Political and Religious Virtue: Really?

auerwas deals skeptically with both political and religious virtue, but holds out hope for a type of political virtue within church. His treatment in Christian Existence Today is a bit cursory, but it’s thought provoking. The second half of this video deals with the problems of community and political virtue in church. Hint: it doesn’t mean joining team red or blue. … More Political and Religious Virtue: Really?

Why Not School Prayer? Hauerwas’s Christian Critique of Christian America

In his book Christian Existence Today, “A Christian Critique of Christian America,” Stanley Hauerwas takes on American civil religion. Understanding why most Christian positions toward the state aren’t good enough will help us determine what Christianity might look like if we stopped pursuing it through the state, ideologies and politics. … More Why Not School Prayer? Hauerwas’s Christian Critique of Christian America

Introduction to Stanley Hauerwas

ell known for his critique of liberal ideology and his defense of the church as its own community that should be something different than “the world.” His thought lends itself to communitarianism and challenges the growth of Christian Nationalism and Constantinianism in our day. This video introduces Hauerwas’s life and some of his big ideas and is the beginning of a series derived from two of his books: A Community of Character: Toward a Constructive Christian Social Ethic, and Christian Existence Today: Essays on Church, World, and Living In-Between. … More Introduction to Stanley Hauerwas

Be Humble–Living “In-Between”

daunting prospect for many and for many reasons. Coming off of a series on Edmund Burke, I reflect on the value of humility as a source of strength for individuals as well as for societies as we move into increasing challenges on many fronts. The book I will be getting into next is Stanley Hauerwas, Christian Existence Today: Essays on Church World, and Living In-Between. … More Be Humble–Living “In-Between”

Consider: Receiving is Giving. Real Generosity is Rejecting Transactionalism

all of them good for either the giver or receiver. This video focuses on how to be a good receiver, preferably not of Christmas largesse but of giving on a daily basis. To encourage generosity in others, being a positive receiver is necessary. Receiving without guilt and without giving a guilt trip is a way that you can move beyond the liberal capitalist transactional framework in your own life. This is not as easy as it sounds, as you will run very interesting feelings and resistances that will illuminate how messed up our world currently is when it comes to sharing and caring for each other. … More Consider: Receiving is Giving. Real Generosity is Rejecting Transactionalism

Edmund Burke vs. US Conservatives. Reading From My Latest Book Project: The Gap in God’s Country

theory stream I tap into is Burkean conservatism. Because I’m doing a series on Burke right now, I thought I’d read the section from the draft introduction that has to do with classical conservatism. … More Edmund Burke vs. US Conservatives. Reading From My Latest Book Project: The Gap in God’s Country

Distributism Summer Seminar Recordings Available

If you missed the Summer 2021 Seminar on the economic philosophy of Distributism, but you want to view the videos of the five sessions, you can get the series here for $25 and gain access to all five (as well as a link to the recommended readings) for a year: https://mortckc.square.site/product/Distributism-Seminar/77?cs=true&cst=custom For more information and … More Distributism Summer Seminar Recordings Available

Ten Things to Consider (Thanksgiving Greetings ft. Zuckerberg’s Metaverse)

Do you think being grateful while eating your turkey is the best thing you could be doing today? Here are some thoughts to agitate you (and maybe get you to drink one less beer) on this US holiday. Along the way we ponder the “Metaverse” of Mark Zuckerberg’s dreams, why charity might not be the very best thing you could do, and why word vomiting on others is an activity to avoid–maybe particularly today. … More Ten Things to Consider (Thanksgiving Greetings ft. Zuckerberg’s Metaverse)

Edmund Burke on “The Rights of Man” (Reflections 4)

I discuss Edmund Burke’s views on the “Rights of Man” as advocated by the French Revolution, in contrast with what Burke thought of as the rights of human beings living in various nations and communities. Burke critiques the idea of universal natural rights in favor of inherited rights which can be modified and applied differently over time in response to changing conditions and needs. Burke does supply a list of things that people deserve as members of society and puts them forward as the real rights of men. … More Edmund Burke on “The Rights of Man” (Reflections 4)