I'll be helping out at the Nerd Chapel booth with Eric Anderson and Bex from the Redeemed Otaku podcast at the Grand Rapids, MI JAFAX Anime convention this weekend, June 7-9. Come meet me there if you are in town! Also, in honor of the con, I will have the ebook of The Way of... Continue Reading →
MASTERLESS Christian Samurai Movie now Free on Amazon Prime
Just a quick note to share the good news! Masterless, the Christian samurai movie from writer/director Craig Shimahara (cretator of Good Soil) is now available for free to watch for Amazon Prime members. Click here to watch Masterless today. If you don't already have Amazon prime, you can get a 30-day free trial by clicking... Continue Reading →
Masterless – Christian Samurai Film Review
Craig Shimahara and I connected several years ago, after he had finished producing his short film Good Soil and I had finished writing The Way of the Christian Samurai. We obviously shared a certain perspective of Christianity in light of the ancient masters of the sword, the samurai of Japan. So when Masterless was finally... Continue Reading →
Christianity is a Fight – J.C. Ryle Quotes on the Good Fight
When I was putting The Eternal Revolution book together, I googled the opening line I had at the time, "Christianity is a fight," to see if that phrasing had been used before. Only one author stood out in the results: J.C. Ryle, Anglican Bishop of Liverpool, who lived at the end of the 19th century.... Continue Reading →
Samurai of the Wood-Cutting School
Among the last generations of samurai was a teacher named Yamaoka Tesshu. At his dojo, he would have students spend the entire first year perfecting the overhand chop. This was full-time study - and an entire year spent practicing the same move every day. Critics of Tesshu dubbed his dojo “The wood-cutting school” because of... Continue Reading →
Christian Thoughts on the Movie and Tale of the 47 Ronin
My family rarely goes to the theater to see movies. Therefore it was only a few weeks ago that I finally got a chance to the 2013 movie 47 Ronin from Redbox. While I have written a book on lessons for Christians from samurai warriors, this was my introduction to the national legend of the... Continue Reading →
Already Dead: The Samurai and Fear of Death
If there is a single factor for why the samurai were such incredible warriors, it is probably the fact that they viewed themselves as already dead. As it is written in the Hagakure, Book 1: "The way of the Samurai is found in death…This is the substance of the Way of the Samurai. If by... Continue Reading →
Christian Samurai Film ‘Masterless’ Coming Soon
Adam LaVorgna and Craig Shimahara on the set of Masterless. For a few years, I have helped with the promotion and distribution of a Christian samurai short film called Good Soil. Now, writer and director Craig Shimahara is creating a new, feature-length movie called Masterless. While Good Soil was a historical fiction, based on real... Continue Reading →
The Christian Art of Judging Others
Jesus said, "Judge not." That's about as much of the Bible as many non-Christians can quote. It has proved useful, considering the number of Christians that use it, or are cowed by fear of being condemned by it. As always, the context makes it a bit clearer: “Judge not, that you be not judged.... Continue Reading →
Fight With All Your Weapons
Some years ago an acquaintance confided in me about some relationship problems he was having. As a couple, he and his wife were drifting apart. Since we had talked before about Japanese culture, my advice took the form of a quote from the swordsman Miyamoto Musashi's Book of Five Rings: "Students of the Ichi school... Continue Reading →