John Lee Wagas
Writer / Chaplain / Nerd
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Omnipotent. Omniscient. Omnipresent. These omnis are terms used to articulate the attributes of God. While these may serve as means of better understanding God and fostering a deeper relationship with Godself to some, I find myself often feeling alienated and distant from the divine because of these terms. Related terms such as immutable and aren’t…
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It’s almost a rite of passage for every Skyrim player to kill a chicken in Riverwood—the small, inconspicuous village located along a river within a forest (hence the name). However, with such a senseless violent act as killing an innocent chicken comes violent consequences. Whatever guards and residents are present nearby will begin to chase…
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With religion often comes dogmatism—the meticulous formulation, codification, and propagation of particular beliefs to the degree that rigid adherence to such doctrines is explicitly ordered by the religion’s leadership and structure. However, to strictly define particular beliefs is to limit peoples’ approaches to them; those who adhere rigidly to doctrines can be considered company-line or…
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For much of Christianity’s history, G-d has been characterized as being totally other, completely distant, a non-being, utterly transcendent, and beyond human understanding. This view of G-d has been supported and developed by countless theologians throughout history, from Augustine of Hippo to Thomas Aquinas to Joseph Ratzinger. Related to this understanding of G-d is the…
“When love chooses, it chooses with a perfect sensitivity for the unique beauty of the chosen one, and it chooses without making anyone else feel excluded.”
— Henri Nouwen, The Life of the Beloved
10th
May ’22
Philosophy & Religion
Truly God, Truly Man: An Application of the Yin-Yang and Hegelian Models to the Christological Theories of Chalcedon and Monophysitism
An examination of the Yin-yang and Hegelian dialectic models followed by an exploration of their relation to the contrasting Christological approaches of Chalcedon and Monophysitism from early patristic Christianity.
8th
Dec ’23
Religion & Theology
Radical, Ravishing, Holy Love: Eroticism, God, and Divine Love in Christian Mysticism
A contextualization of the erotic and sexual ethics in the broad Christian tradition paired with an examination of erotic spirituality in Christian mysticism through the medieval monastic figures Bernard of Clairvaux and Teresa of Avila.
7th
July ’23
Religion & Theology
Bridging Divinity & Humanity: Personhood in Eastern Orthodox Theology
Drawing from the works of numerous contemporary theologians in order to analyze Eastern Othrodoxy’s approach to personhood, particularly regarding the subjects of relationship, identity, and purpose.
2025
March 17
Earth & Altar
From the Shire to the Altar
In this article reflecting on the eucharist, .
Between the vibrant hardcover spines bearing the names of familiar authors and the thick binders of my teacher’s lesson plans lay an unassuming black paperback. Its title, The Hobbit, rendered in a humble typeface, seemed almost hidden amid the vivid hues of nearby books. I was in third grade then, entranced by stories of time travel and talking animals penned by Mary Pope Osborne and Lemony Snicket…: You’re Not Alone2023
October 26
Spartan Media Group
Faculty focus on human connection
This article from my time as an undergraduate at San Jose State University.
Religious studies senior John Wagas is currently enrolled in Zárate’s Middle Eastern Traditions asynchronous course. “For me, at the heart of it, is engaging in religious conversation in the first place,” Wagas said…: You’re Not Alone
John Lee Wagas 