"The Lord knows our human thoughts; how like a puff of wind they are." (Psalm 94:11)
So a certain elected official in the U.S. recently claimed that it is a “Christian concept” to first “love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community,” and then to continue dwindling downward, as if love were a singular sort of thing, available in a diminishing quantity. This was … Read more
To those of us who follow the Gregorian calendar, today (January 1) is the only day that we pretend exists in its own unique space within time — where what is “present” shifts into some sort of soft focus so that something we call “possibility” can become visible to the camera. Oh sure, every day … Read more
There’s an election of some alleged consequence barreling toward us in a couple of days, of course, and though I am trying very hard to keep any mention of external “news” out of this blog, I can’t help but feel like I have to say something, or allude to something, anyway. My instinct is to … Read more
It seems to me that the most important factor in reading Kierkegaard is exactly how one does it. You can assume, as he himself demanded, that his pseudonyms are individual personae, writing from each one’s particular perspective and experience. Or, you can approach each book as a puzzle, sifting for meaning inside every perplexing sentence … Read more
Recently there was an interesting exchange between Alan Jacobs and Brad East on “enchantment,” or more accurately, “disenchantment,” and its current vogue among, primarily, conservative Christians. (EDIT: I should note that Jacobs’ original post was instigated by David Bentley Hart’s newest book, and DBH is not in any way a conservative Christian.) This post from … Read more
It’s the end of a year and a new one beckons, another way in which we humans try to control things by measuring them. I am as guilty of this sort of thing as any, and probably more than most – how much time have I wasted over the last few years meticulously noting down … Read more
I admire people like Joel Miller who are able to plan out their reading, which seems infinitely preferable to my habit of perusing my to-be-read shelves (now numerous, spanning multiple rooms) waiting for a certain inspired curiosity to fall on my head like, well, a book from a high shelf. But I doubt I will … Read more
A few years ago, a high-concept app called WeCroak gained a bit of buzz in circles both mainstream and religious. Installed on your phone, several times a day the app will send you a reminder that says, “Don’t forget, you’re going to die.” What peace, many wrote, to be reminded that our existence is but … Read more
Returning to Chapter 1 of Ellul’s Presence in the Modern World. (Remember, I’m taking these notes as I go, section by section, so I reserve the right to realize later that I’m making incorrect assumptions and assertions! In other words, maybe I’m getting it wrong; feel free to tell me so.) In my last post, … Read more
I recently read Clare Carlisle’s biography of Kierkegaard; it was illuminating about Kierkegaard, but also a well-written and insightful work in its own right. She writes here about the way in which marriage impacted the life and work of both Kierkegaard and George Eliot. Of SK, she says: “Kierkegaard once wrote that marriage requires complete … Read more