“I have defined postmodernism as a turning from rationality, and at the same time an embracing of spectacle . . . The image waits for a political life . . . . There are more reasons to fear fascism than communism in a postmodern world. For one thing, fascism is anti-intellectual (communism is predicated on …
The Creed and the Pledge
Many thanks for the good discussion on the previous post. Obviously more is needed. In fact, when I consider the shape we’re in, more is desperately needed. I say the Apostles’ Creed far more often than I say the Pledge. And when I say the Pledge of Allegiance, as noted already, it is not without …
The Minimal State and Other Bright Ideas
The last day or so Nancy and I have had the wonderful privilege of visiting the folks at Trinitas Christian School in Pensacola, and were wonderfully impressed with the work they are doing as a classical and Christian school. What a marvelous place. Last night I spoke for them on “The Paideia of God,” and …
Even Using Both Hands
I have been arguing that the central response of Christians to the ongoing disintegration of our culture must be to return to the worship of the triune God in such a way as that it becomes the seed of a renewed and rejuvenated Christian culture. That end cannot be accomplished by political means, as Scripture …
No Answer to Blood but Blood
The old Chinese curse says, “May you live in interesting times.” And here we are. Some conservatives who are not worried think that Obama will simply be a Carter rerun — an unknown who made a great first impression, but who grew quickly wearisome at an accelerating pace. Some conservatives who are panicked think that …
Battlefields and Museums
The real constitution of every nation is located in the cultural assumptions of the people of that nation, and those cultural assumptions are themselves fixed by the object of their worship. The God (or gods) you worship shape and direct everything. The God you worship may cause you to write certain things down (in your …
Another Place Where the NeoCons Need to Apologize
I have mentioned this issue before in a previous post, but I really need to say something about it again. This is a point that the “war on terror trumps everything” neo-cons really need to meditate on, long and hard. President-elect Obama is friend and associate to known terrorists and terrorist sympathizers. He is now …
Knee Deep in the Mulligatawny
Well, we are knee deep in the mulligatawny now. Let’s talk about it, shall we? I have written already that for Christians to respond to Obama’s election with panic and despair is unbecoming, silly, and counterproductive. That is all good enough, but what should our response to all this be? In order to answer the …
A Festival of Self-Deception
The election is tomorrow and regardless of how it goes, it will be nice to have something else to talk about, like where in the back yard we should bury the family silver. But in the time remaining, here are just a few relevant observations. First, in times of declension the people in charge are …
Basilica
It gives me a great deal of pleasure to recommend Basilica to you — a journal of mere Christendom. This promises to be a great recource for those who want to learn about the Reformers as they were in historic 3-D. Make sure you browse in the nooks and crannies.