{"id":5817,"date":"2019-12-20T13:27:31","date_gmt":"2019-12-20T21:27:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/?p=5817"},"modified":"2019-12-20T13:27:32","modified_gmt":"2019-12-20T21:27:32","slug":"things-glen-found-interesting-volume-231","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2019\/12\/20\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-231","title":{"rendered":"Things Glen Found Interesting, Volume 231"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-medium wp-image-4396\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/issachar-update-logo-wordswag.png?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 85vw, 300px\"><\/a>\n\n    On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Glen Found Interesting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A Christmas reminder: Chi Alpha is a donor-funded ministry. This weekly roundup of links is one small part of what we do to equip students to live for Christ in a confused culture. If you\u2019d like to make a special year-end gift to help us reach future leaders, visit <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/giving\">https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/giving<\/a>. Every penny counts \u2014 thanks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On to the things Glen found interesting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.christianitytoday.com\/ct\/2019\/december-web-only\/trump-should-be-removed-from-office.html\">Trump Should Be Removed from Office<\/a> (Mark Galli, Christianity Today): \u201cWhether Mr. Trump should be removed from office by the Senate or by popular vote next election\u2014that is a matter of prudential judgment. That he should be removed, we believe, is not a matter of partisan loyalties but loyalty to the Creator of the Ten Commandments.\u201d&nbsp;<ul><li>Emma Green nabbed an interview with Galli about the editorial: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/politics\/archive\/2019\/12\/christianity-today-trump-removal\/603952\/\">How Trump Lost an Evangelical Stalwart<\/a> (Emma Green, The Atlantic): \u201cSo I am a great believer in the providence of God, and that he will, in his grace, mercy, and mysterious judgment, help us through this period. It\u2019s not my responsibility to heal the breach among evangelicals. It\u2019s not my responsibility to bring peace to the world. My responsibility, given the position I have, whatever it might be, is to speak the truth. If it makes a difference, I am thankful to God. And if it doesn\u2019t make a difference, that\u2019s kind of up to&nbsp;him.\u201d<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.charismanews.com\/opinion\/79274-jim-garlow-why-i-disagree-with-christianity-today-s-pro-impeachment-column?fbclid=IwAR0l5ngG660VLOUSm0s8ekF0xdP5NtKcAG0NCl2zMxC9DcRoqBZQPUkvoH0\">When the CT Editor\u2019s Feelings Trump Facts<\/a> (Jim Garlow, Charisma News): \u201cNumerous high-visibility evangelicals have had opportunity to be with the president, to counsel him and to pray with him. Some have spoken truth to leadership. Wisely, they do not discuss the content of those meetings publicly. Nor should they. They are considerably more aware of the \u2018heart\u2019 of the president than is Mr. Galli. If he knew what they know about Mr. Trump, Galli would not have written such an article.\u201d<\/li><li>I suspect Charisma\u2019s op-ed is closer to the perspective of most evangelical Trump supporters than Christianity Today\u2019s is. For context, Christianity Today posted similar op-eds during each of the two previous impeachments.<\/li><li>Speaking of the previous impeachments, did you realize that from Nixon until now \u2153 of U.S. presidents have been impeached? Props to <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DouthatNYT\/status\/1207488502595825666\">Ross Douthat for noticing that<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/amgreatness.com\/2019\/12\/15\/a-science-based-case-for-ending-the-porn-epidemic\/\">A Science-Based Case for Ending the Porn Epidemic<\/a> (Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, American Greatness): \u201cSince it seems somehow relevant, let me state at the outset that I am French. Every fiber of my Latin, Catholic body recoils at puritanism of any sort, especially the bizarre, Anglo-Puritan kind so prevalent in America. I believe eroticism is one of God\u2019s greatest gifts to humankind, prudishness a bizarre aberration, and not so long ago, hyperbolic warnings about the perils of pornography, whether from my Evangelical Christian or progressive feminist friends, had me rolling my eyes\u2026. The evidence is in: porn is as addictive as smoking, or more, except that what smoking does to your lungs, porn does to your&nbsp;brain.\u201d&nbsp;<ul><li>Related: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.firstthings.com\/web-exclusives\/2019\/12\/lets-fix-the-pornography-problem\">Let\u2019s Fix the Pornography Problem<\/a> (Jim Banks, First Things): \u201cThe prevalence of pornography in our society has consequences, especially for our children. It\u2019s time to start talking about it, and it\u2019s time for the government to get involved.\u201d The author is a Republican member of congress.<\/li><\/ul><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/time.com\/5743505\/new-testament-heaven\/?fbclid=IwAR3cmxLJN9_hcXEBysAhbr7zsgLa9SRayatk-cnABHpkVMeoPhahfreKuE4\">The New Testament Doesn\u2019t Say What Most People Think It Does About Heaven<\/a> (N.T. Wright, Time): \u201cThe book of Revelation ends, not with souls going up to heaven, but with the New Jerusalem coming down to earth, so that \u2018the dwelling of God is with humans.\u2019 The whole creation, declares St. Paul, will be set free from its slavery to corruption, to enjoy God\u2019s intended freedom.\u201d<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chronicle.com\/interactives\/20191218-During?key=mi0Bff1vaLHL09_no2Emg0XYCcsaACdszhHEjIW3NT8vqsirytXfGG5PQ4fxT1urMHZXamFhTEItN0tqaS1hQmdEdUVfd3JfZ2JWY00xVGpzdzJ6eVhrRkxiOA\">Losing Faith in the Humanities<\/a> (Simon During, Chronicle of Higher Education): \u201cFaith has been lost across two different zones: first, religion; then, high culture\u2026. Cultural secularization resembles earlier religious secularization. What happened to Christian revelation and the Bible is now happening to the idea of Western civilization and \u2018the best that has been thought and said,\u2019 in Arnold\u2019s famous phrase.\u201d<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/thisculturalmoment.com\/\">This Cultural Moment<\/a> (podcast): I\u2019ve been listening to this podcast about following Jesus in the post-Christian world upon the recommendation of some alumni and a student. It\u2019s quite good. Definitely start with <a href=\"https:\/\/thisculturalmoment.podbean.com\/e\/what-is-post-christian-culture\/\">episode 1<\/a>.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2019\/12\/13\/opinion\/sunday\/christianity-inequality.html\">What Would Jesus Do About Inequality?<\/a> (Molly Worthen, New York Times): \u201cIn today\u2019s evangelicalism, this is where the theological action is: the faith and work movement, the intersection of Christianity with the demands of the workplace and the broader economy \u2014 in a society that is one of the world\u2019s wealthiest, yet persistently inhumane.\u201d<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pewforum.org\/2019\/12\/16\/the-digital-pulpit-a-nationwide-analysis-of-online-sermons\/\">The Digital Pulpit: A Nationwide Analysis of Online Sermons<\/a> (Pew Research): \u201cFor instance, sermons from evangelical churches were three times more likely than those from other traditions to include the phrase \u2018eternal hell\u2019 (or variations such as \u2018eternity in hell\u2019). However, a congregant who attended every service at a given evangelical church in the dataset had a roughly one-in-ten chance of hearing one of those terms at least once during the study period. By comparison, that same congregant had a 99% chance of hearing the word \u2018love.\u2019\u201d <ul><li>Related with some good interviews: <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/d5c3a0bd7726f18d5cff44efa1bd4cfd\">How long is the sermon? Study ranks Christian churches<\/a> (David Crary, AP News): \u201cAccording to Pew, the median length of the sermons was 37 minutes. Catholic sermons were the shortest, at a median of just 14 minutes, compared with 25 minutes for sermons in mainline Protestant congregations and 39 minutes in evangelical Protestant congregations. Historically black Protestant churches had by far the longest sermons, at a median of 54 minutes. Pew said sermons at the black churches lasted longer than mainline Protestant sermons even though, on average, they had roughly the same number of&nbsp;words.\u201d<\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Less Serious Things Which Also Interested\/Amused Glen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"simple-list wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=HC0GGkNZPgs\">Dual Axis Illusion<\/a> (YouTube): at first it seemed dumb, then it blew my mind. One minute.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/babylonbee.com\/news\/middle-east-leaders-working-on-a-peace-plan-for-america\">Middle East Leaders Working On Peace Plan For America<\/a> (Babylon Bee)<\/li><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.basicinstructions.net\/basic-instructions\/2019\/12\/15\/how-to-gain-insights-from-current-trends\">How To Gain Insight From Current Trends<\/a> (Basic Instructions): I include this mostly because of the postscript, which I reproduce here: \u201cMen don\u2019t know what women want and that makes men unhappy. Women know exactly what men want and that makes women unhappy. I give you the human condition.\u201d<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Things Glen Found Interesting A While&nbsp;Ago<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Every week I\u2019ll highlight an older link still worth your consideration. This week we have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.insidehighered.com\/news\/2016\/01\/06\/new-book-reveals-how-elite-phd-admissions-committees-review-candidates\">Inside Graduate Admissions<\/a> (Inside Higher Ed, Scott Jaschick): if you plan to apply to grad school, read this. There is one revealing anecdote about how an admissions committee treated an application from a Christian college student. My takeaway: the professors tried to be fair but found it hard to do, and their stated concerns were mostly about the quality of the institution rather than the faith of the applicant. Troubling nonetheless. (first shared in <a href=\"http:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2016\/01\/15\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-32\">volume 32<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Why Do You Send This&nbsp;Email?<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In the time of King David, the tribe of Issachar produced shrewd warriors \u201cwho understood the times and knew what Israel should do\u201d (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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>Disclaimer<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Chi Alpha is not a partisan organization. To paraphrase another minister: we are not about the donkey\u2019s agenda and we are not about the elephant\u2019s agenda \u2014 we are about the Lamb\u2019s agenda. Having said that, I read widely (in part because I believe we should aspire to pass <a href=\"http:\/\/econlog.econlib.org\/archives\/2011\/06\/the_ideological.html\">the ideological Turing test<\/a> and in part because I do not believe I can fairly say \u201cI agree\u201d or \u201cI disagree\u201d until I can say \u201cI understand\u201d) 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\u2019ll usually mention it). And to the extent you can discern my opinions, please understand that they are my own and not necessarily those of Chi Alpha or any other organization I may be perceived to represent.\n\nAlso, remember that I\u2019m not reporting news \u2014 I\u2019m giving you a selection of things I found interesting. There\u2019s a lot happening in the world that\u2019s not making an appearance here because I haven\u2019t found stimulating articles written about it.\n\nIf this was forwarded to you and you want to receive future emails, sign up <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/\">here<\/a>. You can also <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/category\/links\">view the archives<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Fridays I share articles\/resources about broad cultural, societal and theological issues. Be sure to see the explanation and disclaimers at the bottom. I welcome your suggestions. If you read something fascinating please pass it my&nbsp;way. Things Glen Found Interesting A Christmas reminder: Chi Alpha is a donor-funded ministry. This weekly roundup of links is \u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/archives\/2019\/12\/20\/things-glen-found-interesting-volume-231\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> \u201cThings Glen Found Interesting, Volume 231\u201d<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"A wide range of links, from impeachment to pornography (or at least thoughts about it) to a better theology of heaven. Merry Christmas!","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[16],"tags":[131,271,160,258,117,136,162],"class_list":["post-5817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-links","tag-academia","tag-heaven","tag-how-the-church-is-perceived","tag-money","tag-politics","tag-pornography","tag-theology"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6Ded-1vP","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5817"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5825,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5817\/revisions\/5825"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5817"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5817"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/glenandpaula.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5817"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}