This site has been established to engage with theologically minded people to reflect upon important issues that arise within Christendom. It has also been created to publish books that I have been writing in recent years. Instead of seeking a publisher, whose primary reason for existence may be to make money, or to promote their own viewpoint on issues, I have preferred the option of “freely you have received, freely give.”
You are welcome to borrow, beg or steal anything you find on this site. To avoid plagiarism, or an uneasy conscience, you might want to credit “some guy on the internet”. Neither fame nor wealth are of much interest to me, but engaging in conversation with fellow travelers is.
So welcome to the site!
David N. Ashton, Retired Prof.
prodigalprof 
Dave: I don’t have any time to go exploring today, but am thrilled to see you have this up and going! You have so much to offer the family of God!
Joy!
John V
There is so much here, but I’m going to read on. BTW, where do we atheists fall in “Christendom?”
Dave,
I am intrigued by the name of your blog, “prodigalprof.” Thank you for sharing your insights, you have a knack for challenging people to think.
Howard
Thanks Howard! I have always seen myself as a prodigal son returned, afraid I’ll turn into the older brother!
Dave
Dave
Great to see this up and running.
A wealth of resources.
Many Thanks
George
I was surprised to see your name come up in an article I read by your son in law. Great site here. I hope all is well with you.
Brian Hartley
Brian,
It has been a long time. Good to hear from you. Thanks for visiting my site. I am semi-retired these days, but still preaching somewhere most Sundays. Greet Richard & Ruth Huston for me if you run across them.
Dave
Hello Dave,
Your name came up this weekend and I was directed to your site. I didn’t realize you were still writing and it looks like I have some catching up to do!
We were discussing Lord of the Rings and wondering about Tom Bombadil. I have always liked the character but have never been certain about his purpose in the story. Would you have time to share some of your thoughts?
Steven Braun
West Springs FM in Calgary
Steven
Good to hear from you. Pass on my fond memories to the other Calgarian Hobbits! I presume you have read Tolkien’s poems “The Adventures of Tom Bombadil” in The Tolkien Reader published in 1966. Is Tom divine, one of the Valar, The pantheistic essence of the created world? Pan? and the list goes on. Tolkien writes in one of his letters that he is “a particular embodying of pure natural science” which doesn’t help much. The Ashtonian response is that Tom is meant to be absolutely mysterious to us all. A mystery unsolved is a glorious thing. We experience “it” but it transcends all reason. This is Tolkien the mythmaker at his best!
Dave
I am glad to have “found” your website, and look forward to reading your postings. Thanks so much for the fine discussions of the “Temptations of Christ” at the Valley church. I found your presentation thought-provoking and very interesting.
Thank you my friend. Welcome aboard. I down loaded the Keys to the Kingdom book to my Kindle yesterday.
Dave
Evelyn, with significant pleasure I read Cronin’s “The Keys to the Kingdom” and was deeply moved. So I just read “The Citadel” and am ready to move to another of his books that I just picked up. He reminds me of George MacDonald’s novels.
Dave