Quite an Aesthetic Treat

It is a tad exasperating, but then one recalls one’s Calvinism again, and everything’s okay. I refer, of course, to the questions of high theology that have now beset the contenders for the Republican nomination for president. I shall respond briefly (and with my customary moderation) by means of three basic points. First, the fracas …

Pick-Up Trucks With American Flags on Them

Most people only know half of Stephen Decatur’s famous toast — “my country, right or wrong.” But the whole thing was much more admirable. “My country, may she always be right. But my country, right or wrong.” The abbreviated version makes it sound like national interest is the only standard that a full-tilt patriot would …

Redemptive/Historical Embarrassment

When we look at what is happening to the culture around us, and we recognize that so much of the destruction is avoidable, and we consider also the fact that the people implementing these suicidal policies are not idiots — and indeed exhibit an intelligence of the highest order in other areas, the conclusion appears …

Maybe We Could Quit in the Third Quarter

This recent collection of quotes basically present an interesting question to us. What are the implications of Christendom being, as the authors argue, “done”? Well, if you are a Christian, and Christendom really is done, then the obvious answer is to rebuild it. Right? Frost and Hirsch argue that this situation “will require that we …

Seven Memes for Keeping Christians in their Place

Among other things, a meme is a little bit of a verbal virus that gets passed around in a culture, like the common cold. After it gets passed around enough, people start to think it is the received wisdom. That said, here are seven memes that are common in our culture, and which have been …

War! What Is It Good For? Absolutely . . . Actually It Does Do Some Good Things

I got a thoughtful letter from a friend asking about the war motif that runs through a bunch of our stuff here in Moscow. My dad’s formative book is called Principles of War.  There is the Canon Press tag “Publishing Is Warfare” that we have had around here for a few decades now. There is …

Wiener Schnitzel is UnAmerican

Details are just beginning to emerge about some American atrocities in Afghanistan. Some of the individuals accused are already on trial, which is at it should be. The presenting problem for the politicos and spin doctors in this situation appears to be the fact that there are allegedly supposed to be a multitude of photographs …