Last Friday, the sane portion of the world rejoiced at the announcement that Fidel Castro had died. His death doesn’t immediately change anything in the island prison of Cuba; brother Raul is still in charge. Yet there is a psychological lift, at least, knowing that the primary perpetrator of the miseries of the Cuban people finally left the scene of the living. Castro has his acolytes on the political left who praise him and who mourn his passing. They try… Read more »
There are probably some regular (or semi-regular) readers of my blog who wonder why I quote C. S. Lewis so much. One reason is that he has insights that make me think more deeply about what I believe and why. A second is the way he expresses those insights. Here’s one example, taken from his essay “Is Theism Important?” Think about his perspective here: When grave persons express their fear that England is relapsing into Paganism, I am tempted to… Read more »
Today, November 22, is one that most of the world recognizes for one significant event. I recognize it for two, and the latter is of greater consequence. In the preface of my book, America Discovers C. S. Lewis: His Profound Impact, I write this: I grew up in Bremen, Indiana, population roughly four thousand, surrounded by corn fields and a significant Amish community, half a world away from Oxford and in an entirely different environment. My parents had never read… Read more »
Historians have different emphases in their study of the past. Mine is the influence of Christian faith on a society and its outworking in government. I am a student of “governing,” not politics per se. While the two cannot be separated, I do think it’s important to keep the distinctions. Government is something God wants, if it follows His prescription for how to carry out its responsibilities. Politics is the often messy pathway for figuring out who does the governing,… Read more »
I teach a course on Ronald Reagan and modern American conservatism. I begin the course with definitions of those terms. Conservatism: a predisposition to maintain existing institutions and practices. American: a particular brand of conservatism unique to American institutions and practices. Modern: the distinct development of a conservative philosophy since WWII. I then explain the three strands of thought that have been weaved together to create modern American conservatism: Economic individualism: limited government; free enterprise; the inviolability of property Social… Read more »
Among the innumerable examples of bravery in American history, the events surrounding the first battle of the American Revolution are prominent. Massachusetts was under martial law; Boston was ruled by a British general. A shadow government of sorts had been set up by those who were opposed to how the Mother Country was tightening her screws of control. The two leaders of the resistance, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, were in the small village of Lexington, planning their passage to… Read more »
I saw it on Facebook, so it must be true! And if it is in all caps with lots of exclamation points afterward, I can rely on its authenticity. I trust those statements don’t reflect your perspective. Why focus on that today? There’s a supposed C. S. Lewis quote floating around that people are sharing incessantly because it seems so apropos to our current political situation. We are told it comes from his classic work, The Screwtape Letters, and goes… Read more »