On Fridays I share articles/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom.
Things Glen Found Interesting
- Pastor, Am I A Christian? (Nicholas Kristof, NY Times): Skeptical but interested public intellectual invites Tim Keller to answer his questions about Christianity and then publishes the conversation. #goals (recommended by a student)
- Free Pastor Andrew: Christians Rally for Missionary Jailed in Turkey (Kate Shellnut, Christianity Today) : “Turkey has accused multiple pastors of being ‘a threat to national security.’”
- China’s Great Leap Backward (James Fallows, The Atlantic): “This assessment implies that U.S. attention should be focused on getting through an upcoming time of difficulty, which could last years or decades, without panicking that history now seems to favor the repressive Chinese model of governance.” This is a long piece, but the issue is an important one and it is worth your time. For some sorta semi-related thoughts on Russia, read The Russian Question by Niall Ferguson: “the United States should be closer to each of Russia and China than they are to one another.”
- How Outrageous Are the New North Carolina Laws? (Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution) is helpful, and for some perspective read History Can Teach Both Parties (John Hood, Carolina Journal). The most alarmist view I have seen is North Carolina Is No Longer Classified as a Democracy, an op-ed by a political science professor at UNC.
- Why the Catholic Church sometimes turns to science to investigate miracles (Kelsey Dallas, Deseret News): “The patient is still alive, posing an ongoing challenge to scientific researchers. ‘I have zero explanation for why she’s alive. She does,’ Duffin said.”
- Why Oxford Dictionary’s 2016 Word of the Year Matters (Ravi Zacharias, Gospel Coalition): “There is an ultimate cry for justice in every heart. Justice counts on the truth. Without those two realities, civilization will die.” Recommended by a student.
- The Impact of Holy Land Crusades on State Formation: War Mobilization, Trade Integration, and Political Development in Medieval Europe (Lisa Blaydes and Christopher Paik, International Organization): “Areas with high levels of crusader mobilization witnessed more political stability in the centuries to follow. The causal mechanism that we put forward is that the departure of relatively large numbers of European landed elites for the Holy Land reduced the absolute number of elites who might serve as challengers to the king.” File away under explanations I had never considered. Blaydes is a professor at Stanford and Paik at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Things Glen Found Amusing
- Millennials: The Musical (YouTube): Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Rock co-produced this short satirical musical.
- Joyful Pro-Choice Mother Throws Fetus Shower (Babylon Bee): there is good-natured, friendly satire and then there is biting satire. This one has very sharp teeth.
Why Do You Send This Email?
In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors “who understood the times and knew what Israel should do” (1 Chron 12:32). In a similar way, we need to become wise people whose faith interacts with the world. I pray this email gives you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar.
Disclaimer
Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey’s agenda and we are not about the elephant’s agenda — we are about the Lamb’s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass the ideological Turing test and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say “I agree” or “I disagree” until I can say “I understand”) and may at times share articles that have a strong partisan bias simply because I find the article stimulating. The upshot: you should not assume I agree with everything an author says in an article I mention, much less things the author has said in other articles (although if I strongly disagree with something in the article I’ll usually mention it).
Also, remember that I’m not reporting news — I’m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There’s a lot happening in the world that’s not making an appearance here because I haven’t found stimulating articles written about it.
Archives at http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/category/links.