“The study of the past with one eye upon the present is the source of all sins and sophistries in history. It is the essence of what we mean by the word "unhistorical".”

“History is not the study of origins; rather it is the analysis of all the mediations by which the past was turned into our present.”

“If history can do anything it is to remind us that all our judgments are merely relative to time and circumstance.”

“The raconteur knows too well that, if he investigates the truth of the matter, he is only too likely to lose his good story.”

“I think that churches would be places of greater intimacy and growth in Christ if people stopped lying about what we need, what we fear, where we fail, and how we sin.”

“I learned the first rule of repentance: that repentance requires greater intimacy with God than with our sin. How much greater? About the size of a mustard seed. Repentance requires that we draw near to Jesus, no matter what. And sometimes we all have to crawl there on our hands and knees. Repentance is an intimate affair. And for many of us, intimacy with anything is a terrifying prospect.”

“Biblical orthodoxy can offer real compassion, because in our struggle against sin, we cannot undermine God's power to change lives.”