The Dogmat Saw Pakistani Jazz, Gnostics and Small, Petty Men

This week the Dogmat saw a string orchestra from Pakistan, Robert Barron on modern variants of gnosticism, Julie Davis on being petty, and a host of other things.

Pakistani Musicians Play Amazing Version of ‘Take Five’: And so they do, although the Dogmat isn’t sure the sitar (the Dogmat thinks it’s a sitar) is really a jazz instrument. Two wags and a shrill yip.

On Small, Petty Men and Loving One Another: Julie Davis on how she manages to defuse her worser self, with bonus C.S. Lewis and Simpsons references. Three wags for practical Christian living.

Bruce Jenner, the “Shadow Council”, and St. Irenaeus: Fr. Robert Barron’s thoughts on gnosticism and hatred of the body. Human beings are body-and-soul together, not souls trapped in bodies. (Which raises the question: do Dogmats go to heaven?) Three wags for pertinent theology.

Preparing for the Possibility of a North Korean Collapse: And it just might, and if it does it won’t be pretty. Can you say Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo? Three shrill yips.

Women of Christ Wednesday: Leah Libresco: Monique Ocampo interviews Leah Libresco about her book Arriving at Amen, and asks all the questions the Dogmat didn’t. Three wags.

4 Ways to Make Catholicism More Attractive To The World: Put the focus back on Jesus. Remember your own story, and use it. Desire mercy, not judgement. Listen and remain. The Dogmat awards the coveted Four Wags, one for each way.

Daniel Barenboim designs ‘radical new piano’: Apparently modern grand pianos cross the bass strings over the middle and treble strings in an X pattern. But there was a time when pianos were made with parallel strings; and evidently this changes the “color” of the registers. So Barenboim has designed a piano with all the modern advances but a traditional string layout. Could be interesting! One wag, for general interest.

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photo credit: The British Library, Public Domain