With every good intention, I resumed almost daily blogging about six weeks ago. However, about three weeks ago, I stopped being able to keep up because of the demands of family life, work, and, quite honestly, not having all that much to say. I’ve been here before, of course, but I guess I never seem Continue reading

The quote from Kirk below, and his quotes from Calhoun, are straightforward evidence of the convergence between traditionalist conservativism and non-Marxist socialism. I’ve discussed that convergence here and here. Peter Kreeft also gets at the same idea here. * * * “Stripped of all its covering,” Calhoun declared in his terse and inexorable way, “the Continue reading

I was 11 years old and in the sixth grade. I heard the news at school but didn’t really understand. Kids kept being picked up by worried parents; rumours flew that Houston would be next. I got home that afternoon and sat in front of CNN until my parents got home and watched the planes–the Continue reading

What follows was written a little more than two years ago. That was the summer that I rediscovered authentic, historical Christian theology. That was the summer I began (as detailed here) to leave the theological liberalism into which I had been walking. That was also the summer that I began to sense God again. Anyhow, I Continue reading

Even if ISIS is defeated, the fate of religious minorities in Syria and Iraq remains bleak. Unless minorities are given some measure of security, those who can leave are likely to do so. Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute, a conservative policy center, says that the situation has grown so dire that Iraqi Christians must either Continue reading

I have re-written a portion of my About Me section. Most importantly, I have added a disclaimer. I couldn’t figure out a good way to “blog” it, so I have just linked it here.  Continue reading

Originally posted on G. C. Jeffers: not even married that Easter morning as some daddy’s daughter grinned through the alleluias and laughed through the creed. but we knew. those eyes bright and blue first dragged our hearts into the open— that pulsating organ raw and bleeding and full of life— giving your mother and I… Continue reading

Originally posted on G. C. Jeffers: I wonder when Satan first proposed the idea and how long Judas held out, how many times he said I can no more betray him than betray myself, but that was a possibility Satan understood only too well. And was it jealousy of the woman at Bethany jealously of… Continue reading

Originally posted on G. C. Jeffers: On Holy Tuesday, the Orthodox Church celebrates the parable of the ten virgins, emphasizing the need to watch and wait–looking forward to the garden. This song is from Jon Thurlow, and I think it captures the sentiment exactly. (Disclaimer: Jon Thurlow is a musician with the International House of Prayer, an… Continue reading

This is the latest post in my series reflecting on my assigned readings for my Foundations of Composition and Rhetoric Class. For this week, we finished up reading Participatory Composition (which, overall, I found extremely difficult to understand (not in the good way of difficult but rewarding ideas; in the annoying way of obfuscating language Continue reading

I’ve thought about quitting my PhD on multiple occasions. It’s not just that tenure-track jobs in the humanities will be hard to find once I graduate, nor is it merely that I could be making a lot more money right now if I wasn’t in academia at all (money seems more important than it used Continue reading

Almighty God, give us grace to cast away the works of darkness, and put on the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life in which your Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious majesty to judge both the living Continue reading

I sometimes sit out back (that’s where the breath of creation lurks around here) and wonder about words. St. Augustine thinks that words are signs (which is fine as far as it goes). And St. Derrida, along with his band of merry men, thinks words are infinitely regressive signs, which is a mouthful. (Incidentally, if Continue reading