Peter Escalante and I started this website about 3 years ago. Since that time we have expanded considerably, adding at least 12 other contributors (as well as 2 unpaid interns!) and attracting around 9,000 visitors each month. We regularly run into readers at conferences and other events, and we are occasionally contacted by the authors whose books we review or major thinkers we interact with. I am personally very grateful for this and more than a little humbled. It seems to me– if I may put on my pastoral hat for the moment– a confirmation from God that what we are doing is more than just our hobby or a sort of recreational academic exercise. We really are connecting to the outside world and helping people regain intellectual, ecclesiastical, and communal tools for building or rebuilding Christian societies, and this was always our goal. It is both humbling and exciting.
With this comes challenges, of course. The key to keeping anything going online is to have steady copy. We have been able to do a bit of this, thanks especially to the Herculean efforts of Dr. Hutchinson, but it is very difficult because all of our writers are volunteers. In addition to that, we have tried to avoid click bait, simple pop-commentary, and made-for-spectators polemics. We prefer to write things of some substance, and this takes time– preparation time and actual writing time.
Another major challenge is the finances of keeping the site up-to-date and secure. Earlier this month we were hacked, and the site was unavailable for about 2 days. We had to spend about $500 to get the site back up and running and secure, and we had to spend much more than that in manhours. We would like to fully update the site in the future, and that will also take time and money. I would like to be able to pay our technical support something by way appreciation and remuneration for the real work that goes into all of this. I would also, eventually, like to give our regular writers a gift of appreciation.
So I would ask that you consider donating a little something to the site, especially if you are a regular reader. We have no plans to add a paywall or make “subscription-only” features. That seems to go against the spirit and vision of what we are about. And yet we do need your help, and donations seem like a small but appropriate way to get started. You will notice that we have added a “Donate” button to our sidebar on the front page. As you find something you really like or whenever you point new readers to our site for a resource, consider giving a small donation.
And finally, thank you for reading. It is incredible to me that we have been able to attract such a broad group of readers. Let’s be honest, we write about a specific set of interests, and we do not always do so in the most accessible prose. Thanks for reading. You encourage us greatly. Your readership keeps this thing going.
