In conversations about difficult topics it is important to share definitions. Capitalism is a word of many meanings.
In this conversation I lay out a defense of what I consider pure Capitalism and how Christians ought to behave among themselves, and what positions they ought to advocate – if any – in public policy debates. I [...]
From a conversation at Common Root, my thoughts:
Men are constantly trying to justify a collective which imposes claims upon the lives of its members. My thinking on this line is informed by Ayn Rand (of all people!) but I think it meshes quite well with the Hauerwasian thesis.
Any time two people come together there is [...]
Over at Common Root several readers are beginning a study of Stanley Hauerwas‘ Resident Aliens.
Everyone is invited to join us. I will post highlights of the conversation here.
If you need a copy of the book, let me know and I will get you one overnight.
Just leave a comment asking for the book, and I will [...]
There is no right side in the Israeli – Palestinian conflict. What gives any government legitimacy to exist? There is no standard for answering this question in Scripture (if you find one, please email it to me at ndsnow@gmail – those who quote Rom 13 need not apply) because there is no support for the [...]
Our church was visited by a pastor who works with International Justice Mission (IJM) this morning. He spoke of their efforts to rescue oppressed people out of slavery and forced prostitution around the world.
To me, these are the least of these. They ought to be absolute top of the church’s list of people we [...]
Alexander and I have been talking. So far we’ve agreed on the following:
1. We have agreed that purely voluntary governments may have a right to exist. But this really challenges our definition of government. If it is merely an association for collective action, yet remains voluntary, there is no reason to quibble. What introduces compromise [...]
I have a lot of respect for intellectuals who do good work and push the edge while maintaining honesty in their work. Mark Noll is just such a man. I saw him speak to a small group at Duke once, even got a word with him afterwards. He is perhaps the most prominent theological historian [...]
“American Christians don’t deal with paganism…” (Peter Leithart, First Things)
“Secularism is beginning to transform itself into an ideology that imposes itself through politics and that doesn’t concede a public space to the Catholic or Christian vision, which risks becoming purely private.” Pope Bendict XVI
I wonder whether Christians embrace the peculiarity of their ability to [...]
country for immigrants.
I have the pdf of a book by Lant Pritchett sitting on my desktop somewhere. He talks about global poverty and migration from what I take to be the most ethical angle available to us. Reason does a bang up interview with him here on his new book, and I just [...]
Anthony Bradley is my source for many insightful essays on modern culture.
He has two posts on Matthew Murray who shot all those people at the churches.
He was homeschooled and raised pentacostal, conservative, republican, evangelical. The problem: marriage of church and state. He saw it. It sickened him. He was depressed and [...]