A controversy has broken out among evangelical Christians on whether Christians should fight the culture or try to be accepted by it. The focus is on the leaders, the evangelical elite. Are they too eager for acceptance by the mainstream journalists, academics, and their social peers in the professional class?
Historian Nadya Williams discusses the concept in ancient Rome of "otium," or leisure, as opposed to "negotium," or busy-ness. The ideal was "otium," which allowed for the life of the mind. But since someone had to do the work, this mindset was connected to the rise of slavery. Christianity, though, with its doctrine of vocation, would place a new value on work.
The Bible assigns a very high status to old people. But it doesn't draw back from the miseries of old age. And it gives a special promise to the elderly.
Harvard professor James Hankins notes that classical education used to be associated with the elite. But today's revival of classical education is "countercultural" and "populist." And that's a good thing.
Today I attain my Biblical allotment of three score years and ten, that is to say, 70 years. Everything else will be extra. Some thoughts on the advantages of getting old and reflections on Psalm 90
One of the puzzles in J. R. R. Tolkien's Hobbit and Lord of the Rings sagas is who--or what--is Tom Bombadil? After failing to find out--even from expert sources--I have finally come across an answer. . . .
Because of the COVID restrictions, thousands of thousands of sermons from all kinds and sizes of churches are online. Which means that researchers can now study them. Here are some of the findings.
What if the 52% of Republicans and 41% of Democrats get their wish to split the United States into a separate Red Country and Blue Country? What would that look like?
A billlion is a thousand million. But a trillion is a million million.
How wrestling with the ideas of Ayn Rand--her attacks on Christianity and her "virtue of selfishness"--way back in high school jump started my spiritual pilgrimage.
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