George Will on President Trump
“…the problem isn’t that he does not know this or that, or that he does not know that he does not know this or that. Rather, the dangerous thing is that he does not know what it is to know something.
His fathomless lack of interest in America’s path to the present and his limitless gullibility leave him susceptible to being blown about by gusts of factoids that cling like lint to a disorderly mind.”
The rest is here:
HT: John Fea
The following came to me in a burst of inspiration. Some will undoubtedly debate the inspiration part!
My nine word sentence that reveals much about evangelical America:
“Harry Potter is demonic, but Trump is King David.”
Though it is a little over 200 pages Barry Hankins has packed quite a bit into this little/big book.
There is much to learn from this fine book, but I will limit myself to three things.
First, Hankins does a fine job of demonstrating the impossibility of having good Christian practice when it is shorn of Christian doctrine. Wilson was a learned man, but terribly naive when it came to thinking there could be solid ethics without solid theology.
Second, there is fascinating background on Princeton and other educational matters. Wilson lived during a pivotal point in American education. The Johns Hopkins University, where Wilson did his PhD, was the first American school to adopt the German model of specialization. It was a seismic change for the American educational landscape.
Last, I love to read biographies where you learn some truly surprising things about the subject and the times he/she lived in. Hankins does a nice job here. Among other things, you will probably be surprised to find out how fun and light-hearted Wilson could be.
If you are looking for a biography on Wilson that covers the full man, but isn’t unduly long, this is a terrific choice.
https://www.amazon.com/Benedict-Option-Strategy-Christians-Post-Christian/dp/0735213291
Scholars are rarely prophets and prophets are rarely scholars. I was reminded of this in reading the much debated, The Benedict Option by Rod Dreher.
Rod Dreher, journalist and outspoken Christian, is decidedly on the prophetic side of the scholar-prophet spectrum. This, however, does not mean that he is incapable of helping us better understand the far-reaching and practical ramifications of something as arcane as nominalism.
We must say right out of the blocks that Dreher’s book is not a jeremiad screed to head for the hills. Rather, Dreher advocates for “exile in place.” The preposition is key. We are to cultivate faithfulness with other like-minded folks not simply to hunker down in our religious enclaves. We should form these counter-cultural communities to strengthen our capacity to engage, not escape, our world. This is a clarion call by a gifted writer to let the church be the church.
I have my disagreements with some of Dreher’s analysis and antidotes. With respect to the former, Dreher is insufficiently aware of what the Protestant Reformers meant by sola Scriptura. As Keith Mathison memorably puts it, sola Scpritura does not mean solo Scriptura. Among other things, leaning on the thesis in Brad Gregory’s The Unintended Reformation made for a potted history. Dreher would have been greatly helped if he had availed himself of the work of either Mathison or D.H. Williams, especially his Retrieving the Tradition and Renewing Evangelicalism: a Primer for Suspicious Protestants.
As to antidotes, I don’t share Dreher’s sweeping denunciation of public schools. For the record, our two sons attended Christian schools, had a few years of homeschooling, and went to public high schools. All three have their strengths and weaknesses. Sure, public schools can be a mess. I saw incompetent teachers and weak administrators, but I also saw bogus rules, unprincipled administrators and mean teachers at the Christian school. My experience, it needs to be noted, was both as a parent and a part-time teacher.
Dreher is rightly concerned about the corrosive effects of “moralistic, therapeutic, Deism.” I share his concerns. I also share Dreher’s conviction that “losing political power might just be the thing that saves the church’s soul.” As many have said, the church seems the most vital (and prophetic) when it works from the margins of power. Notwithstanding its shortcomings, Dreher’s book is a good reminder of that reality.
I’ve just finished a terrific book on John Newton by Tony Reinke. Several years back, I read Jonathan Aitken’s wonderful biography of Newton. Tony’s book (interview with the author this fall) focuses more on themes that emerge from the letters of Newton.
https://www.amazon.com/John-Newton-Disgrace-Amazing-Grace/dp/1433541815
https://www.amazon.com/Newton-Christian-Life-Live-Christ/dp/1433539713/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
The section on politics has much food for thought. If you know about Newton’s life, you know he was not anti-political. His encouragement for his friend, William Wilberforce, to go into the political sphere, is one example. However, Newton did understand better than most that getting consumed with politics has many traps. Here are a few quotes from Newton:
“There is a peace passing understanding, of which the politicians cannot deprive us.”
At the beginning of the French Revolutionary Wars in 1793 Newton wrote, “The whole compass of my politics lies in Psalm 76:10”:
Surely the wrath of God shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt.
“A nation’s safety lies more in the prayers of its people than in the fleets of its navy.”
Just two minutes, but very much worth your time! HT: Francis Beckwith
The eminent Catholic scholar, Michael Novak, has died. His quiet genius influenced many of the more popular names you may know. In any case, there is a nice tribute to him below.
One of the best quotes from him on the possibility of humans creating some utopia: “To know oneself is to disbelieve in utopia. To seek realism is to learn mercy.”
There are many things that certainly could be debated about what was said in Trump’s speech. One is not debatable, at least among Christians. Trump mentioned that God will protect us. Yes, we should pray for God’s protection, but we can’t simply invoke that God will protect us. Did God protect us on 9/11? If the answer is yes, then what does protection mean? If the answer is no, then how can we be confident God will protect us now?
Many Christians are in great need of a slower read through the book of Jeremiah. We are not Israel (or Judah) to be sure which actually makes the point above. If God did not protect the only nation He ever chose to be a light to the Gentiles, how can we believe God is indebted to protect us?!
In my own interactions I’ve found the hardened categories of liberal and conservative, or left and right, to be confusing and not helpful. Too many claim these labels without knowing what they mean.
I’ve never had difficulties interacting, even debating, with liberals in the best sense of that word, or conservatives in the best sense of that word. I have had much difficulty with illiberals who think they are liberals, and conspiratorial folks who claim conservatism. Neither are very knowledgeable of political philosophy or history.