GroshLink

ONE of the surest ways to bring a certain type of dinner party to a halt is to speak piously about "God." Earnest reference to sinners, apostates or blasphemers, or to the promise of salvation offered in evangelical churches, is likely to produce the same effect. Among the cosmopolites who live in secular enclaves, religion is automatically associated with darkness, superstition, irrationality and an antique or pre-modern cast of mind. It has long been assumed that religion is opposed to science, reason and human progress; and the death of gods is simply taken for granted as a deeply ingrained Darwinian article of faith . . . A deeper and far more unsettling answer, however, is that the popularity of the current counterattack on religion cloaks a renewed and intense anxiety within secular society that it is not the story of religion but rather the story of the Enlightenment that may be more illusory than real . . . If religion is a delusion, it is a delusion with a future, which it may be hazardous for us to deny. A shared conception of the soul, the sacred and transcendental values may be a prerequisite for any viable society.

-- 11/27/06 N.Y. Times Op-Ed Piece by Richard Shweder, professor of comparative human development at the University of Chicago and a co-editor of Engaging Cultural Differences.

Pray for the continuing work of the people of God at U. of Chicago, John Mulholland, organizer of the annual Redeeming Reason Conference at U. of Chicago wrote in response,

Are we ready to walk into the space that Shweder's remarks provide and converse intelligently and intelligibly in words that outsiders to churches can understand [memories of Chesterton and Lewis surface] about the prerequisites for any viable society."??

May we be so ready.

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Yes, I have to agree with Jon's comment regarding addiction. But I have to admit that I too swung by a Starbucks the other day. After an excellent IVY Jungle Regional Conference hosted by Biblical Seminary, I had some time to burn before visiting with my supervisor, so I carried in a stack of books to read for an upcoming Early Christian Spirituality Spiritual Formation Elective at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. While successfully ordering a pumpkin spice frappuccino, Mitch Albom's new for one more day caught my attention.

And not long afterward, I was reading a very personal story about Chick Benetto, a man beaten down by life in the years since he briefly played in the major leagues for the Pittsburgh Pirates (and part of a ficitional World Series against the Baltimore Orioles in 1973, if I remember correctly that was the A's and Mets).

After an awkward attempt to end it all, he is given an extra day with his mother, Posey, who teaches him one more lesson that might just save his life . . .

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continues to receive significant attention in the media. Some may remember my excerpt from A Bridge Far Enough. Recently he's been featured in the Washington Post, Evangelical Author Puts Progressive Spin On Traditional Faith. If you're not familar w/him, I'd encourage you read this piece. Which begins:

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Andy Crouch writes back to Edward O. Wilson. Just had to post this brief, sharp piece by an upcoming speaker for our work at Penn (note: he'll speak on Christians and Cultural Power: Where is America Headed?). This would be good fodder for Faculty/Grad conversation. Hoping to acquire a copy of E.O. Wilson's The Creation: A Meeting of Science and Religion in the near future. Just wrapped up IVP's Is Belief in God: Good, Bad or Irrelevant? Quite a good presentation of an email conversation between a faculty who follows Christ and a punk rocker who follows evolutionary ideas. Maybe a sample approach for on-line witness or even public dialogue :-)

Looking forward to InterVaristy's Oct 22 Baltimore Grad and Faculty Ministry Conference which will feature several faculty alongside Campus Crusade's Randy Newman wrestling w/campus mentoring and witness. Pray for graduate students and faculty to be reminded of this opportunity and set aside this opportunity to encouragement and equipping.

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Several episodes of The Avengers were available in the E-town library. If you don't explore, you don't find out. Not bad. "The Avengers is a stylish blend of espionage, fantasy and quasi-science fiction that appeals to Anglophiles who enjoy witty, sentimental, slightly off-beat television, and don't mind terribly dated plots." Sounds familiar, I am a Dr. Who fan of episodes from about the same era :-)

came on Fox right after the Phillies win. What a win, what a film! Why did I push aside the Phillies and Bob Roberts for all these years :-) IMDB summarizes this film as a [d]ocumentary-style look at the fictional Senatorial campaign of Bob Roberts, an arch-conservative folk singer turned politician. This political satire includes several original songs co-written and performed by writer/director/star Tim Robbins, and cameo appearances by other stars as reporters and news anchors. It's set right here in PA! What beautiful landscape, city-hopping . . . and Broken Dove (a private relief organization) with Alan Rickman at the helm before Hogwarts fame. Incredible! Had to ask my parents to tape the end, as I went to supper. Will finish it in a few days, maybe I'll have some more thoughts to share at that time.

Besides Phil Keagy and John Michael Talbot, I (Tom) don't have any exposure to Jesus Movement artists. I've heard of The Imperials, Larry Norman, 2nd Chapter of Acts (and A Band Called David), Randy Stonehill, and Vigilantes of Love, but lack familiarity. So it was good to hear Paul Clark tonight.

He has a powerful testimony involving coming free from drugs and social rebellion as an 18 year old during the hippie movement by reading a Christian book of his grandmother. From then on, new songs poured forth laying part of the foundation for the Jesus Movement and Contemporary Christian Music (CCM). Tonight, he opened with calling people to be born again, questioning religious talk, warning us of the dangers of the false prophets of our day and the comfortability of gated Christian communites.

Paul spent some time sharing about the Apostle Paul as being a role model and urged us to not let our foundations crumble. His haunting

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Picked up V for Vendetta at the Elizabethtown Public Library (by-the-way, we're surrounded by fabulous small town libraries). Now that I've finally finished the graphic novel now I can pick-up the film and decide for myself as to whether it is a faithful adaption.

But since, I'm on the topic, here's some quotes about the artistic process itself which I found of value:

1. There aren't many cheeky, cheery charactors in V FOR VENDETTA either, and its for people who don't switch off the news (David Lloyd, Preface) . . .

2. It's only those exceptional and rare individuals who have brillant ideas delivered to them by the muse, complete and gift wrapped. The rest of us have to work at it. That said, however, there comes a point where, assuming that all of your logic and planning is of a sound variety, the work starts to take off and assumes a vitality of its own. Ideas start to occur almost magnetically as opposted to being the result of a long and grinding intellectual process. This started to happen with V right from the first episode . . .

On the good days, everything goes right and I have the whole script executed from start to finish within four or five hours. On bad days I write the whole script in four or five house, realise that it's useless, tear it up and start again. I repeat this process four or five times until I'm reduced to a blubbering wreck that just slumps in the armchair and whimpers about how it has no talent whatsoever and will never write again. Next day, I'll get up, get the whole thing right the first time and spend the rest of the day walking around reading my favourite bits to my wife, children, or visiting tradesman. (This is why you should never marry an artist or writer. They're bad news to have around the house, believe me.) -- Alan Moore, Behind the Painted Smile, p.273, 275).

Tomorrow, I'll post some quotes from the piece which I find of interest.

a Problem Like Maria?

Little did I know that the Groshes were not the only ones exploring the von Trapp family and how they are portrayed on stage. Apparently, Andrew Lloyd Webber has been orchestrating a live T.V. talent competition to provide BBC viewers the opportunity to influence the next Maria for the November opening in London.

“Maria” has been drawing some six million viewers per installment, even challenging “The X Factor,” a more lowbrow talent show on the main competing channel.

A fascinating development of live, stage(d) art.

with The Sound of Music just the other day at my parent's house. Some of you like myself remember soaking up a high school production (note: Theresa played one of the 'other novices') and/or staying up late to try to reach the film's dramatic end. Others, have seen it on stage or in the movie theatre, such as Theresa's parents. Now Hayley and Ellen have seen the film several times and soon its time to start talking about the real story with them. As I've reviewed some sites to prepare me for this conversation, I found the following of most interest: the Trapp Family Lodge: A Little of Austria . . . A Lot of Vermont, the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration's Movie vs. Reality: The Real Story of the von Trapp Family with lots of government documents, The Royal Australian Navy's The Sound of Torpedoes (FYI: I also come across a pieces w/regard to Georg's specific u-boat action).

I would appreciate other suggestions on resources. As the more I think about it, maybe it would be more helpful to see if one of the von Trapp Family books are in the library, such as The Trapp Family Book. Relatedly, I remember skimming through The Story of the Trapp Family Singers and finding it quite fascinating, might be a good read for a family in a few years . . . to set-up a trip to Vermont :-)

My mother [Tom] finds Persuasion a good film to regular fall asleep to, what are your thoughts on it after watching it this eveing Theresa?

It's ok. I'd watch it again once I forget what happens, that takes about 3 weeks :-) Well I must go to bed darling.

From Tom: Maybe we'll get more tomorrow, even some on Horatio Hornblower as Mr. Eliot was played by the same actor as . . .

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Finding Your True Calling is not a great quest today, but instead a grindingly slow, morbid reflection on how we're living where we're stuck and hope that we might be found (or the non-reflective busy-ness of those who throw themselves into their vocation or family aren't even on camera) So let's sit back and make it easier by wallowing w/Bob (Bill Murray) and Charlotte (Scarlett Johansson) in Lost in Translation?

Here's some thoughts:

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The following posting is this week's Worship Quote of the Week, -- let me know your thoughts.

There are many reasons why some churches have a negative view of the arts. Art trades in images, and images easily lend themselves to idolatry. Artists know this from their own experience. In their work they encounter the glory at the foundation of things, and they feel its power over the heart. . . .

Ultimately this kind of art dishonors God because it is not in keeping with the truth and beauty of his character. It also undermines the church's gospel message of salvation in Christ. Art has tremendous power to shape culture and touch the human heart. Its artifacts embody the ideas and desires of the coming generation. This means that what is happening in the arts today is prophetic of what will happen in our culture tomorrow . . .

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across Justin Barrett, author of Why Would Anyone Believe in God? He's lecturing at Franklin and Marshall College by the invitation of Philosophy Professor Michael Murray. Much of his time will be directed toward countering Daniel Dennett's recent publication Breaking the Spell and Dawkins' soon to be released The God Delusion which misuse his research (along w/others in his field) as a foundation for apologetics against God (note: Pascal Boyer is another important reseracher in this area).

Justin spent the past 5 years away from academia, leading Young Life in Lawrence, Kansas, but he is heading to the University of Oxford’s School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography to be a Senior Research Fellow for the new Centre for Cognition and Culture which will support multi-disciplinary research project on the Cognitive Science of Religion. I've ordered a copy of Why Would Anyone Believe in God? I hope to have a discussion group on F&M campus about this book (and possibly Preston Jones' Is Belief in God Good, Bad, or Irrelevant?). Anyone have interest in taking part of a discussion of either of these pieces right here at www.groshlink.net?

Just finished Jim Sire's A Little Primer on Humble Apologetics (thank-you Jim, let's make more memories!). Partway through N.T.Wright's Simply Christian (thank-you to Chris Nichols for his strong recommendation during his presentations at the Mid-Atlantic Staff Conference) and Preston Jones' Is Belief in God Good, Bad, or Irrelevant? (thank-you to IVCF-CMU undergrad staff Jason Toman for his positive review). Just placed an order for Justin Barrett's Why Would Anyone Believe in God? (thank-you to F&M Philosophy Professor Michael Murray for bringing this piece to my attention, looking forward to hearing Justin in October).

My initial thoughts . . .

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Arlan for allowing me to borrow The Paradox of Choice, some of you might remember that I picked it up in a spring visit to D.C. along with Freakonomics. I'll be returning it to them at a pool party w/friends from the Grove on Saturday at Jen and Randy Brandt's. As a fitting conclusion to these posts and as a preparation for our coming time together

Perhaps most important, if you limit the number of choices you make and the number of options you consider, you're going to have more time available for what's important than people who are plagued by one decision after another, always in search of the best. You could use that time wisdely by getting to know more deeply your lovers, your children, your parents, your friends, your patients, your clients, your students. The real challenge in life is . . .

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Along with the pervasive rise in expectations, American culture has also become more individualistic than it was, perhaps as a by-product of the desire to have control over every aspect of life. To be less individualistic -- to tie oneself tightly into networks of family, friends, and community -- is to be bound, to some degree, by the needs of amily, friends, and community. If our attachments to others are serious, we can't just do whatever we want. I think the single most difficult negotiation that faces young people who marry in today's America is the one in which the partners decide where their individual autonomy ends and marital obligation and responsibility take over.

Our heightened individualism means that, not only do we expect perfection in all things, but we expect to produce this perfection ourselves. When we (inevitably) fail, the culture of individualism biases us toward causal explanations that focus on personal rather than universal factors. That is, the culture has established a kind of socially acceptable style of causal explanation, and it is one that encourages the individual to blame himself for failure. And this is just the kind of causal explanation that promotes depression when we are faced with failure.

As a corollary,

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CMU-ers, take note. On p.79, Schwartz (in Paradox of Choice) proposed that Herb Simon's concept of satisficing was at the heart of how to fight back against the tyranny of overwhelming choices (pay attention maximizers and perfectionists). To state the concept simply,

To avoid the escalation of such burdens, we must learn to be selective in exercising our choices. We must decide, individually when choice really matters and focus our energies there, even if it means letting many other opportunities pass us by. The choice of when to be a chooser may be the most important choice we have to make (p.104).

Furthermore, the most important factor involved in happiness is

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In Shopping for Knowledge (pp.14-17) Barry Schwartz explores

1. the loss of general education requirements, in particular the capstone course which was intended to teach students how to use their college education to live a good and an ethical life, both as indiviudals and as members of society and 2. the purchasing of goods such as classes and degrees.

I cannot help but agree with his conclusion (which by the way emphasizes to me the need for parents, students, and local congregrations to walk through the preparation for and consideration of various forms of higher education),

Now students are required to make choices about education that may affect them the rest of their lives. And they are forced to make these choices at a point in their intellectual development when they may lack the resources to make them intelligently.

I'd be curious as to how this Professor of Social Theory and Social Action at Swarthmore College would suggest an new direction for his campus, for higher education. He comments later in the book the confusion of bright Swathmore students with many opportunities for future direction and how it precipitates what another author has termed the Quarterlife Crisis. And at the end, the value of social relationships to the whole economy, but how is this imparted? Few students bring it with them to the campus.

In my view, campuses should return to the core curriculum in general, of course our alma mater Grove City College did not

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Choice: Why More is Less. How the Culture of Abundance Robs Us of Satisfaction, written by Barry Schwartz, Professor of Psychology who serves as Dorwin Cartwright Professor of Social Theory and Social Action, considers

When people have no choice, life is almost unbearable. As the number of choice increases, as it has in our consumer culture, the autonomy, control, and liberation this variety brings are powerful and positive. But as the number of choices keeps growing, negative aspects of having a multitude of options begin to appear. As the number of choices grows further, the negatives escalate until we become overloaded. At this point, choice no longer liberates, but debilitates. It might even be said to tyrannize . . .

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Often Fail. Jim Sire can explain why, but can't make your good arguments never fail. Here's Breakpoint's recommendation for Jim's newest piece equipping one to Make a More Persuasive Case for Christ.

I'm also hoping to take some time w/Jim Learning to Pray Through the Psalms this fall.

As I said earlier, I came across Henri Blocher when seeking a larger framework for addressing the question of the effects of evil in day-to-day living. I found Evil and the Cross: An Analytical Look at the Problem of Pain a powerful piece for directing my consideration of the topic. So when a friend asked me about theodicy last night, Blocher came right to mind (have I mentioned that I just wrapped up Original Sin: Illuminating the Riddle the other day, quite helpful. More later). Below are some quotes from the conclusion that provide how to live in the presence of evil, by the grace of the cross. How applicable as we reflect upon the incarnation during the Advent season (which this year is enriched by the release of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe).

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So I'm not the only one interested in Dream Catchers :-) Check out the review on Urbana's site (also don't miss the transcript of Cross-Cultural Conversion, Urban 03 presentation given by Ray Aldred, Director of the First Nations Alliance Churches of Canada, Cree Nation):

As Jenkins explains, this marketplace demand for individualistic spirituality has profoundly affected Native religious life. Native religions have become much more "religious" and less ethnic. Rituals have become more abstract and esoteric, as millions upon millions of Americans have sought "pure" spirituality, accessible to tribal outsiders.

Most New Age seekers, Jenkins notes, have come from Christianity, and are seeking within native spirituality that magical something they found lacking in Christianity. Natives are thus under financial (tourist) pressure to downplay those overly other-worldly elements of their cultures, when working with non-Natives fleeing the perceived otherworldliness of Christianity. Conversely, Natives must often deemphasize the earthy, communal and moral elements of their faiths to appease non-Natives who are seeking individualistic and amoral spirituality.

Book review of Bill Hybel's Too Busy Not to Pray contributed by Susan Norman

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Author review of Deitrich Bonhoeffer by Michelle Butler for Allegheny Center CMA's library. The graduate ministry read his Life Together several years ago. (More)