The Boston bombing brings the whole question of terrorism front and center again, and so it is worthwhile to discuss what the point of terrorism is, considered as a tactic. In the case of the Boston horror, we do not yet know which direction the tactic was pushing, but we should make a point of …
Parry, Thrust
Unless we begin our understanding of cultural history with certain key biblical doctrines well in hand, we are going to get hopelessly gummed up. One of the stickiest ways to get gummed up is in the matter of glibly assigning responsibility for the causes of this or that. But before turning to that, let me …
Three Takes on the House
If we are to understand the times we live in, we have to do a better job understanding them, if you catch my meaning. The system, the Establishment, or the Man, as we used to call it, is a ramshackle, rundown dive of a house, greatly in need of some repairs. Let us call this …
Libido Dominandi
One of the things that the pomos get right, at least as far as their own intentions are concerned, is the observation that intellectual frameworks are always rationalizations that are there to help set up the subsequent power play. As a universal explanation, I think that this reveals more about what they are up to …
Lord of the Whole Shebang
What follows is a point that will have to be made again and again in the coming years, but that is no reason not to make it now, right? The reason evangelicals have been outmaneuvered on the politics of same-sex marriage is because modern evangelicalism is now structurally liberal, and they are structurally liberal because …
Nothing In My Experience Like It
Thabiti and I have been discussing a volatile subject for a few weeks now, and nothing has blown up. This morning he published a very gracious and very helpful assessment of the conversation up to this point, which you may find here. He and I are going to attempt, by God’s grace, to bring this …
Suffocated As Well As Shot
Tyranny is a problem, and as with all other problems it must be properly diagnosed before we start proposing solutions. I take it as a given that we are living under what Paul Rahe calls “soft despotism.” While it is true we don’t have to put up with goose-steppers or missile parades, the nanny state …
Hecklers Gonna Heck
I responded briefly to Thabiti’s most recent post on Saturday. He wrote here, and I responded here. But there was one important point he made that required more time than I had, and with everyone’s permission I will get to it now. “Reading your last post, however, I wonder if you might not be stumbling …
Another Rose Hedge Awaits
There are a couple things in Thabiti’s most recent post that I would like to respond to immediately, and then perhaps pick up the thread of the discussion on Monday — after we have all celebrated the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the one in whom all nations, kindreds, peoples, and tongues may dwell …
Trigger Alert Study Bible
Reading the latest two posts by Thabiti, which you may find here and here, I am more convinced than ever that he is a gracious Christian gentleman. I continue to be privileged to be in a discussion with a man of his caliber, and I trust this post of mine will move us farther into …