Astonishment What is it about a newborn baby that evokes such a gushing, emotional reaction in us? We’ve all seen infants before; it’s not entirely new in the history of the world. There would be no history as such, if there weren’t a continual renewal of mankind down through generations. And yet, we see a […]
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Strong Gods
Disenchantment In Milan Kundera, I introduced his concept of subjective “lightness of Being,” citing his novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being. I read that book probably 35 years ago, but it sprang to mind instantly upon reading an article by R.R. Reno. He is the editor-in-chief of First Things magazine, and his article published there […]
Read more...Milan Kundera
Milan Kundera wrote The Unbearable Lightness of Being. It resonated with me when I read it in the 80’s, but then I put it aside for lo these many years. Recently I read an important article by R.R. Reno which brought it back to mind. I’ll tell you why in Strong Gods, but first let’s […]
Read more...Pagan Christmas
A sincere believing relative bemoaned the crass commercialization of Christmas. My reaction: “It’s worse than you think.” I mean it cheerfully, actually. I’ll try to explain. People do the whole Christmas thing regardless of their beliefs because it’s fun. There’s nothing inherently evil in it, and there’s some good. So I don’t think there’s any […]
Read more...Rebellion
We’ve come to think of teen rebelliousness as a natural rite of passage, wherein a young man or woman chafes against family restraints on freedom. It seems to be an inevitable result of every person’s desire to be free. Is it inevitable? Yes and no. Yes On the one hand, there is a kind of […]
Read more...Conspiracy Theory
I recently toured the latest and greatest on conspiracy theories about the government. I think it’s interesting that the very phrase, “conspiracy theory,” carries with it the implication that it’s a product of paranoia rather than reality. In that way, it can be dismissed. But wait! Isn’t that what the government wants? My view is […]
Read more...The Runway
In a peculiar way, those days before a person’s inevitable end to this life have a particular heft, so to speak. A feeling of particular consequence. We look at life from a higher vantage point, and better distinguish what is important and real, from what is silly and illusory. What happens next? How can we not […]
Read more...Submission
Review of Submission, by Michel Houellebecq The book is written from the first-person point of view of Francois. He is a scholar specializing in the works of Joris-Karl Huysmans. In many respects, he is Huysmans, except that Huysmans drifted into Catholicism; Francois into Islam. Like Huysmans, Francois is “the misanthropic aesthete and loner” who overcomes […]
Read more...Christian Start-up
Entrepreneurs, small businesses, solo’s: Be careful in your thinking about entrepreneurship and faith. We’re Such Christians There’s potentially a danger in the idea that we’re all a bunch of Christians trying to do good and be Christ-like in the work place. Of course you can be Christians, and if so, of course you want your relationship […]
Read more...The Widening Chasm
The Widening Chasm The history of the western world in 1600 words. Before Christ There was a time when the world was mysterious at every turn. Much was inexplicable to us: what makes plants grow? How do children come from sexual union? What makes the sun rise and set? From ancient times much that was not yet understood […]
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