Thank you for being here
Thank you so much for reading this year.
It has been a joy to write The Ascent, and almost 8,000 of you have now joined us on this voyage. We are truly grateful and, of course, we couldn’t do any of this work without you.
So far, we’ve used this space to explore some of the questions that have most tested the faithful over the last 2,000 years:
Why is God good, and how should we approach the problem of pain?
How are we meant to read and interpret the Scriptures in this context?
How have thinkers through history grappled with the mystery of the Incarnation?
And how are we to interact with God today — and ascend to what’s expected of us?
We’ve examined these questions from the perspective of our modern minds, as well as through the millennia of philosophical thought that preceded Christianity. We’ve sought to pull back the layers of time and face each problem honestly, inquisitively, and openly.
Our mission is to build an online resource to guide those who find themselves confronted by the same questions we do, and to travel together through the Great Conversation of Western thought. We’ve covered a lot since we got started in August, but there is much to do!
As a small gesture of thanks for being here, we’re running a 48-hour discount until Christmas.
25% off the full publication — the cheapest it will ever be.
If you are in a position to support us, please do consider taking out a paid subscription. This project is 100% reader-supported, and your help will enable us to take it much further.
Paid members get new, full-length articles from us 2x per week, plus our entire archive of articles and essays.
Here’s a quick look back at 5 of the pieces we’ve most enjoyed writing this year. If you’ve joined our list only recently, you may have missed some of these…
How to Read the Bible like the Saints
“Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ,” teaches St. Jerome. In other words, Christians believe you can come to know the reality of Jesus through the Bible.
Why Jesus Picked Fishermen as Disciples
Imagine there was an ancient teaching that could help you navigate the chaos of modern life. It sounds obscure, but hidden within the Bible, Christians point to a pattern of chaos and order that holds tremendous value for your life.
How Does the Soul Ascend to God?
What if you had a map to find true happiness? That’s what the “ladder of love” is—an ancient practice that can bring fulfillment to your modern life.
Do Christians owe a debt to Homer?
Hellenized culture is not alien to the Bible but essential to it.
Thank you very much for widening my knowledge and often satisfying my curiosity about several themes. You also provided answers for questions I didn't know I had. Have a quiet Christmas.
I really enjoy your free content, yet cannot afford full subscriptions to all the creators I enjoy reading. Have you considered offering readers the opportunity to donate to you, as readers have the ability to do that? Some creators do that, and I’d be pleased to have that opportunity to support you while accessing at least some of your subscription content. Thanks for considering!