Happy Election Day. I hope you’ve exercised a privilege known to precious few people in human history: voting. I did, much as I was confused by who to vote for in the local soil conservation race. To think I prided myself on being politically engaged as a Christian. While we’re on this topic (of voting, not the Louisville-area soil conservation race), please check out Jessica Prol’s stimulating essay on “Young Evangelicals, Common Ground, and the New Social Witness.” Jessica is a... Read more
An Associated Press story tells an interesting, and not overly popular, story: young adults are increasingly labeling themselves using less liberal terminology than in previous years. Here’s what Martha Irvine says in her noteworthy piece: Tina Wells, head of Buzz Marketing, an agency that tracks the attitudes of young people, has noticed this shift to the right. Her own researchers have found that the youngest adults are much more likely to label themselves “conservative,” ”moderate” or “independent” than older millennials,... Read more
If you’re familiar with Anthony Davis, you’ll know that he was the first pick in the 2012 NBA draft. This may have had little bearing on your life; if so, we will excuse you–though I would encourage you to keep an eye on Jeremy Lin this year. I think he’s going to have a great season. There’s been a good deal of chatter about what Davis can do for the woeful New Orleans Hornets. He can draw more fans, score... Read more
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8) Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world (James 1:27). There has been a great deal of discussion about what, and who, to vote for as an evangelical in this political... Read more
Last week I blogged that I was traveling to Family Research Council in Washington, DC to give the Family Policy Lecture. I was indeed able to give the lecture, entitled “The Sacrificial Witness of the Christian Moral Tradition” (you can watch the video through the link). I’m thankful that, from what I could see, it went over well. In reality, I don’t think I was offering anything especially new. I was merely trying to say what Scripture does: that the... Read more
Just saw this from World magazine: The student-led judiciary at Tufts University, in Medford, Mass., voted last week to revoke official recognition for Tufts Christian Fellowship (TCF), the largest evangelical group on campus. Complaints from a group formed to challenge TCF’s presence on campus prompted the judiciary’s decision. Members of the Tufts Coalition Against Religious Exclusion accused TCF of violating the school’s nondiscrimination policy. Read the whole report here. It is interesting–and deeply disturbing–to see the noose tightening on Christian groups... Read more
Today at 12:30pm I am giving a lecture at the Family Research Council on “The Sacrificial Witness of the Christian Moral Tradition.” In the Family Policy Lecture, I’ll cover such disparate threads as Augustine, Blandina, Rachel Held Evans, Jonathan Franzen, and much more. Here’s the info about the event, which you can live-stream should you be so moved: In today’s world Christianity is often seen as a religious relic of the past. Dr. Owen Strachan issues a clarion call to... Read more
Almost a year ago I blogged on the Tide “Dad Mom” commercial. I had been watching Tim Tebow carve somebody up and buried myself in the New Yorker issue I was reading during breaks in the game. Suddenly some dude pops up on the television and announces himself as a “dad mom.” He had my full attention. I’m not going to unwind the whole issue here. Instead, I want to list some resources that, in God’s providence, I’ve been involved with in... Read more
Greetings and welcome to a new blog over here at the Patheos Evangelical Portal: ThoughtLife. My name is Owen Strachan, and I’ll be blogging here about theology, history, ethics, politics, literature and more. My intent is to provide you with excellent Christocentric cultural engagement. I’m excited by how Patheos is fast becoming a cutting-edge spot for Christian public intellectuals, and I hope to live up to that descriptor here. ******* A recent CNN post by John Blake wonders out loud... Read more
Just posted a new piece at the Gospel Coalition on Sports Illustrated sportswriter Thomas Lake: It may surprise you to learn the finest young sportswriter—perhaps the finest young writer period—in America is a Christian. It’s true: Thomas Lake, all of 31 years of age and currently a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, graduated from Gordon College in Massachusetts. Lake has drawn major attention for his long-form journalism, which expertly mixes soaring set pieces and ground-level investigation. In most cases a journalist excels at... Read more
Thought Life
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