Robert L. Short has been writing and lecturing on Charles Schultz's "Peanuts" cartoon strips in relation to the Christian Gospel for more than 30 years. He is the author of the bestseller The Gospel According to Peanuts. An ordained minister and a widely recognized speaker in theology and the arts, Short is the founder of the Fellowship of Christianity without Doom and Gloom in Little Rock, Arkansas. Now using examples from more than 40 classic comic strips, the author contends that dogs can teach us a lot about qualities that are celebrated in the Gospel. These include obedience (dependence on God, DOG), faith, love, hope, happiness, and much more.
Short believes that Christians seeking purity of heart should pay attention to dogs. He writes:
"When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes, Luther said, 'Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated in the piece of meat. Otherwise, he has no thought, wish, or hope."
Short is able to squeeze insights about being Christian from comic strips and the antics of dogs. He sets Snoopy right down alongside Scripture and makes many connections.
