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Shortly after visiting the United States in the early 1920s, British writer G.K. Chesterton famously remarked that “America is a nation with the soul of a church.” He was both impressed and appalled by the idea.

What he observed is that Americans often fail, consciously or unconsciously, to distinguish between church and state, denying their separate spheres. This despite the fact that the Bible unambiguously defines the church as wholly distinct from “the world,” even warning the faithful that the latter is under the power and control of Satan, no less!

A few years after Chesterton’s visit, in the fall of 1930, German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer arrived at New York’s Union Theological Seminary, arguably the foremost American seminary at the time.

Continue reading “Christian Realism”

There are certain words and phrases used by our political class that I find particularly irksome. For example, a few years ago I began noticing virtually every politician and talking head on TV news programs would preface their remarks with the word: “Look.” Where to I’m never quite sure.

But by far the most annoying phrase I’ve heard over the last few years, from both the Left and the Right, is this little gem: “We need to get to the bottom of this!” What makes this phrase specially grating is that we almost never get to the bottom of anything.

Then again, getting to the bottom of things ought to be our primary objective whenever we assess any issue of our day, despite, as I say, the fact that we never actually seem to. Instead, we indulge in surface analyses, mindlessly refusing to investigate life at its depths, life at its core, and refusing to get to the “bottom” of anything. We simply take things at face value.

Continue reading “Getting to the Bottom of It”

Every Christmas Eve day, at 10:00 in the morning, I faithfully listen to the live BBC broadcast from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. There’s just something about the solemnity and grandeur they manage to bring to the occasion.

To say nothing of the music. I absolutely love it, particularly the congregational singing, more so even than the stellar choral anthems. 

I love the earthy resonance and sheer weightiness of the organ, together with the slow, measured, yet always spirited tempo of hundreds of voices seamlessly joined together, topped off by an arrangement for the sopranos that soars impossibly and resplendently above the entire proceedings, all worthily contained within the improbable acoustics of the old, majestic chapel. 

Continue reading “Passing Through Providence”

In many respects, WWI is the defining moment in modern Western history. As the 19^th century ended, incipient tensions had come to the fore, casting cautionary shadows over a new century’s overweening confidence and sense of optimism.

The technological progress of the era had been extraordinary. Science and industry were ascendent. Yet economic disparities grew, industrial workers were exploited, and the fabric of traditional society began to fray. Many felt uncertain, adrift, vulnerable.

Thus, when war came, some saw it as a referendum on Western Civilization itself. For a new challenge had arisen, one that had effectively questioned the supremacy of settled tradition. German Idealism, that is, promised a new man and a new future, mercifully detached from the past and its myriad sins and imperfections.

Continue reading “But the Earth Abideth Forever…”

While having coffee with a friend recently, the subject of pluralism came up. Not one to pass up the opportunity to pontificate, I affirmed the value of pluralism while arguing that what passes for pluralism these days is mostly anything but.

Calls for “diversity” are on offer instead. Yet diversity is really nothing at all like pluralism.

Pluralism is based on differing ideas, perspectives, backgrounds, and identities, each granted free expression. Out of this cacophony of varied and sometimes contentious speech, consensus hopefully emerges.

Continue reading “What Ever Happened to Pluralism?”

I used to visit Shirley often. She was an elderly church member who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Yet her mind remained sharp, vibrant, and probing. I always looked forward to talking with her.

One day, sitting in her living room, we got onto the subject of church attendance. A lifelong churchgoer herself, she expressed concern that neither of her two children had any interest, despite attending regularly growing up.

When questioned, her son told her he thought himself a highly moral person who always tries to live a good life. As such, he didn’t really see the need to go to church. Unsure how to counter his argument, she asked me what I would say.

Continue reading “Passport Out of Provincialism”

In preparing the liturgy for a service I recently led, I chose the classic Abide with Me as one of the hymns. To my surprise, the church secretary emailed back and suggested I leave out the last verse. Why? Because it’s so depressing, what with Covid and all. Funny, all along I had thought it a hymn of comfort and hope.

The offending stanza reads like this: “Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies; Heaven’s morning breaks, and earth’s vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.”

Then again, I shouldn’t have been surprised. I’ve long believed that the unofficial religion of American is positive thinking. Just think good thoughts and everything will work out.

Continue reading “The Lesson from 2020?”

There’s a fictional story of “show-and-tell” at an elementary school. The assignment? To bring something to class that symbolizes your faith.

The first child gets up and says, “I’m a Catholic, and I brought my rosary beads.”

The second goes to the front of the class and says, “I’m Jewish, and I brought a yarmulke.”

The third stands up and announces, “I’m a Congregationalist, and I brought a casserole.”

As much as I love the lightheartedness of this joke, it does make a serious point. It suggests that Christian doctrine may no longer hold a place of honor in our churches.

Continue reading “Sermon: “A Case for Dogmatics””

We are creeping up on the Fourth of July again. It is, as we all know, our nation’s annual commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia in 1776.

Over the years, I’ve come to reject the name given the ensuing conflict, “American Revolutionary War,” preferring the “American War of Independence” (to distinguish it from real revolutions like the one in France a few years later).

For, unlike the French Revolution, the Colonists did not intend to reject the basic insights of British culture, its values, morals, principles, or religion. Rather, it sought to confirm and strengthen them while eliminating what were perceived as corruptions of the existing British model.

Continue reading “Which Revolution Shall It Be?”

Since we’re still largely barred from attending church, I’ve used the opportunity to watch a number of services online, some altogether different from what I’m used to. To that end, I recently watched a curious, hipster-like Evangelical service on the World Wide Web.

Now, one of my longstanding critiques of Evangelicalism is its tendency to focus almost exclusively on the “Jesus and me” phenomenon. I sometimes get the impression that I’ve entered “Jesus World,” a hermetically sealed, bubble-like place largely disconnected from the world around it.

Whatever is going on, the message always seems the same: ignore what’s going on and focus on being saved; focus on your personal relationship with Jesus.

Continue reading “A Prevailing Social Vision”