Two recent shootings of black men, one in Tulsa and one in Charlotte, have set off another round of racial turmoil, not to mention another round of Orwellian news and news analysis. So let us begin with some basic definitions. Protesters are those who assemble peaceably to … [Read more...]
On Its Own Level
[About Wodehouse] “In this age of instant gratification, fast food, fast-lane commuting, and tele-right-nowing, it is wonderful to find great literature that is capable of doing exactly the same thing. Some great lit just competes with other great lit. But it takes extraordinary … [Read more...]
Some Exotic Basque Cheese
So Ted Cruz has outlined his reasons for reversing course and endorsing Donald Trump. The first reason, he said, was that he had pledged to support the nominee and that he was going to do so. A little late, but he is doing so. We may now take a moment here to wait for those who … [Read more...]
Aeneas, Anarchy, and America #3
Introduction: As we read Scripture carefully, we should note that there are many differences between the status of the Jews in Isaiah’s day, for example, and our condition. At the same time, we have to realize that God gave the Scriptures to us for an example, so that we would … [Read more...]
Humility Is Not Lying
Scripture reminds us that we are to think of others in a way that is very difficult to do. “Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves” (Phil. 2:3). Now the sense of this is not that we are to pretend … [Read more...]
And Soon to be Pope
“For we are not just doing battle with the powers of darkness; we are also engaged in mortal conflict with the theology of Madeline Bassett, resident theologian and high priestess of pop evangelicalism” (Writers to Read, p. 57). … [Read more...]
True But Shrill
“The besetting sin of many cranky, conservative Christian types is their inability to make any good point whatever without sounding shrill. And the better the point, the shriller the making of it can be” (Writers to Read, p. 55). … [Read more...]
The Content Cluster Muster (09.22.16)
Announcing Eve In Exile Rebekah Merkle, my daughter, is releasing her fantastic new book--Eve in Exile. You can pre-order it over at CanonPress. It would be most wise of you to get it hot off the presses. Pre-order by Sept 27th and get 20% OFF plus FREE SHIPPING in the US, … [Read more...]
A Design Feature
“There is a logical bedrock upon which the entire cosmos is built. We do not live in a house built on sand. Metaphor works for a reason. The walls in this house are straight for a reason. The corners go together and fit for a reason” (Writers to Read, p. 53). … [Read more...]
The Ponies Are Free
Thomas Sowell has done wonderful work in describing the fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives. He describes it as the difference between an unconstrained vision of man and a constrained vision. The French revolution was a model of the unconstrained vision, and … [Read more...]
Clearer and Crisper
“When we move from word to referent, we think we are leaping from crag to crag, across and abyss below. If we slip, we have had it. But this description is itself dependent upon a metaphor, as though meaning has to get increasingly smudgy every time we make a xerox copy of it. … [Read more...]
Both Ends Necessary
“Eloquence, in its highest forms and effects, is a joint product of two factors; of an eloquent speaker, and an eloquent hearer” (Shedd, Homiletics and Pastoral Theology, p. 259). … [Read more...]
With Only One of Them Drooling
The other day I was—what is the past participle of tweet?—I was twooting about the election, and commented on two possibly inconsistent emotions that were jostling beneath my sternum. You see, I want Hillary to lose in a fireball one hundred yards across, and I want Trump to lose … [Read more...]
What to Read First
“Wodehouse was merciless to pretentiousness, and aspiring writers are the most pretentious fellows on the planet. So there’s that spiritual benefit” (Writers to Read, p. 50). … [Read more...]
Which Is Why Some Don’t Like It
“The gospel of the Son of God is the only system that is not subject to fashions and changes” (Shedd, Homiletics and Pastoral Theology, p. 257). … [Read more...]
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