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.
To that end, I share articles/resources I have found helpful recently in thinking about broader cultural and societal issues (be sure to see the disclaimer at the bottom). May these give you greater insight, so that you may continue the tradition of Issachar. Past emails are archived at http://glenandpaula.com/wordpress/category/links
- From the unexpected consequences department The College Majors Most Likely To Marry Each Other (Wonkblog, Ana Swanson): presented without comment as a public service.
- From the professional development department:
- Training Young Doctors: The Current Crisis (Lara Goitein, NY Review of Books): for the aspiring doctors
- On Being a Happy, Healthy, and Ethical Member of an Unhappy, Unhealthy, and Unethical Profession (Patrick J. Schiltz, Vanderbilt Law Review): for the aspiring lawyers
- From the celebrating-our-family department: Understanding the roles of faith-based health-care providers in Africa: review of the evidence with a focus on magnitude, reach, cost, and satisfaction (several authors, The Lancet): Michelle Park’s fiance Harrison Hines is a coauthor. The journal has several related articles in their faith-based health care series. If you publish something, let me know.
- From the recommended-by-a-student department: How Wide the Divide: Sexuality at the Forefront, Culture at the Crossroads (Ravi Zacharias blog): a reflection on the differences that make us differ. This one was drawn to my attention by one of you. If you find an article helpful, route it my way. There’s a good chance I’ll pass it on.
- From the make-up-your-mind department: Humans Are Nowhere Near As Special As We Like To Think and The Traits That Make Human Beings Unique (both by Melissa Hogenboom, BBC): these two articles go together. It’s an interesting approach — argue both sides of a case in separate articles so that people can link to the one they like. I’m going to go with Jesus on this one: “you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:31).
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.