Tag: popular culture
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Thoughts on the End of White Christian America
Does “the end of white Christian America” explain as much as some people think it does? …
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On Dolly Parton and the Beauty of Virtue
Dolly Parton is not simply a good person, or a beautiful poetess; she is both beautiful and good, in a way the philosophy of character strives to explain but can’t always illustrate convincingly. … it may be that Dolly can do more to explain the philosophers than the other way around. Let us make a…
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Speaking of Intersectionality
Never had thought about this before, but the Canaanite Woman (Matthew 15:21-28) would be an example of “intersectionality.” Our pastor pointed this out last week. OK, more precisely, an example of “someone in an intersectional position.” Because the Canaanite Woman is, obviously, a woman. This meant something in the first century Mediterranean world – in…
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Rumor Control
On the long slog through Exodus, this jumped out: You must not pass along false rumors. Exodus 23:1 (NLT) That would probably cut the fake Russian news and the out-of-context viral videos and the conspiracy theories of whichever side down to manageable proportions. Not clear on whether this implies that it’s OK to go ahead…
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The Good Kind of Rules
I got to thinking in the middle of the sermon this Sunday: There’s a polarized and polarizing discourse around “rules” or “commandments” and “obedience” in contemporary Christianity. It’s as if, as soon as someone invokes “Biblical standards” or “obedience,” it signals a whole complex of other positions, as does any language about “cultural conditions” or…
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A Big Fat Lie About Postmodernism
A year or two ago I took a course online about debunking popular misconceptions about things. What you are NOT supposed to do, when debunking a popular misconception, is start with the popular misconception, and then say that it’s incorrect. What will stick in people’s heads if you do that is the misconception. Research has…
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Don’t Be a Mean Girl
I taught my daughter not to be a “Mean Girl.” Here’s what happened: Hannah Montana came on Disney Channel in the spring of 2006. It was a “comedy.” And I noticed that MANY of the laughs were achieved by Hannah or one of the other characters saying something mean. Funny, because mean. Possibly with some…
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Let Me Get Back to You …
Teacher: “What, if anything, do you want to know about me?” Student: “What is your opinion of Kanye West?” It’s like an assignment.
Matters of Interpretation 