I don’t often post an essay on this blog that has no discernable connection to either philosophy or the life of faith. Today’s essay is an exception. Every once in a while, I find myself compelled to weigh in on a pressing contemporary social/political issue–this is one of those times. As you’ll read, there’s a personal connection here. I also believe that there are plenty of philosophy and faith connections to be made; I’ll leave it to you to let... Read more
One of the many positive things that happened to me during the months of pandemic shutdown was discovering podcasts. I began listening to them as I rode my bike in the basement during the winter months when I couldn’t ride outside–I now have at least twenty podcasts in my Spotify “favorites.” One of the best is a podcast called “Renegades,” a series of seven or eight hour-long conversations between Barack Obama and Bruce Stringsteen. In one of the episodes, Springsteen... Read more
Some have entertained angels unawares Hebrews 11:2 I’ve never known what to make of angels. I was bombarded with stories involving them as a youngster, from the angel chasing Adam and Eve out of Eden, to the one who wrestles with Jacob, to the one who brings bizarre news to Zechariah and Mary and the one who sits having a morning coffee on top of the stone that’s been rolled away from the empty tomb on Easter morning. But my favorite... Read more
In a recent episode of “The Chosen,” a multi-year cinematic treatment of the life of Jesus that is almost finished with its second season, Jesus has a private conversation with his relative John the Baptist (known to Jesus’ disciples as “Creepy John”). They clearly have known each other since they were boys; they not only are friends, but also have a strong sense of each other’s calling. John, appropriately scraggly as one would expect a guy who eats locusts and... Read more
This week, my preliminary work on my next book project–a teaching memoir tentatively entitled Nice Work If You Can Get It–takes me to an essay from four years ago that begins with my attendance at one of my least favorite events in the academic life: an academic conference. Before long, the main question of the essay, a question that all persons of faith eventually ask, is clear. Is there anyone home up there? God would have us know that we... Read more
After several years at sea rescuing besieged towns from monsters, slaying the Minotaur, and doing the things that mythical Greek heroes do, Theseus has decided that it’s time for he and his crew to take some well-deserved R and R. The name of the famous hero’s ship has been lost in antiquity—let’s call it the “Tachus,” after the ancient Greek word for “swift.” The Tachus has served Theseus and his entourage well over the years, but the ship is badly... Read more
I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of Independence Day. I fully appreciate what it stands for, but do not appreciate the various ways in which we Americans tend to trivilize and commercialize the day, just as we manage to do with Christmas, Thanksgiving, and virtually every other holiday that supposedly stands for more than something than just a day off and/or spending a lot of money. I’ve always had an edgy relationship with over-the-top displays of... Read more
A week ago, I described a proposal concerning access to my services that I proposed to my students during a recent course. A Modest Proposal: Should My Time Be For Sale? We were studying Michael Sandel’s What Money Can’t Buy, an exploration of how in our contemporary world market economies are generating market societies, societies in which ideas and values that have traditionally been considered as outside or above being reduced to numbers and dollar signs are gradually being sucked... Read more
As Independence Day approaches, there are many reasons to be hopeful. Things are continuing to open up and move toward the “normal” that we’ve spent the last year and a half pining for. Close to 70% of adults in this country have received at least one Covid-19 vaccination. The former guy is, thankfully, the former guy. Yet millions of Americans continue to believe the big lie, Republicans in Congress are uninterested in safeguarding the vote for all American citizens, white... Read more
As we continue to move toward “normalcy” after close to a year-and-a-half of pandemic shut down of various forms, I hear more and more often in the news about the problem of people who prefer to remain on government help rather than return to work. I do not claim to be fully informed about this dynamic, but it is certainly telling that the states most often reporting these problems are also states in which the pre-pandemic minimum wage was at... Read more
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