Within Estillyen’s monk community, Writer is affectionately known as “The Dean.” His forte is a vigorous theology of communication. The following excerpt from his reading, Remember Me, is what one might call Writer-esque:

“Ancient prophecies, once penned, had long abided. They waited incomplete, unfulfilled. Words past spoken waited for their stories to arrive so they could be folded into present verse.”

Writer’s passion to portray Jesus Christ as the perfect union of medium and message has become his signature work. As he puts it, Jesus Christ is the Message Á Medium of God. Writer refers to Christ as “the prism through which we see the world—the supremacy of God’s communicative act.”

Writer is, unquestionably, the most traveled of the Estillyen monks. He is a sought-after speaker, especially in university settings. Interestingly, Writer views contentious debates about God’s existence as counterproductive. He asserts, “Why create platforms for those who wish to turn the cross into wormwood.”

His theology is Pauline-centered. Writer has a knack for dispensing “mysterious doubt” by evoking what he calls “the mysterious certainty” of the Apostle Paul. He likes to remind his followers that “it was the great Apostle, himself, who was caught up in the heavenly realm.”

One of Writer’s favorite verses of Scripture is: “In Christ all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge reside.” Writer fervently believes words matter— everyone’s words—but that the words of Christ matter most of all.

The Monastery is Writer’s residence, and bird-watching is his hobby.