The New York Times, long a purveyor of very favorable or at best bemused, shoulder-shrugging reports about the putative materialization of all human experience, provides two new reports. The makers of botox have developed a new technique to stimulate the growth of long eyelashes. Yesterday, the Times reported that oxytocin and vasopressin are responsible for [...]
Archive for January, 2009
The Day in Reductive Materialism
Posted in culture, ideas, tagged love, materialism, prairie voles, The New York Times on January 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Branding Life redux
Posted in Free Market Apologists, culture, tagged capitalism, Dogs, language, postmodernism on January 13, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
As many of you know, I’m fascinated by the ways in which the language of capitalism– and a kind of provisional contractual mobility associated with capitalism– have become ubiquitous in the language of postmodern culture. It’s become increasingly difficult to talk outside the market, even to name experiences that were long thought to be sanctuaries [...]
Quote for the Day
Posted in Uncategorized on January 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Was Moses right, or Xenophanes? Did God make man in his image, or is it not rather man who has made God in his?
Appearances, certainly, are on the side of Xenophanes– yet it is Moses who is right. And at bottom Xenophanes agrees… in fact, Xenophanes has no intention of denying the divinity; on the [...]
Christianity and Liberalism (postscript)
Posted in culture, faith, tagged Christianity, liberalism, postmodernism, Richard Neuhaus on January 10, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Perhaps our moment in American history is leading Christians to recognize that while they can and should continue to engage a more general public culture, and to participate in it in various ways (helping people, laughing with people, enjoying the company of others in diverse settings), I think that it is no longer wise to [...]
Liberalism and Christianity in America: The Curse of Clarity
Posted in culture, faith, ideas, tagged American politics, Charles Péguy, Christianity, Damon Linker, liberalism, Richard Neuhaus, Ross Douthat on January 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Amidst all the comment surrounding the death of Father Neuhaus, Damon Linker, responding to Ross Douthat, raises the most important politico-theological question of the moment, one that will last far longer than the more obvious immediate questions about whether Neuhaus went way too far in the direction of arguing that a serious Christian is morally [...]
Father Neuhaus
Posted in culture, faith, ideas on January 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
There have been several reports indicating that Richard John Neuhaus is not long for this world. His illness brings into focus the remarkable trajectory of his life, from his friendship with Martin Luther King and furious opposition to the Vietnam War to his at times pugnacious neo-conservative work at First Things. At his best, Father [...]
Traditionalism vs. Technology
Posted in culture, faith, ideas, tagged Patrick Deneen, postmodernism, Rod Dreher, technology, tradition on January 6, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve read quite a bit of Patrick Deneen’s work, and I admire it for its bracing clarity. He rightly takes aim at the roots of the modern technological project and its call to “conquer nature” (Bacon) or for humans to become “masters and proprietors of nature” (Descartes, though similar sentiments can be found in Hobbes [...]
Spelt from Homais’ leaves: Bobo edition
Posted in culture, faith, ideas, politics on January 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Many wonderful days in New York with friends and family concluded the old and began the new year with happiness. A happy new year to you!
If any cloud darkened the horizon in my days here, it has been the realization that at least among educated professionals, the culture wars have not died with the election [...]
