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Being a Christian Scholar in a Secular Academic World
The culture wars of our times have been centered in universities since the emergence of the Counter Culture in the 1960s. University scholars have often taken the lead in progressive stances on ethical, cultural, and religious issues. For many years … Continue reading
Posted in Christianity, General Essays
Tagged academe, Christianity, faith, god, philosophy, Religion, scholarship, secularism
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“The Thing I Fear Most is Fear”
Such were the words of Michel de Montaigne, the French writer of Essays. Like all humans, Montaigne struggled with fear. How did he wrestle with it, try to conquer it? Montaigne was a thinker, alone in a library, his library, … Continue reading
Posted in Michel de Montaigne
Tagged books, Fear, Life, Montaigne, philosophy, writing
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The Mirror of the Past is found in Books
The mirror of the past is the only way to peer at the image of what is human. The reflection is darkened by time and sin. Specters of the dead, haunting the dusty stacks of long-ago thoughts, turn up repeatedly, … Continue reading
Posted in books, Christianity, Review of books written by Russell Lawson
Tagged bible, books, history, philosophy, Plutarch
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Why Marxism doesn’t Work
Karl Marx was a German intellectual, philosopher, journalist, and atheist Jew who wrote anti-government publications and radical pamphlets and dense analyses of economic, political, and social philosophy. After being exiled from France, he lived in Britain. His collaborator in his … Continue reading
Democracy
The idea of democracy, like the idea of capitalism, promises much, though the reality always falls short. The promise is of wide participation in government, free and open competition among diverse groups, self-determination. Democracy offers the vision of individuals … Continue reading
Posted in European history, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Liberalism
Liberalism refers to a system of thought that focuses on the good of the whole of society as opposed to its neglect in the service of the restricted few. Liberalism began at a time of rejection of traditional feudal … Continue reading
Posted in American History, European history, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Laissez Faire
Laissez-Faire, a French phrase that means literally “let do” meaning “let a person alone,” was applied to economics by English and French thinkers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The phrase generally applies to the same conditions in modern as … Continue reading
Posted in American History, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Conservatism
Conservatism is a system of thought that focuses upon upholding traditional values, social structure, government, and economic systems. Conservatives hold specific views about the role of government in the economy and the value of democracy. Conservatives have sometimes been suspicious … Continue reading
Posted in American History, Christianity, European history, General Essays, Government
Tagged Government, history, philosophy
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Science in the Ancient World: From Antiquity through the Middle Ages
Ancient science was the intellectual pursuit to understand the origins and workings of nature and humanity. Science is a term that encompasses many methods and varied disciplines over time. Science has engaged human thought for millennia. The questions that … Continue reading
Posted in books, European history, History of Science
Tagged history, philosophy, Science
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Montaigne’s Lesson about Life
“We are great fools,” Montaigne declared, in Of Experience. “I have done nothing today,” the fool says. “What! Have you not lived?” The living of life is a sufficient task. “Have you known how to . . . manage your … Continue reading
Posted in books, European history, Michel de Montaigne
Tagged Essays, history, Montaigne, philosophy
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The American Plutarch 