You could say that the modern world reduced things to atoms, and when it came to social life, especially politics, the modern world reduced everything to individuals. For liberals, a man’s identity and his freedom were sacrosanct, and social institutions had to justify themselves to him. You could go on to say that the post-modern world has split the atom. And finding that individuals are not the stable things modern people thought they were, kings and men are working hard... Read more
A few years back there was a flash of enthusiasm among people who read books published by InterVarsity Press for something called “culture making”. The idea, as I recall, had something to do with creativity, that and the notion that Christians shouldn’t be preoccupied with politics, or even apologetics. The world could use more beautiful things, and if Christians made more of them, they’d be more attractive. If I’ve misrepresented this, please forgive me. But it is the impression I... Read more
I’ve been working my way through a marvelous book by my friend Allan C. Carlson entitled, Family Cycles. The book really should be mandatory reading in every conservative seminary in the land. When I was last with Allan I asked him why, with all the ostensible commitment to the traditional family in places like the Southern Baptist Convention, his books aren’t more widely read among conservative evangelicals. He didn’t know. But reading his latest book should be required for anyone... Read more
Romantic love has destroyed the family. Read more
My convictions about our robot future have vacillated, from fear of robots enervating humanity even further, to respect for the genius of their makers, to now wan hope that they may help revive the household economy. Read more
I’ve been reading essays from Flannery O’Connor’s occasional prose. Since I write fiction, I’m interested in hearing what other authors of fiction have to say about the craft. The collection entitled Mystery and Manners includes an essay entitled, “The Nature and Aim of Fiction”. I came across this passage and started underlining: The kind of vision the fiction writer needs to have, or to develop, in order to increase the meaning of his story is called anagogical vision, and that... Read more
Here I am again with yet another ramble. This is the fifth and final one for material I am using for a paper I will be delivering at The Academy of Philosophy and Letters at its annual conference. You can read my first ramble here, the second you can read here, and here’s the third, and here’s the fourth. (By the way, ad hominem comments will be deleted. And comments that deal with my family members are not only unwelcome, they... Read more
Here I am again with another ramble. This is the fourth in what I hope to be material I can use for a paper I will be delivering at The Academy of Philosophy and Letters at its annual conference. You can read my first ramble here, the second you can read here, and here’s the third. Now onto part 4: The pessimist in me can see all the reasons this will never work just as well as you can. But the... Read more
Here I am again, with you another of my rambles. This is the third in what I hope to be material I can use for a paper I will be delivering at The Academy of Philosophy and Letters at its annual conference. You can read my first ramble here, and the second you can read here. Now onto today’s ramble: ___ I think it is safe to say we wouldn’t have households at all, even in the degenerate state they’re... Read more
Throughout the world, in both the East and the West, households were once religious institutions. This shouldn’t surprise us. Read more
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