This or That?

Last updated on: September 15, 2017 at 12:24 pm By Vance Morgan

I got into an interesting conversation the other day with someone who insisted that on the particular issue we were discussing, “all or nothing” was the rule—either one took one position or the other, with no room for nuance. The issue was an important one, but this “all or nothing,” “either/or” attitude is not unusual. Human beings are hard-wired to categorize things, including each other. This is a survival skill honed over the millennia through the evolutionary process. Faced with... Read more

Too Soon

Last updated on: November 30, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

Just before Thanksgiving a year ago a wonderful colleague and friend from my college died in a tragic accident–much too soon. This was my remembrance of Siobhan, who is still greatly missed by all on campus. Thanksgiving Break last week was a bit less relaxing than usual for Jeanne and me because, even though we are the old people in our immediate family, we did the traveling this year. We met on the day before Thanksgiving twenty-seven years ago; because... Read more

Get Thee Behind Me, Santa

Last updated on: November 27, 2015 at 8:40 am By Vance Morgan

Today is Black Friday, on my shortlist of candidates for the stupidest day of the year. I hope there will be lines outside the polling places on the first Tuesday of November next year as long as those lined up outside Walmart, Target, Toys ‘R’ Us and other cathedrals of capitalism this morning. A bit over a year ago I reflected on related issues. Enjoy, and weekend after Thanksgiving! Autumn is my favorite season, and this year’s version in New England has been even... Read more

Jesus is Riding a Dinosaur, and other observations

Last updated on: November 18, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

The next time someone says something like “These are $130 headphones that I bought for $30,” I’ll respond “I guess that makes them $30 headphones.” Phrases and words that should never again be used in movie or book reviews: “Tour de force.” “Electrifying.” “Astounding.” “Spectacular.” “Jaw-dropping.” To the professional photographer taking family pictures for the church photo album: Posing people in their 50s, 60s and 70s in contortions appropriate only for younger folks could lead to problems. We’ll send you... Read more

Welders and Philosophers

Last updated on: November 13, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

After attempting to watch significant portions of the first three debates among the multitude of candidates for the Republican nomination for President, I chose not to watch round four the other night, figuring I could catch the high or low lights the next day on line. I was greeted with the following lead from Slate.com: It was a tough night for philosophers at the fourth GOP debate. To make a point about skills training, Sen. Marco Rubio said the world... Read more

It’s a Mystery

Last updated on: November 11, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

The brand new installment in Elizabeth George’s Lynley/Havers mystery series just arrived–Jeanne and I are in disagreement about who gets to read it first. I am reminded of what I wrote a year ago about my love of mystery novels . . . “When you aren’t reading philosophy, what do you like to read?” he asked. This had all the makings of a loaded question. When the president of the college where you are interviewing for a tenure track... Read more

A Green Mountain Boy

Last updated on: November 6, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

The candidacy of Senator Bernie Sanders for the Democratic Party nomination for President over the past few months has put the little State of Vermont on everyone’s radar screen—a screen that more often than not it has avoided during my lifetime. One of the many activities my family used to entertain ourselves during our occasional trips from New England to the West Coast during my growing up summers was to see how many days it took us to see license... Read more

Christians and Political Advocacy

Last updated on: October 31, 2015 at 5:16 pm By Vance Morgan

My article “Christians in the Public Square,” in which I address the question “At what point does political advocacy on the part of Christians distort or compromise the Christian message?” was published on line two days ago . . . here’s the link. I would love to hear your comments and thoughts! Christians in the Public Square Read more

Saint Keurig

Last updated on: October 28, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

She is the patron saint of efficiency, streamlined design, good taste and caffeine. Her name languished in obscurity for centuries, but she has recently become everyone’s favorite saint. And she has changed my life. Coffee has been a part of my life since I became conscious, but my mother did not drink coffee. This is surprising, since she was the product of several generations of Swedish farmers; Swedes are famous for the mass quantities of coffee they can consume. My... Read more

Book Geek Problems

Last updated on: October 26, 2015 at 7:30 am By Vance Morgan

Two months ago President Obama and Marilynne Robinson had a lengthy conversation, not about foreign or domestic policy, economics or politics in general. The conversation, under the guise of an interview for the NY Times Review of Books, happened because the President is a big fan of Robinson’s work. I get that–so am I. I just finished her collection of essays When I Was a Child I Read Books this morning; the final essay “Cosmology” began with this description of Edgar... Read more

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