Archives for category: Culture

Briefly Noted: The Wreck of Western Culture

Don’t say you were never told. John Carroll’s The Wreck of Western Culture is one of the most underappreciated volumes published in recent memory.[1] Readers beware, however. Carroll’s book is for readers who like their coffee strong (the book is more like a Green Eye than a Café au Lait), … Read More »

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Building God-Centered Universities: A Call for Transdisciplinarity in Christian Higher Education

Several weeks ago, I had the privilege of participating in a consultation on “Transdisciplinary Scholarship” sponsored by the Paideia Centre for Public Theology in Ontario, Canada. The meeting lasted for two days and was populated by thirteen scholars or public figures including Craig Bartholomew, R. R. Reno, Hunter Baker, Claudia … Read More »

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Briefly Noted: Hail to the Chiefs: Should the USA Opt for Co-Presidencies?

In a recent article in The Chronicle Review, David Orentlicher argues that two are better than one, at least when it comes to the United States Presidency.[1] Citing falling approval ratings, intractable political scuffles between the President (past and present) and Congress, and abuses of executive power (e.g., Watergate and … Read More »

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Some Reflections on the Seminary, the Church, and the Academy

Should the theological school be considered an “academic” enterprise? Or is it a “churchly” endeavor? Yes and yes. Or, so says Richard Mouw in his recent monograph, The Challenges of Cultural Discipleship. In the next-to-last chapter, “The Seminary, the Church, and the Academy,” Mouw argues that the theological school is … Read More »

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Honoring “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”

HONORING “LETTER FROM A BIRMINGHAM JAIL By Mark Liederbach with Tom Iversen April 16th marked the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from the Birmingham Jail.” Many (including us) rank his letter as one of greatest pieces of American literature ever written.  It is at once a … Read More »

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John Piper on the Courage To Go To Prison

The following thoughts come from a recent conversation I had with John Piper during the Advance Conference. I believe I am reflecting Piper’s words accurately, even though they are recorded here from my memory of the conversation, not verbatim. “I sometimes think of John the Baptist’s death, how absurd it … Read More »

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Briefly Noted: Why Scholars Tend to Be Awful Writers

Hmmff. In a recent blog post, “On Writing Well,” Stephen M. Walt (Professor of International Affairs, Harvard University) tackles the question of why academic writing is often quite poor.[1] Walt believes there are some real reasons why academic writing suffers, but this is not because either “no one encourages future … Read More »

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Briefly Noted: The Redemptive Nature of Laughter (Or, Why an Atheist Can and Can’t Get Jokes)

Now this one caught my attention. In a recent edition of Times Literary Supplement Tim Lewens reviews Daniel C. Dennett’s recent book on the nature of humor, Inside Jokes: Using Humor to Reverse-Engineer the Mind.[1] It caught my attention because Dennett is an atheist, which I think uniquely handicaps him … Read More »

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Briefly Noted: On Communism, Fascism, Liberalism, & the Search for a Utopia

I’ll see your one, and raise you another. In a recent edition of the Times Literary Supplement, John Gray reviews Vladimir Tismaneanu’s The Devil in History, which provides an extended criticism of communism in relation to fascism.[1] Gray’s account of Tismaneanu’s book spurred me to mediate some of his thoughts … Read More »

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Briefly Noted: “Is the Lecture Dead?”

In a recent essay in The Atlantic Richard Gunderman discusses the recent pedagogical trends in medical, dental, and nursing schools.[1] One trend is that the traditional “lecture” is going the way of the deceased patient. Yet Gunderman believes there may yet be life and hope for the academic lecture. Medical … Read More »

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