Carl R. Trueman

Re-reading War and Peace in recent weeks, I have been reminded of one of the most monumental pieces of miscasting in the history of the motion picture industry. For those who have never read the novel, a central part of the drama depends upon the fact that one of the major characters, Pierre . . . . Continue Reading »

That the language of love has become utterly sentimentalized in our society is a commonplace. Once it was a hardheaded, self-sacrificial, outward looking concept which looked to the well-being and needs of others. Now it often means little more than that which makes me feel good or brings personal . . . . Continue Reading »

A couple of recent events have highlighted one or two of the peculiarities of the subculture of American Christianity, specifically evangelical Christianity. First, Ergun Caner is suing a couple of pastors in an attempt to keep some material pertaining to his life from being published on the . . . . Continue Reading »

Peter Jones, distinguished classicist and “Ancient and Modern” columnist for The Spectator has published (just in time for Christmas in the UK, at least) an entertaining new book on ancient Rome: Veni, Vidi, Vici: Everything you ever wanted to know about the Romans but were afraid to ask.  . . . . Continue Reading »

As middle age begins to bite and life’s pleasures become either more vicarious, whereby one lives through one’s children, or less impressive, as with one’s ever-diminishing speed on a long distance run, one delight that actually becomes ever more gratifying is having one’s . . . . Continue Reading »

Last week, my attention was brought to three things, sure and certain signs of this present age.  The first was the baby suit above, which bears the legend “Future Porn Star.” I assume this is an attempt at humor; but it is interesting what passes for a fashionably marketable joke . . . . Continue Reading »

In the latest edition of The Hedgehog Review , Wilfred McClay has an excellent article examining the importance of teaching children moral frameworks, even if they eventually choose to reject them. Near the end, he offers this profound insight into the general cultural dispositions which have given . . . . Continue Reading »

I have been a keen reader of the works of Terry Eagleton  since discovering his various trumpet blasts against the monstrous regiment of postmodernism some twenty years or more ago. I have no sympathy for his Marxism but anyone who can make Lacan and Habermas comprehensible and amusing . . . . Continue Reading »

Passing through security at Atlanta Airport on Saturday, I was surprised to be called aside by the agent for a hand search of my luggage. The x-ray machine had apparently alerted him to the presence of what looked like (and I quote) ‘an electronic cigarette’ in my jacket. On . . . . Continue Reading »

Malcolm Gladwell’s new book, David and Goliath , received some attention from David Mills on this blog last week. At the same time, it was also the subject of two articles in The Spectator , both of which highlighted the troubling matter of ambiguity in application of the biblical story. In . . . . Continue Reading »