In 2020, pop-star Cardi B. rocked the music world with her ultra-vulgar song “WAP.” While I will not reproduce the song’s lyrics here, it may be necessary to click on the above link and examine, albeit briefly, its lyrics. In doing so, one hopefully experiences some shock at, what can only be called, an ode to sexual barbarism. That said, such vulgarity should not be too surprising to anyone who has immersed themselves in the biblical story. Nor should it shock... Read more
In a sinful world, one reality particularly hard to digest is when innocent people are punished on account of the guilty. Children, for example, suffer for the sin of divorcing parents. The children are not guilty, it was never their choice. Still, they suffer punishment. This punishment is different from someone who is the direct victim of sinful intent, like a mugger and his prey. Nor is it akin to suffering the natural consequences of one’s own actions, like a... Read more
Living in Germany in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s was a unique experience. At that time Germany was truly a culture in flux. The Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle) of the 1950’s was now a full generation old. The EU and the Euro had just arrived on the scene and countries were struggling with this new, corporate identity. Globalization and the Americanization of German culture was obvious and, as an American overseas, rather irritating. Migrants from Africa and the Middle East flowed... Read more
Broadly speaking, reflection on the human condition can take one of two tracks: a logical, scientific analysis or an existential, experiential one. Approaches and methods that emerged during the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment have led to incredible insight into what kind of physical creatures we are. This mode of reasoning has also given us incredible knowledge of the universe in which we live. Physics, chemistry and biology have, in one sense, unlocked many mysteries about life in the cosmos.... Read more
As the terror of COVID-19 wanes in the West it seems appropriate to do two things. First, to carefully reflect on the response of government to the pandemic. Second, to assess our cultural attitude toward death and dying. With regard to the former, there will be great controversy. This will especially be the case as the corruption and incompetence that informed key decisions comes to light. With regard to the latter, there may be less controversy, at least in the... Read more
In the first two posts of this series I argued that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is 1) not a truth-oriented project and 2) that CRT is inherently and only political. My goal in this series is, ultimately, to warn about CRT as a terrible means to an even worse end. It is not to argue that CRT scholars have nothing interesting to say or that they do not make some valuable points on a few, microscopic social issues. It is... Read more
In the previous post, I claimed there are three core features of Critical Race Theory (CRT) that are harmful to human beings. These features are: 1) CRT is not truth-oriented, 2) CRT is inherently and only political, and 3) that CRT is moralistic. In this second essay, I outline how CRT is purely political and why that matters to human flourishing. Feature #2: CRT is Inherently and Only Political In part 1, I noted that Critical Theories, unlike traditional or... Read more
Critical Race Theory now pervades almost every corner of American society. It is in schools, government, entertainment, sports and, yes, in churches and seminaries. It is an unavoidable monstrosity, one greatly misunderstood by Christians, and, well, most everybody else. This is, in part, because it is not entirely coherent in itself. Reasons for Critical Theory’s “ineffable” nature will hopefully become transparent below. However, one Christian philosopher, and CRT advocate, inadvertently alludes to why so many fail to comprehend CRT: This... Read more
In his seminal analysis on the rise and dominance of secularism in the West, A Secular Age, Catholic philosopher Charles Taylor explores the thought of controversial Roman Catholic theologian, Ivan Illich. For Illich, who fled Austria in 1942 and was ordained a priest in 1951 in Rome, the greatest threat to the Gospel was the institutionalization of Christianity, especially in its modern form. Illich’s critique of the Church, not just in the West but throughout its oriental history, caused him... Read more
The Portrait of Dorian Gray One of the most terrifying works of art ever conceived in the mind of a man and executed by the skill of his hand, is the 7-foot tall painting of Dorian Gray by the 20th-century artist Ivan Albright. This monstrosity hangs in the halls of the Chicago Art Institute, and one could say that anyone who can withstand looking at it for longer than a few minutes might rightly be suspected of either having a... Read more
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