John Mark Reynolds

During the Bush administration, I kept running into younger evangelicals who would bemoan the partisanship of our times. Evidently President Bush and Republicans like myself were hell-bent on demonizing those with whom we disagreed. I knew such things happened, even a great books teacher must notice . . . . Continue Reading »

On-line “church” has virtues, and may be licit in unusual circumstances, but it is not a complete substitute for authentic community that is three dimensional.Like any on-line thrills, it might have its thrills, but church on line is not fecund. While information sharing can supplement . . . . Continue Reading »

Kitsch in the church can be a source of constant embarrassment or humor, not mutually exclusive categories, for my Christian students. Whenever they get too discouraged I point out to them that any large movement will attract all kinds of people.One should be careful not to be a snob and merely . . . . Continue Reading »

A Christian who is also a conservative and a citizen tries to love God by loving his brothers and sisters. He does not confuse those loves, but serves the family and the state as best he can.This post on the culture war is confused, I think.It declares war on a man of straw or at best it boldly . . . . Continue Reading »

Matt:We agree on a great deal, but . . . allow me to be a bit puckish . . .It cannot be said that knowledge of the amazing career of Brett Favre is essential to a happy American life in the same sense that virtue is necessary. There is, after all, a possible world where one is both happy, a good . . . . Continue Reading »

For some bizarre reason Republicans in the New York 23rd decided to nominate a candidate who is happily pro-choice and against traditional marriage. This is because the New York Republican Party is so successful that it can afford to drive out many of its natural constituencies. (Nominated in a . . . . Continue Reading »

I would suggest a “Some Of Our Best Friends” Award for those blogs or political organizations that partly depend on evangelical votes or money, but in fact feature few if any evangelicals.They can be relied on to say, “Some of our best friends are evangelicals. . . ” but can . . . . Continue Reading »

nothing meriting it . . .  our selection as “best evangelical group blog” (I prefer this one) leads me to suspect that the Nobel in Literature cannot be far . . . . Continue Reading »

As an example of the value of pop culture, I nominate Bugs Bunny cartoons. I have gotten more pleasure, and as a young man more education in wit,  than in slogging through Ulysses. . . . . Continue Reading »

Matt Anderson suggests that pop culture isn’t that interesting or durable, but these are not the only values a thing can have. Dare I say that a film, book, or project can have value by “merely” being entertaining?It might come as a shock to most Americans, but life  is not . . . . Continue Reading »