In which I make a mighty vow: I pledge my blogging, my linking, and my sacred honour to the open web.
A few years ago I decided to stop intervening in intra-Christian debates. I am not sure whether I regret having been involved in them, but certainly nothing I wrote had any effect whatever on the course of events, so the only good my writing ever did was to clarify my own thinking. Still, some of those interventions still seem (to me) relevant:
- On the relationship between credal orthodoxy and questions of sexuality I wrote this.
- On the regular complaint that “this shouldn’t even be a question” I wrote this.
- On who should or should not be admitted to the sacraments I wrote this and this.
- On the concept of “false teachers” I wrote this.
- On “equipping the saints” I wrote this.
- I wrote a whole series of posts on Christians and “critical theory”: here’s the tag.
I’m not recommending these so much as reminding myself that I wrote them!
BTW, the two CBC documentaries on Gould that I mention in that essay are available on YouTube: Glenn Gould: Off the Record and Glenn Gould: On the Record. They’re fascinating.
The Fading Promise of Higher Education is the theme of this excellent new issue of the Hedgehog Review. I don’t have anything in the issue on that important theme, but I did write a reflection on hearing Glenn Gould — on the 70th anniversary of his breakthrough recording of the Goldberg Variations.
P.S. That essay may be paywalled — if so, my regrets.
The Economist’s obituary for Alan Greenspan is a small masterpiece.
Confluence
I think, given his recent discovery of the possibilities of Casual Fashion, Poch’s personal theme song should be “Sharp Dressed Man.”
I have been assuming all along that he will leave the USMNT at the end of this tournament, and I still think that’s the way to bet, but the fanbase has fallen in love with him and he’s obviously reciprocating. I laughed out loud watching him sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” after the match. It wouldn’t shock me now if he stayed on — and that would be great, because he has these guys playing assertive, confident, tactically imaginative football. I’m having the most fun I’ve ever had watching the USMNT.
🇺🇸⚽️
If I still lived in northern Illinois I would surely cheer for 🏴 against 🇲🇽 — but here in central Texas I think the power of neighborliness will shift my allegiance. Sunday will tell. Gonna be FUN.
I’ve updated my home page with a link to OUP’s page for my biography of Dorothy L. Sayers, now scheduled for publication on 28 November. I’ll add other options for pre-order as they become available. I had a lot of fun writing this and I think you’ll enjoy it also. I’m pleased that, in a series whose books average about sixty bucks each, OUP priced this one for a broader readership.