GroshLink

Enjoyed the opportunity to catch-up w/a number of people at CCO's Jubilee on Saturday. So many conversations, including a very encouraging one with Rob at the culture is not optional booth, that I only caught the end of Tony Campolo's evening presentation. I believe that it was just before he engaged the audience in a call response regarding titles or testimonies that he quoted from Bono's address to the National Prayer Gathering in a section which Bono focused on America's involvement in Africa addressing AIDS.

It's not about charity, it's about justice. And that's too bad. Because you're good at charity. Americans, like the Irish, are good at it. We like to give, and we give a lot, even those who can't afford it. But justice is a higher standard.

If you haven't taken a look at this piece, I'd encourage you to do such.

The Outrageous Idea of Christian Scholarship provides clear and helpful guidelines for scholars coming from the Christian tradition to take first steps in religiously informed reflection in their fields without falling into the trap of superficial fundamentalism. Furthermore, Marsden skillfully addresses concerns about Christians coming to the table and sharing their voice in the secular academic community. As followers of Christ build upon The Outrageous Idea, one of the most pressing areas to engage would be the sciences.

That's the conclusion of a book review which I wrote while a student in Geneva College's Masters of Higher Education Program. Please check the piece out and let me know your thoughts, note: in this piece I sought to weigh the critiques offered by Michael Baxter's Not Outrageous Enough and Richard Rorty [Note: The Moral Purposes of the University: An Exchange. The Hedgehog Review. 2(3)].

Click here for earlier Outrageous Idea piece.

Been awhile since I've read Francis Fukuyama. But his recent NY Times piece After Neoconservatism was of interest, particularly the following comments on the book which had been recently released when I heard him speak as an impressionable Grove City College student nearly a decade ago ;-) Note: his Grove City College lecture was an opportunity for a former college president to give further voice to his misguided Hegelian views. For an introduction to the ideas expressed by Fukuyama's The End of History and the Last Man (1992) click here.

Many people have also interpreted my book The End of History and the Last Man (1992) as a neoconservative tract, one that argued in favor of the view that there is a universal hunger for liberty in all people that will inevitably lead them to liberal democracy, and that we are living in the midst of an accelerating, transnational movement in favor of that liberal democracy. This is a misreading of the argument. "The End of History" is in the end an argument about modernization. What is initially universal is not the desire for liberal democracy but rather the desire to live in a modern — that is, technologically advanced and prosperous — society, which, if satisfied, tends to drive demands for political participation. Liberal democracy is one of the byproducts of this modernization process, something that becomes a universal aspiration only in the course of historical time.

"The End of History," in other words, presented a kind of Marxist argument for the existence of a long-term process of social evolution, but one that terminates in liberal democracy rather than communism. In the formulation of the scholar Ken Jowitt, the neoconservative position articulated by people like Kristol and Kagan was, by contrast, Leninist; they believed that history can be pushed along with the right application of power and will. Leninism was a tragedy in its Bolshevik version, and it has returned as farce when practiced by the United States. Neoconservatism, as both a political symbol and a body of thought, has evolved into something I can no longer support.

Basking in 'Witch' riches 'Narnia' could end up Disney's biggest grossing live-action pic tells the story of Narnia becoming a 'richer' reality day-by-day and Prince Caspian coming on-line. But not without some heated conversation within the Christian media subculture. More of my thoughts on this later, as I [Tom] am pressed for time while at home 'watching' Eden (this post brought to you by a very sweet nap) and taking a 'break' from ministry after a packed winter retreat focusing on Daniel 1-3 (come back for more later).

P.S. Hoping to find The Lion, The Witch, and Wardrobe 2 disc set in Hayley and Ellen's Easter Basket. Available on April 4 ;-)

Just became aware of Narnia Teen Site. Lots of good stuff no matter your age. Pass it along

Also, check out some great interviews at C. S. Lewis and InterVarsity and some superb book resources from IVP.

Although Some fans exhausted by manic 'Kong' and The footprint of 'Kong' looms smaller, King Kong came out about double that of this weekend's Narnia's take, aided by the turnout of several of my friends who seemed, for the most part, to enjoy their experience. But The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe's opening was stronger than Kong's by about 15 million. So is this important?

My enthusiasm for Narnia at our recent GCF Christmas party, led one student to ask if Disney paid me while another was ready to go to theatre. Our conversation at GCF focused on Father Christmas' gift giving (which by the way was very vocationally driven) AND Peter, Susan, and Lucy's receiving (which by the way was applied by faith in a difficult context). But as I commented earlier, I find myself drawn to the true myth glimpsed in and through Lewis' work and not the film itself. The more I reflect upon it, the books provide much more opportunity for the imagination to wander at leisure and wrestle with the material presented, eg., the purpose of gift-giving and the how to embrace gifts given to us by God/others. This is in a large part to the difference in the form of communication, but the film does provide a window for the story to come alive (for some) and invite others into it for the first time . . . maybe even a baptism (or re-direction) of the imagination at an early age.

Came across A Christmas Sunday forces churches to alter schedules with notables including James Bibza, Rock Dillaman, and Stan Ott. In the same Sunday paper, there was a forum regarding The season and its reasons. The titles speak for themselves Merry Christmas, however you celebrate and O, come, all ye faithless

Looking for the time to blog a reaction but at present I'm too immersed in being Christ with the family/people of God. None-the-less the incarnation is not only about being the Light, but also being the Word directed by the Spirit of God every day, in every way . . . so Lord willing, commentary coming later.

Secular Democracy Goes on Trial is a pointed piece which brings attention to concerns related to atheism/secularism as guiding ideologies that churned in my mind as I took part in a CMU faculty discussion group's consideration of Alister McGrath's The Twilight of Atheism with faculty at CMU.

The destructive potential of modern nationalism should not surprise us. Traditional religion hardly played a role in the unprecedented violence of the 20th century, which was largely caused by secular ideologies - Nazism and Communism. Secular nationalism has been known to impose intellectual conformity and suppress dissent even in advanced democratic societies. In America, it was at least partly the fear of being perceived as unpatriotic that held back the freest news media in the world from rigorously questioning the official justification for and conduct of the war in Iraq.

As for traditional religion, outside Saudi Arabia and Iran and Afghanistan under the Taliban it has rarely enjoyed the kind of overwhelming state power that modern nationalism has known. Then why reflexively blame religion for the growth of intolerance and violence? Perhaps, because it is easy - and useful. Certainly, all the talk of Enlightenment, Reformation, a clash of civilizations and the like does help build up ideological smokescreens, obscuring the more complex political and economic battles of the world.

By setting up abstract, simplistic oppositions, the Rushdie affair helped metaphysics cloud the realm of geopolitics. The Pamuk affair, on the other hand, promises to help create intellectual clarity. But this will not only require renouncing the urge to populate the world with religious fanatics, dangerous "others." It will also require a willingness, as Mr. Pamuk has so bravely expressed, to question the myths of our own complacently modern and secular societies.

Grant the people of God the grace to celebrate the incarnation of Christ by not only questioning the myths which so easily entangle us, but also by muddling forth in our call to be the Light of Christ. Fill us with wisdom and tact as we prepare to enter a New Year of Mission, dependent upon God alone!

Disney and friends have encouraged me to help make Narnia #1 again, in the face of "King Kong" and other challengers. I'm not sure how to respond. I have to admit that I was excited about 'Narnia' draws wide following and being an advocate for seeing the film on the front end (note: I even tried the Sweepstakes 1x, but didn't win anything).

But I'm not as sold on making sure the numbers and the money comes in . . . the film speaks to those who will listen. For some this is cracking open the door of God's Presence in their lives and for others it is a part of a longer journey. It is good to have followers of Christ working and having their work express the Light of Christ in the media and arts, but that's not necessarily making it big according to the standards of the world. For me, the conversations around Narnia, Lewis, and finding Joy are of higher value than making the focus of my weekend hitting the theatre with a friend to cash in and keep Narnia on top (for those who haven't heard any conversation check out The Lion, the Witch and the Metaphor).

By-the-way, I'm not expecting a huge showing for King Kong . . .

 (More)