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Real Persons

David Brooks, an opinion columnist at the New York Times, has set himself a remarkable task: finding a cure for the modern epidemic of loneliness. In a series of thoughtful books—The Social Animal (2011), The Road to Character (2015), The Second . . . . Continue Reading »

Changing God’s Mind

Over the course of a long and fruitful career, Richard Hays has distinguished himself as one of the premier biblical theologians of his generation. A highly regarded New Testament scholar, the Duke divinity professor (now emeritus) has led the way in developing scholarly approaches that put . . . . Continue Reading »

Mere Christendom

Douglas Wilson argues for what ought to be uncontroversial: governance by wise Christians. He calls it “mere Christendom” in a recent book by that name, described as democratic politics in a constitutional regime that produces Christian-influenced laws. In other words, the not-so-long-ago . . . . Continue Reading »

The Less You Know

There’s a car mechanic I have known for years. Ed knew my father and worked on his cars; he knows me and my cars; he knows my wife; he knows my neighbors and their vehicles. Some years ago, my father learned that Ed had lost a son. At some point, he shared with Ed that he, too, had lost a child. . . . . Continue Reading »

Disintegrating England

Peter Ackroyd is a major figure in contemporary English letters, a fluent and pleasing writer with dozens of fascinating books to his name in numerous genres—history, biography, chorography, criticism, and fiction. So the prospect of his reflections on the long history of Christian England is . . . . Continue Reading »

Overcoming Theological Amnesia

Ressourcement. It’s a French word that means “resourcing”—or, better, “re-sourcing.” As a term in theology, it calls for renewal based on a return to richer, more original sources, especially the Fathers of the early Church. Born in the Francophone world between the two world wars, . . . . Continue Reading »

Modernity’s Self-Destruct Button

All politics is local, as they say. And so, before we proceed to the big question of this essay—Can modernity survive for much longer?—I want to start with a small one: Will the recent change of government make a difference to the people of Britain? The recently departed Conservative . . . . Continue Reading »

Ready for Weirdness

Is life worth living? “It depends on the liver.” Thus did William James pose the question, as well as the “jocose” answer that was currently circulating, when he addressed the Harvard Young Men’s Christian Association in 1895. He then immediately put his audience on notice that his . . . . Continue Reading »

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