Web Browsing- Professors' Liberalism Contagious? Maybe Not - NYTimes.com 3 November 2008Do liberal faculty affect the political leanings of students? These people say no. But let's look a little deeper. One author says "it is really hard to change the mind of anyone over 15." Does this mean that the average American thinks about politics now the same way he did when he was 15? Yikes. It appears to imply that political opinions are not firmly rooted in ideas, but in feelings and prejudices. The article also suggests that the real problem is that students aren't actually being educated. They aren't getting the "good stuff." In fact, this may be the root of the problem. Even if students don't buy the liberalism of their teachers, they don't get much else either. Notable deficiencies appear in political and military history, especially of the West, but also include traditional literary criticism (and probably content), civics, and economics.
- Obama, Shaman by Michael Knox Beran, City Journal Summer 2008 3 November 2008Beran brilliant combines culture, religion, and literature into a powerful commentary on the religious aspects of Barack Obama's candidacy. The article is rich (and lengthy), but certainly worth digesting.
- Obama and the Politics of Crowds - WSJ.com 30 October 2008Fouad Ajami offers a rich and culturally insightful glimpse into Senator Obama's magic. He draws upon broad themes and key historical features of American cultural history to make his case for caution. Perhaps most telling is his observation about an American distinctive. Whereas the rest of the world champions equality, American has championed liberty. Obama offers the former, and the current financial panic has suspended Americans' faith in the latter. Consequently, we are on the verge of electing someone who inspires in the way a relgious leader, a messiah, does. But the religious hype quickly fades and people realize too late that they have been fleeced.
- America's Most Overrated Product: the Bachelor's Degree - Chronicle.com 24 October 2008Chronicle of Higher Ed points out the pointlessness of most bachelor's degrees.
- Professors' Liberalism Contagious? Maybe Not - NYTimes.com 3 November 2008
Nov
28
Thanksgiving Break
Filed Under News | Leave a Comment
I got an entire week off of school for Thanksgiving break. Saturday, November 17 we drove over to Johnson City, TN for the Tucker Thanksgiving meal. The Tuckers are Dad Garlands family. We had a nice time and tons of good food. We stayed in Radford Monday and Tuesday with the hopes that Andrew would get some subbing jobs. He worked half days both days. As soon as he was done Tuesday we loaded the car and headed to Greenville.
Our visit was pretty busy. I went to a baby shower Tuesday night and got together with my girlfriends Friday afternoon. The rest of the time was spent juggling family time with my parents, grandparents from Michigan, Aunt and Uncle, and Andrew’s family. I felt like we were running around all the time.
Thursday we had Thanksgiving dinner with my family at 12:30, and then went to the Garland’s around 4:30 for their Thanksgiving dinner.
While we were in Greenville God used several family members to provide for our needs. We are so thankful for them! Andrew starts a temporary job tomorrow that will last through February. I’m still waiting to find out if I’m eligible for financial aid so I can be in school next semester. Two more weeks of school until Christmas break!
Nov
6
Rhetoric in Christianity
Filed Under Philosophy | 8 Comments
I’ve been reading a lot recently by some very liberal guys. My current read is Richard Hofstadter. I’ve read his essay on the “paranoid style” in American politics and now I’m reading Anti-Intellectualism in American Life. He has little use for fundamentalist Christians, especially the evangelists of the 20s (i.e. Billy Sunday). But he also criticizes John Dewey for writing things that no one could understand. In fact, he suggests that much of Dewey’s fame and influence came from those who couldn’t understand him.
But to the point at hand. Christians don’t explain the Gospel very well. We struggle to present a coherent, cogent narrative of God’s work. We don’t know where to start, so we return to formulas and gimmicks. But God’s Truth is too big for little tricks.
Beyond our trouble with evangelism, we constantly fight to focus our behavior by our faith. I have wondered for some time if we don’t make Christianity too difficult, even for ourselves. I suspect that we don’t really understand God’s program all that well. Other ideas, even good ones, sweep us up into tradition and habit, and eventually we lose sight of the big picture.
Camille Lewis wrote a recent post that suggests a way for us to recapture some of the simplicity of the Gospel. Her observations are worth your time.1
- note: I don’t necessarily endorse everything at this link, just as I don’t endorse completely anything I link to–or even everything on this site.
back↩