Highlighting two profiles of Weird Al Yankovic, known for his parodies of iconic pop songs and their videos, such as "Eat it!" "Like a Surgeon," "Another One Rides the Bus," "Amish Paradise," and "Smells Like Nirvana." One of the profiles discusses Weird Al--a professing Christian--in terms of vocation.
Should we be most concerned with preserving individual rights and liberties or with promoting the "common good"? Catholic theologians, though, have been debating the meaning of that term. In focusing on "love of neighbor," Luther can help resolve these issues.
Big, densely-populated cities are being hit hardest by the coronavirus epidemic. Big gatherings in general--as in sporting events and conventions--are also losing lose their luster for health reasons. Might this also mean that the vogue of big churches--the era of the megachurch--is ending?
We Lutherans consider every Christian to be a "saint," though at the same time a "sinner." But if Lutherans had a process for recognizing remarkable Christians as "saints," I would nominate Norman Borlaug. The miracle performed by this scientist was to all but eliminate world hunger. And his piety manifested itself in his strong sense of vocation.
In 1968-1969, we had another pandemic very much like this one. The Hong Kong Flu killed 100,000 Americans. But nothing was shut down. Perhaps back then we should have taken more drastic measures. But why are we reacting so differently now?
The coronavirus infects and threatens the lives of individuals. It has also infected and threatens the life of our economy. The symptoms of the economic infection include not only massive unemployment and the shutdown of entire industries, but also bizarre economic distortions.
In what is being described as "genocide," two radical Islamic groups are slaughtering the Christians of northern Nigeria. Among the church bodies most affected is the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, which has over 2 million members.
Bob Dylan has released two new songs--his first in 8 years--giving them free to the world on video: "Murder Most Foul" about the Kennedy assassination as a lens for seeing American culture ever since, and "I Contain Multitudes," about his own contradictions. Here are the videos and thoughts about them.
Camus' novel "The Plague" has special resonance during our coronavirus epidemic. He describes how people in an Algerian town react to a plague that strikes, exploring their reactions--panic, denial, greed, selfishness, compassion, government bungling--and turns it all into a parable. Even when there is no epidemic, we live amidst the plague of death. John Kleinig discusses the novel.
The Christian author and cultural critic Anthony Esolen has written a remarkable new book entitled "The Hundredfold: Songs for the Lord." In his introduction, Esolen reminds us how to read traditional verse, and then he puts it into practice in a series of poems on Christ, the Bible, and salvation.
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