Imagine that some righteous German, a man very much like Bonhoeffer, had managed to kill Adolf Hitler a few years earlier than he actually died, and thus prevented the death of millions of soldiers and innocents. Would that have been cause for celebration? I am beginning a periodic series called With Distinction, in which I will make conceptual distinctions that can, I think, help folks navigate issues under debate in the public square right now. Please subscribe if you want... Read more
You’ve got to hand it to the Brits: they know how to do pomp and circumstance. The entry of Catherine Middleton into Westminster Cathedral is something to behold (it starts at 1:30): I confess: I’m a sucker for weddings. In part this is because I’ve had the honor of officiating over several of them. It’s a remarkable thing to share with a loved one in one of the most important moments of their lives. As the officiant, you have the... Read more
A guest post at Scot McKnight’s Jesus Creed, from philosopher/author Jeff Cook, suggests that “the debate over Love Wins is not actually a fight only about doctrine. It is about angst caused by different cultures and philosophical precommitments.” The anger directed at Bell is partly because he “intimidates some because he is part of [an urban, postmodern] culture they do not understand and cannot control,” and because of “envy and resentment of a very talented man” and (to paraphrase) a sense... Read more
David French, whose column is published at Patheos’ Evangelical Portal, forwarded this video from Students for Life. You can pick him out in the video – he’s the guy who looks like he spends zero time combing his hair and plenty of time fighting legal battles, writing opinion columns, playing World of Warcraft online, and being an all-around awesome family man. What do you think? Are we nearing a tipping point on abortion? Is it remotely possible that abortion might... Read more
It’s taking me longer than I had hoped to write my own review of the famously hip Rob Bell’s famously controversial new book, Love Wins, but in the meantime I wanted to offer what I hope is a helpful framework for understanding some of the issues at hand. I happen to believe that only 10-20% of the controversy is really about universalism. The greater part of the controversy is about the questions behind the questions — progressive accommodation to contemporary culture... Read more
I learned yesterday evening that the great soul, Bill Stuntz, a professor at Harvard Law School and an extraordinary example of faith, humility and integrity in the face of great suffering, succumbed at last to cancer and passed away. I feel for his family, and I feel for my friends, some of whom have lost two friends in recent weeks in Bill and Peter Gomes. I wrote an article late last night, and published it this morning, called “Home to... Read more
Beginning tomorrow, Patheos is hosting a discussion of Rob Bell’s controversial new book, Love Wins. I’ve posted some opening thoughts already. The fate of non-believers is one of the most challenging issues facing evangelicals today, in part because it tends to divide evangelical on generational, cultural and social-political lines. It also unearths a whole host of related issues, such as the authority of scripture, the work of Christ, and the nature of God. We thought it would be worthwhile to... Read more
To believe in hell is not to be hateful. And to defend the truth as you see it is not to be angry, arrogant or abusive. The truth matters, and we are not free to rearrange the truth to suit our preferences. If there is a hell, then it would be unloving in the extreme to say that there is not. The world loves the “love” that gives its blessing to what the world wants to do and believe. Yet... Read more
Thoughts on the revolutions in Tunisia, Egypt and elsewhere, from Ari Shavit of Ha’aretz: Processes that have been roiling beneath the surface for about a decade are suddenly bursting out in an intifada of freedom. Modernization, globalization, telecommunications and Islamization have created a critical mass that cannot be stopped. The example of democratic Iraq is awakening others, and Al Jazeera’s subversive broadcasts are fanning the flames. And so the Tunisian bastille fell, the Cairo bastille is falling and other Arab... Read more
And here we are at the end of all things. No, wait a minute, it’s just the end of our series on Amy Chua’s “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior.” Chua, by the way, has responded to some reader questions at the Wall Street Journal, and is far less irritating than the voice that came through in the original piece (which was excerpted from her book). Still, I am responding to the initial article. Some Tiger Moms (and Dads) have responded... Read more
Philosophical Fragments
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