Take a noun that can be misconstrued as a verb (or vice versa), mix it into an ambiguous headline, and you have yourself a recipe for a crash blossom : In their quest for concision, writers of newspaper headlines are, like Robert Browning, inveterate sweepers away of little words, and the dust they . . . . Continue Reading »
Dwight Gardner reviews The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks , a new nonfiction book that explores the curious and disturbing intersection of race, poverty, bioethics, and medical progress: The woman who provides this book its title, Henrietta Lacks, was a poor and largely illiterate Virginia . . . . Continue Reading »
I love good science fiction. It is a splendid vehicle for exploring the deepest issues in a very entertaining way, without getting too serious or bogged down in high brow importance. Indeed, good sci-fi is a powerful magnifying mirror, telling us where we are, and where we may be going.When . . . . Continue Reading »
Harvey Manfield provides an astute analysis of the Progressive claim to transcend partisanship which ultimately turns out to a dream about the decisive end of politics itself. Peter has made a compelling case on our blog that we’re stuck with virtue and the corollary to this view is that . . . . Continue Reading »
Where is the Christian to look for assurance of God’s love? Many Christians think, and are encouraged by their church’s practices, to think that our assurance of God’s love for us and our status and standing before God is to be based on our emotional reactions and feelings. This is . . . . Continue Reading »
For those who don’t speak the languages of texting and leet speak, the headline can be translated as “Thirty Percent of “Elite” Students Entering College Cannot Use Proper Punctuation and Grammar—a Finding That Must Be Considered With Wry Bemusement, Lest We Fall Into . . . . Continue Reading »
Lifeway Research surveyed 1,002 Protestant preachers and asked them to “name the top three living Christian preachers that most influence you.” The number one name—Billy Graham—is not entirely unexpected. But the second name on the list is something of a surprise: Chuck . . . . Continue Reading »
The great British natural-law philosopher John Haldane made a good case earlier this week on the BBC’s world service broadcast that to make public policy regarding controversial issues like assisted suicide, genetic engineering, and embryo manipulation, lawmakers need a common ethical . . . . Continue Reading »
Jody Bottum quoted Peter Lorre’s harrowing speec h at the end of Fritz Lang’s classic crime movie M , yesterday. Lorre’s performance is stunning, but the other leads are no less interesting. The role of The Safecracker, the master criminal who leads the underworld’s pursuit . . . . Continue Reading »
Tim Tebow, the year’s best college football player, is starring in a mildly pro-life advertisement—“Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life,” it concludes—scheduled to air during the Super Bowl this Sunday. And the ruckus over that fact has been one of the strangest things to . . . . Continue Reading »
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