Category: Culture
-
Is there such a thing as “the wrong side of history”?
Read more: Is there such a thing as “the wrong side of history”?This week as I was perusing my Facebook news-feed the following quote surfaced: “Humans motivated by lofty ideals are capable of inflicting great suffering with a clear conscience.” – Paul Hollander The concept intrigued me, but I was immediately curious about the original object of Hollander’s critique. Is he interested in the effects of “lofty ideals” as…
-
Jewels
Read more: JewelsMy friend Adria Murphy writes for me this week, with thoughts on materialism, treasure, and the wisdom of Wendell Berry: The jewelry store in my mother’s neighborhood was going out of business. Sale prices intended to empty the shop of its shining inventory, handwritten on construction paper, obstructed our view of the otherwise impeccably clean…
-
Why 42 isn’t about race
Read more: Why 42 isn’t about raceNote: This review was written before professional basketball player Jason Collins came out as gay today in Sports Illustrated. I saw the movie 42 tonight, and I have to say, I kind of enjoyed it. Yes, I know it was extremely sentimental at some points. During certain scenes I could have sworn I was going…
-
A Necessary Response for a Believer to a National Tragedy
Read more: A Necessary Response for a Believer to a National TragedyAt the time I write this, over one-hundred thirty people have been injured and at least two killed after bombings that took place in Boston following the Boston Marathon. At this time, no suspects have been identified publicly, nor have any groups stepped forward to claim responsibility. In a post-9/11 United States of America, one…
-
What does Psychology say about the “Zombie Apocalypse”
Read more: What does Psychology say about the “Zombie Apocalypse”I thought it might be fun to give a psych perspective on the current American obsession with the ever-impending “Zombie Apocalypse.” Undoubtedly you’ve noticed that the movies, shows, and increasingly so, merchandise, are popping up everywhere. I don’t think there’s anything coincidental or surprising about it. So why is our culture obsessed with it? I…
-
Marriage and Sex: Why? And Why “Why” Matters
Read more: Marriage and Sex: Why? And Why “Why” Matters“Physics is like sex: sure, it may give some practical results, but that’s not why we do it.” -Richard P. Feynman[1] For many in our society, Dr. Feynman’s above quote pretty much summarizes the telos (the goal, or end-all) of sexual activity of any type—its about pleasure, desire, and self-satisfaction (maybe even the satisfaction that…
-
Ecclesia & Ethics Conference: Update
Read more: Ecclesia & Ethics Conference: UpdateThe details for our upcoming conference, Ecclesia & Ethics: A Eco-Friendly and Economically-Feasible Online Biblical Studies and Theology Conference, are being finalized. The ‘Call for Papers’ has ended and the parallel presentations have been selected. In addition to our main speakers – which includes notable figures like NT Wright, Stanley Hauerwas, Michael Gorman, Shane Claiborne, Brian…
-
Same sex marriage: the argument from inevitability
Read more: Same sex marriage: the argument from inevitabilityAlex Lundry, Mitt Romney’s data analyst, recently reported that over 60% of evangelical youth support the legalization of same sex marriage (SSM). This number is in stark contrast to the responses of older evangelical Christians to poll on the issue. Democratic strategist Hilary Rosen cited this statistic on NBC’s Meet the Press this past Sunday. The…
-
Cabin in the Woods & Good Friday
Read more: Cabin in the Woods & Good FridayI have been waiting to review one of my favorite movies from 2012 for quite some time, Cabin in the Woods. As soon as I saw it I knew I needed to blog about it, and more importantly, I knew I needed to review it this week—Holy week. Perhaps you’re thinking, this is totally random;…
-
Nijay Gupta Interview: Ecclesia and Ethics
Read more: Nijay Gupta Interview: Ecclesia and EthicsIn preparation for our Ecclesia and Ethics conference (ecclesiaethics.com), here’s a short interview with one of our keynote speakers, Dr. Nijay Gupta. Enjoy and please share! Ecclesia and Ethics Interview Nijay Gupta — 2/5/2013 from Ecclesia Ethics on Vimeo.