The True Myth Journal
Weekly updates on exploring how Jesus Christ is the best possible hero.
The Week of 01/18/2026–01/24/2026
This week was simple: we didn’t roll out any major “project updates” so much as we published the work itself—two pieces that keep sharpening the central thesis from two different angles.
Book Progress: Between the Whip and the Cheek
Current Focus: Clarifying core categories (moral expectation, ultimate concern, and how the “stumbling block” functions as divine strategy).
Words Written This Week: No formal manuscript drafting update—this week’s output was publishing.
Current Status: Excavation & Structure (by way of posts).
New in the Library
We published 2 new entries this week—each doing real work for the argument (one from the human side, one from the Christ side).
Why Man Blushes: Moral Expectation and the Human Good — by Matthew J Coombe PhD
“Humans have an ‘ought’ stitched into their experience.”
This post pushes on a basic but stubborn reality: humans don’t merely act—we evaluate actions, emotions, guilt, shame, and responsibility. That moral pressure (the inescapable “ought”) is part of what makes ultimate concern difficult to avoid.
The Rock is Rigged — by Joshua Buzzard
“The hunted reaches for the hunter.”
This post reframes “stumbling block” (skandalon) as something closer to a trap-trigger—a deliberate, designed mechanism. The claim is that the “rock” isn’t accidental; it’s part of how God exposes the heart: sanctuary to the trusting, offense to the proud.
Looking Ahead
Next week will continue in the same lane: more writing that strengthens the backbone of the argument—especially the connection between human function / the human good and the inevitability of ultimate concern, and more work showing how Christ functions as the decisive “ambush” against pride and false security.
Until then,
Matthew J Coombe & Joshua Buzzard