When I suggest we need more Christian politics rather than less, I can imagine my secular progressive neighbor getting anxious, as if theocracy is around the corner. But in fact, the opposite is true. All should hope for a more Christian politics. What currently passes for Christian politics is a sub-Christian syncretism that prays to a vaguely moralistic god who plays favorites, a deity of our making whom we trot out to license nationalism and self-interest. This politics shows no signs of being disturbed by the cross, the ascension, or the eschaton. It is concerned only with winning, revenge, and resentment. In other words, our so-called Christian politics have been captivated by the liturgies of the earthly city rather than the city of God.
Here’s a quick post that’s a bit about journalism and a bit about hypertext and the power of the link. Note that while most social media platforms don’t enable proper web links, like the one in the previous sentence, micro.blog does. Another win for micro.blog!
In ev’ry government, though terrors reign,
Though tyrant kings, or tyrant laws restrain,
How small of all that human hearts endure,
That part which laws or kings can cause or cure.
— Oliver Goldsmith
The estimable and always thoughtful A. M. Juster reviews The Shield of Achilles. I am grateful for his kind words about my introduction, sorry that I was unable to convince him of the book’s excellence, and of course deeply wounded that he thinks Edward Mendelson wrote the notes. In fact, I did.
Based on that new post of mine, my friend Rick Gibson is having a t-shirt made up for me.
