The End of Protestantism: Pursuing Unity in a Fragmented Church by Peter J. Leithart My rating: 3 of 5 stars The three stars is an average. There were sections of the book that were much higher, and others that were confusedly lower. My main complaint is that the book doesn’t live up to its name. …
Babylon and the Bolshevik Buttercups
People divide up in two different ways. One way is when they differ on the substance of the debate—shall we go to war or shall we not? Shall we raise the minimum wage or shall we not? Shall we pursue an aggressive campaign against climate change or shall we not? Shall we appropriate big-time federal …
Totalitolerance and the Tactics of Trigglypuff
Introduction: If you assume that secular society is an actual possibility, which is a big suppose, one of the first things you have to do is ignore the outliers. In other words, diversity is great, and will continue to be great, just so long as nobody leans too far to the right or left in …
Crosspolitic
I had the privilege last week of joining three friends who have started up a hot new podcast, and the four of us had a wonderful time talking faith and politics. We also spent some time yucking it up. This recurring podcast, called Crosspolitic, is one you should really try to get into your rotation. …
A Little Idaho Domesticity
Review: The Chestry Oak
The Chestry Oak by Kate Seredy My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is a kid lit book from the late forties that I saw reviewed recently in a magazine, and decided for some reason to read. It is quite good and really satisfying. If you have kids who roar around the house looking for …
Natural Marriage and the Obergefall
Introduction: I confess myself a bit surprised at the reaction I have gotten from my recent interaction with Russell Moore’s apparent position on the aftermath of Obergefell. But what that reaction confirms to me is that the Christian opposition to secularism really needs to work through some of the foundational issues of political theology. Those …
With Both Hands
“If the law is grace, and if grace has a backbone, perhaps we ought not be too dismissive of those who have learned how to hold the Word of God in both hands” (Writers to Read, p. 113).
Viewing the Game Film
The morning after the Clinton Debacle appeared among us, I was walking somewhere in our little town. The sun was shining, and everything was bright and calm. Our little town is divided, but as the primaries here in Idaho showed, it was more of a Sanders/Cruz divide than it was a Clinton/Trump divide. In the …
Grace Gets On the Floor
“When the wineskins burst, grace sometimes gets on the floor . . . Find me a place where grace has gone and taken deep root, and I will show you a place where vivid prose flourishes” (Writers to Read, p. 111).