Top 10 DET Posts of 2017

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It’s that time again, gentle reader, to cast our memory over the past year, assess where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished, and then begin once again moving forward. Part of this process here at DET has long been the compiling of a list of the top 10 blog posts – that is, a list of the posts that most resonated with you, our beloved readers, as indicated by traffic received.

Before moving on to 2017’s lists, some of you might want to revisit the top posts from 2016. I know that I always enjoying seeing which posts hang around these lists year after year, and some certainly do. You might also refresh your memory concerning the DET contributors list.

Now, without further ado, the list: #1 had the most traffic and #10 had the least.

DET 2017 Top 10


  1. Abortion, Authoritarian Self-Deception, Evangelicals, and Trump: a collected Twitter essay from Christopher Stroop - This post, which I borrowed from Stroop after seeing him post the tweets on Twitter one night, has received some of the highest traffic levels of any post on DET, ever. The original post has some links to help you track down more of Stroop’s work, which is definitely worth doing. I’m happy to have become acquainted with him and his work over the past year.
  2. So, You Want To Read Karl Barth? - This post usually features on these lists and it has occupied first place since 2014 (until Stroop dethroned it this year). If you’re looking for advice to help you dive into Barth’s massive oeuvre, we got you covered.
  3. Reversing Theology—A Personal Reply to Torres and Roberts, by David Congdon - Those of you who read DET with any regularity are almost as familiar with Congdon as you are with me and Scott. This post was his concluding comment on a series of posts that we ran on his most recent book, The God Who Saves.
  4. So You Want to Read….Dietrich Bonhoeffer? - Here’s another post that has featured on these lists since at least 2014. Just like with Barth, we’ve got you covered if you’re looking to get into reading Bonhoeffer. Thanks to Brandy Daniels for this helpful post.
  5. Demythologizing the Divide between Barth and Bultmann - Here’s another Congdon contribution, which is perennially featured on these lists and has had two #2 finishes since 2014.
  6. God Saves Us from Ourselves for Others: Juan C. Torres on "The God Who Saves" - Another post from our series on Congdon’s book, here, this time from Juan Torres. Thanks to Juan for contributing his perspective, and I hope he’ll send some further contributions to DET in the future! (hint, hint, Juan…)
  7. How to Understand Schleiermacher's Theology—A guest post by Daniel Pedersen - This was another excellent contribution from an ad hoc contributor and budding Schleiermacher expert. As an update, his book is now out - The Eternal Covenant: Schleiermacher on God and Natural Science - though it’s a little pricey, unfortunately.
  8. When Dietrich Bonhoeffer met Karl Barth – with Charles Marsh - I could have told you that this post would appear in this list as soon as I had the idea to write it. I mean, c’mon: Barth and Bonhoeffer? You saw how high the readings guides to those guys placed on the list. Putting them together in a post will always play well.
  9. Is Theology Simply Made Up? An Opening Unscientific Prescript on Kaufman - A post from DET’s hard-working and long-suffering associate editor, Scott Jackson, finally makes the list! I feel like I say it every year, but I wish more of y’all would read Scott’s posts. They are always honest, thought-provoking, and riddled with dry wit. Thanks for all you do, Scott!
  10. Ents, Hobbits, and Salvation in the Shadow of Charlottesville: David Roberts on "The God Who Saves" - We round out this year’s list with the final post from the series on Congdon’s book. Thanks to David Roberts for a gripping contribution!

Honorable mentions (based on traffic):


Honorable mentions (based on my whims):


I hope you’ve enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Here’s to another year of DET (and, you know, everything else…)!

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