Joe Carter

What would happen if literary geniuses were interviewed by academic search committees? The summaries might look something like this : Name of applicant: Austen, Jane At times a charming candidate, but too coy to fit into our department of women’s studies. A bit too pleased with herself, . . . . Continue Reading »

After a fifteeen-month battle with brain cancer, Senator Edward Kennedy died today at the age of seventy-seven. As one of the most influential liberal senators of all time, he was often viewed as the archenemy of conservatives. On a personal level, though, Kennedy’s warmth and charm would . . . . Continue Reading »

During their recent convention, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America adopted a full communion agreement with the United Methodist Church. According to the ELCA website , the church is also in full communion with the Reformed Church in America, United Church of Christ, and the Presbyterian . . . . Continue Reading »

This year the federal government will: Spend: $30,958 per household Tax: $17,576 per household Borrow $13,392 per household The Heritage Foundation has more . . . Via: Justin Taylor who notes, “And none of these estimates include the cost of health-care reform!” . . . . Continue Reading »

I have a particular fondness for strong opinions, Best/Worst lists, and theology. You don’t often find all three in the same place but Fred Sander’s hits that trifecta in his post ” Karl Bahrdt, Worst Theologian Ever .” (No, not Karl Barth , Karl Bahrdt .) A Lutheran . . . . Continue Reading »

If Dante were writing the Inferno today he’d probably make room down in hell—somewhere around circle number eight, bolgia six—for people who judge others by the books they read. As a penitent, though unregenerate, book snob you’d find me down there gossiping with the Jovial . . . . Continue Reading »

A recent experiment reveals that people rate pictures as more aesthetically pleasing if they believe they come from art galleries : Aesthetic judgments, like most judgments, depend on context. Whether an object or image is seen in daily life or in an art gallery can significantly modulate the . . . . Continue Reading »

From the Washington Post : A Gallup poll found for the first time that a majority of Americans identify themselves as pro-life. A May survey, just released, asked the question: With respect to the abortion issue, would you consider yourself to be pro-choice or pro-life? In 1995, 33 percent of . . . . Continue Reading »

Last week the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America decided to allow gays in “life-long, monogamous” relationships to serve as clergy and professional lay leaders in the church. The question left unanswered, however, was, “Whose definition of monogamy would be used?” One of . . . . Continue Reading »

Mike Huckabee on evangelicals’ support for Israel : “There’s great division within the American Jewish Community about the level of support for Israel,” he went on. “I think they all support Israel, want to see it succeed. But you’ll find people all over the board . . . . Continue Reading »