabilistic sample of 100. Severity Index and Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficient were employed in data analysis. Findings-The outcome revealed that the top five factors perceived to be confronting the profession include poor marketing of the profession, opposition from engineers, the dominance of multinational companies which do not have quantity surveying as a distinct profession in their country of origin, widespread corruption in Nigeria, professional incompetence of some quantity surveyors. Furthermore, the two categories of respondentsprofessional quantity surveyors and probationersagree in their ranking of the factors confronting the profession. The ranking of the seventeen factors, between the two categories of respondents was tested using Spearman's rho. The result showed that the difference in perception of professional members of the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (NIQS) and the probationers with regard to factors confronting the quantity surveying profession is not significant at p < 0.01. These findings are then discussed in the light of previous works, and implications for both academics and professionals within the quantity surveying profession were highlighted. Originality/value-This study has highlighted the key issues to consider as stakeholders attempt to advance the course of quantity surveying and construction cost management profession.

Teaching Philosophy, 2006

I had recently retired from 20 years in the Air Force and became the stated supply (the regular s... more I had recently retired from 20 years in the Air Force and became the stated supply (the regular student preacher) of this small-town church. There he was, one of my elders in his late 70s, and he was appalled that I, his minister, had purchased a Toyota. When I asked him what was so wrong with having a Toyota, he replied; "It was made by the Japs!" Needless to say I was startled by his comment, and so I stammered my way through the question, "Why does that matter?" The response was just as shocking as his statement. As he put it, he had grown up during World War II, and recounted how the government propaganda in the news during the time and on posters, hammered into him that the "Japs" were evil. And now there he was in 1999, some 54 years later, and he still couldn't bring himself to purchase anything Japanese. Similar stories could be recounted from World War I and the way the imagery and narrative about the horrible "Huns" affected and infected social perceptions of Germans.

Canadian Journal of History, 2018

Choice Reviews Online, 1999

Religious Studies Review, 2016

The Journal of Ecclesiastical History, 2017

Journal of Reformed Theology, 2016

Augustinian Studies, 2016

Liturgy, 2012

Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology, 2013

International journal for the Study of the Christian Church, 2012

Teaching Philosophy, 2006

While running a 10K race with my youngest, I started thinking about the imagery of running in the... more While running a 10K race with my youngest, I started thinking about the imagery of running in the New Testament....

Many years ago I was a cop in the U.S. Air Force. We were charged with guarding a "Priority A" fa... more Many years ago I was a cop in the U.S. Air Force. We were charged with guarding a "Priority A" facility, a site that was high-up in the chain of national security, and also way off the beaten path. You either got there because you were terribly lost, or you were there with intention (good intention, or otherwise). On every fence, and at the three entrances, were signs stating that it was a military installation and deadly force could be employed. One dark evening, at around 11 PM, the shift Sergeant called me for back up. We were in one of the main entry points and just outside the building was the dimly lit parking lot. We could make out someone lurking around the parked cars and looking suspicious. We went out to meet the individual, I with my Combat .38 caliber revolver (no safety, and no "locking and loading"), and the Sergeant with his M-16 rifle. I walked around the back of the cars to come up behind the person, while the Sergeant met him face to face. Things were just not right; the fellow was scared, evasive, wearing darker clothes, and looked out of place. We were able to get him into an area where the lights were better and away from passersbys. It was in the full light we realized he was wearing a shoulder holster. We had him flanked, and the Sergeant asked him for identification. He immediately reached with his right hand to his shoulder holster. The Sergeant instantly aimed his rifle into the man's face and I had my pistol out targeting him. This was the moment, and I was only 19. My eyes were probably the size of a saucer, and my heart rate was likely off the chart. Just before we fired the man froze and whimpered, "My I.D.'s in my bag," and he pointed to the shoulder holster. It turned out that the shoulder holster was one of those manpurses that came into style and blew out of style within a year. Thankfully for this fellow, the Sergeant, and for me, no shots were fired, but it was closer than any of us wanted.

A Christmas Eve homily on Luke 2.1-20, which was presented on 24 December 2015 at Heritage Presby... more A Christmas Eve homily on Luke 2.1-20, which was presented on 24 December 2015 at Heritage Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Edmond Oklahoma.

There's that scene in Talladega Nights where Ricky, Carley, Cal and the family are all gathered a... more There's that scene in Talladega Nights where Ricky, Carley, Cal and the family are all gathered around the dinner table that's running over with pizza, fried chicken and tacos. Ricky begins to give thanks to sweet baby Jesus, which then launches a rough and raucous dialogue about which Jesus each character likes. Cal even pipes up with his "I like to picture Jesus in a Tuxedo T-shirt,

In "The Story of God Bible Commentary" series published by Zondervan Academic.

In my morning devotional reading I have been working through Daniel. A few thoughts struck me tha... more In my morning devotional reading I have been working through Daniel. A few thoughts struck me that I am sharing with you. To begin, Daniel was written at a time when God's people, being disciplined for corporate infidelity, were taken captive into exile. That means Daniel not only tells us the stories of 4 Jewish young men and Daniel's visions, but it was written for guidance for those now captured by non-Jewish forces. Chapters 1-6 are examples of how to live and serve under pagan authorities -who only rule at God's whim. And chapters 7-12, declare that these national and political powers will not always be in place, because God is working out big things. But now I zero in on chapters 1, 3, and 6.

Drawing from Habakkuk 2.4b, this is a meditation on 3.17-19a. Probably not going where you think ... more Drawing from Habakkuk 2.4b, this is a meditation on 3.17-19a. Probably not going where you think it is.

The notes for my homily for Good Friday – 2016

In Morning Prayer, two passages of Scripture were pulled together for me that I thought were enco... more In Morning Prayer, two passages of Scripture were pulled together for me that I thought were encouraging, and it made me think of some folks I know.

A fitting Protestant approach to the election of Pope Francis I.

"After documenting the highly feminized state of Western Christianity, Dr. Podles identifies the ... more "After documenting the highly feminized state of Western Christianity, Dr. Podles identifies the masculine traits that once characterized the Christian life but are now commonly considered incompatible with it. In an original and challenging account, he traces this feminization to three contemporaneous medieval sources: the writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux, the rise of scholasticism, and the expansion of female monasticism. He contends that though masculinity has been marginalized within Christianity, it cannot be expunged from human society. If detached from Christianity, it reappears as a substitute religion, with unwholesome and even horrific consequences. The church, too, is diminished by its emasculation. Its spirituality becomes individualistic and erotic, tending toward universalism and quietism. In his concluding assessment of the future of men in the church, Dr. Podles examines three aspects of Christianity-initiation, struggle, and fraternal love-through which its virility might be restored.

In the otherwise stale and overworked field of "gender studies," The Church Impotent is the only book to confront the lopsidedly feminine cast of modern Christianity with a profound analysis of its historical and sociological roots. Dr. Podles presents the fruit of his meticulous scholarship in a lucid and readable style thoroughly accessible to the non-specialist."

The Book is now free for download. Follow the link.

Today a woman wrote our congregation, chiding us for denominations. I perceived she was from a Ch... more Today a woman wrote our congregation, chiding us for denominations. I perceived she was from a Christian sect I once belonged to, and so decided to respond to her. This is the letter I wrote back, and sent to her.

Evening congregational prayers that remember babies who miscarried or died in infancy, and prayer... more Evening congregational prayers that remember babies who miscarried or died in infancy, and prayer for their parents. Also for those who think they are too far gone for God to save them. And for abusers and the abused.

Congregational prayers for the morning service, for the world, the nation, those in trouble and t... more Congregational prayers for the morning service, for the world, the nation, those in trouble and those who are troubled.