Continuing on the theme of “lowlife authenticity,” Phil Johnson has a great post on that subject this morning. When anyone takes a shot at this foolishness, the cry usually goes up that conservative Christians are sticking their heads in the sand, need to get a clue, and learn to get out of their pious shell. …
Their Punishment Is Their Life
I just finished a fascinating book on the disintegration of French culture and national life, but one of the most striking things about the book was a comment the author (Denis Boyles) made in passing on the last page. “I was once a college teacher, and as those who teach know, the politics of the …
More Out of the Nail Can
As we sort through the propriety of using satiric speech, there is first the doctrinal or theological aspect of it (what does the Bible require of us?), and after this is the practical or pastoral aspect. I would like to key off several important comments posted under my recent post on The Nail Can of …
Outstanding!
As a result of a reporter setting up an interview with me, I found out that The American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression, as part of their sponsorship of banned books week, has listed Southern Slavery As It Was as one of the books that was “challenged” by the censorious this last year. Their little …
The Nail Can of Bitterness
Once a British politician was running for office, and he was confronted by a heckler who shouted out that he would not vote for him if he were the archangel Gabriel. “Ah,” the politician replied. “But if I were the archangel Gabriel, you would not be in my constituency.” Now they were both speaking “negatively” …
More Than Honest
The other day I thought I was going to be able to stop writing about Terry Morin’s postings about Christ Church (and about me). But this turns out, in the event, not to be the case. Here is at least one more. The reason for this post is that I need to correct one error …
Crows Strutting in the Gutter
As we try to understand the disintegration of culture around us, including the prevailing drift of pop culture toward that which is grimy — on the assumption that it is therefore more “authentic” — we have to do some hard thinking about the relationship of flesh and bones. Particulars matter. The way something is enfleshed …
Here’s A Plan
John Roberts has been pressed by liberal Democrats to say that he will not allow his personal moral convictions to affect his performance of his public duties. And this is an assurance he has given to them. But what does it all mean? I see it as a golden opportunity. After Judge Roberts is confirmed …
Lowlife Authenticity
Too many parents try to understand the ins and outs of popular culture by trying to study particular artifacts of that culture. But the real thing to get to is the driving engine. What makes it go? What are the foundational presuppositions? If you teach your children to identify those rightly, and to respond in …
A Back Eddy in the Moscow Everglades
Let me begin by inviting the uninterested to just skip this one, a post on one particular backwater eddy in the swamp that has become the Moscow Everglades. At the same time, some may be interested in this feature of our ongoing “rage for diversity” campaign because it is part of the reason that some …