Great article by Victor Davis Hanson on how "the therapeutic Left and the utilitarian Right both do disservice to the humanities." Excerpt: ...the therapeutic academic Left proved incapable of defending the traditional liberal arts. With three decades of defining the study of literature and history as a melodrama of race, class, and gender oppression, it managed to turn off college students and the general reading public. And, cheek by jowl, the utilitarian Right succeeded in reclassifying business and finance not just as undergraduate majors, but also as core elements in general-education … [Read more...] about Victor Davis Hanson on the Liberal Arts
Archives for 2013
President of ASU on Whether College is Worth It
A good interview with Michael Crow, president of Arizona State University, America's largest public university. He makes two really good points: 1. Most college rankings are based on exclusivity (admissions rates), but what's importance is achievement upon graduation. 2. Graduation rates vary by family income (sadly). "Having a more diverse class -- more kids working while in college, more first-generation college students -- affects graduation rates." (It seems we need to do more to help talented kids from lower income families persevere to graduation.) … [Read more...] about President of ASU on Whether College is Worth It
Keller and Piper on C.S. Lewis (and George MacDonald)
I grew up reading lots of C.S. Lewis and George MacDonald, so I appreciated this five minute video with Tim Keller and John Piper discussing these matters. I think Keller nails it on MacDonald--lots of common grace. He was a beautifully gifted writer, but he got the core issues (sin, atonement, penal substitution) wrong. I don't know why. … [Read more...] about Keller and Piper on C.S. Lewis (and George MacDonald)
Why are millennials leaving the church?
Rachel Held Evans sounded off (again) over the weekend on CNN's religion site. But I think Rod Dreher and Anthony Bradley are more on point. Evans' critiques don't really explain what's happening. For example, Dreher writes: Crucially, the data cited in American Grace show that the young began to fall away from the church in the early 1990s; around the time that homosexuality, including same-sex marriage, began to be a topic of mainstream discussion. Understand, it's not that Evangelicals are becoming more liberal, necessarily (though some are); it's that young people who were raised … [Read more...] about Why are millennials leaving the church?
Short Q&A to go with John 3:16
We find both Scripture memory and catechism work to have great value for our young children (7, 5, and 2). It puts vital knowledge into their minds, which we pray God will push into their hearts. May it be said of them that "from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus" (2 Timothy 3:15). One of the most frequently memorized passages, with good reason, is John 3:16. Here are four simple question and answers that we've used to go along with their memorization of John 3:16. Whom does God love? … [Read more...] about Short Q&A to go with John 3:16
Four Ministry Books For $20
The Matthias Media Bundle from WTS Books looks like a great deal: Four books for $20. Sale ends 7/31. The Trellis and the Vine: The Ministry Mind-Shift that Changes Everything ($7.50) The Archer and the Arrow: Preaching the Very Words of God ($7.50) One to One Bible Reading: A Simple Guide for Every Christian ($4.00) Growth Groups: A Training Course in How to Lead Small Groups ($5.50) … [Read more...] about Four Ministry Books For $20