Anybody could get up and just talk

Marvin Olasky recently asked Tim Keller what it was like being in "college during those weird years of campus protests four decades ago." Keller's response speaks volumes regarding much of contemporary communication (including much of the blogosphere): "There was no school for weeks. We had huge meetings in the center of the campus with an open mic. Anybody could get up and just talk. It was really boring."

At the risk of just talking, here are a couple highlights from my CCA week and some top reads.

Donald Miller's visit to Messiah inspired several great conversations in class earlier this week. Since I've voiced ill-informed opinions about him before, I'll add that several of his ideas, as summarized by a couple thoughtful students, sounded a lot like open theism (the idea that God develops and grows alongside his creation). Along with a several serious concerns like this, there were a couple things (like his ruminations on nakedness and innocence in the garden) that I really enjoyed. To capitalize on this event, a group of CCA students will hold a Vittle Moot regarding some of Miller’s political views over lunch on May 5.

Also, I've gotten into several good conversations in the last couple days about the value of critical thinking vs. humble submission. Students need to learn loving service, wisdom and submissiveness alongside boldness, curiosity and creativity.

For two weeks, I've been experimenting for the first time with an online feed reader. It's an almost impossible tool to tame, but I think it could cut down on time wasted online if used rightly. Also, I've enjoyed a couple great article exchanges with my wife (the first two below are thanks to her):

This refreshing rant against the good life in Dubai takes moral excoriation to delightful levels.

Anyone who was interested in the recent CCA talk with Kevin Kelly would enjoy this article about posthumanism. It underscores the fact that Kevin Kelly is in a fairly narrow class of his own as someone trying to be both a Christian and a posthumanist (or transhumanist, which is typically synonymous).

This is a great reminder to vote in a couple days.

Here’s a report on some brave Christians in Iraqi (followed by some discussion what it means for Christians to avoid making graven images).

I agree that China vs. America is the most likely fight of the century, but I’m not quite as optimistic about the outcome.

CCA staff are all reading a wonderful book about sin, and here is an excellent summary of the book (by the author) in 23 pages.

Here a student of Bruce Waltke goes to bat for his old teacher.

This review of a great-looking picture story Bible mentions another one, Jesus Storybook Bible: Every Story Whispers His Name, that we've just finished in our family and enjoyed quite a bit.

There's been lots of blog talk about the two big theological conferences taking place recently:

thoughtful report
gushing report
critique of gushing report
slam of gushing report
response from gusher

My thoughts on these exchanges: Telling a fellow Christian that you think they are wrong does not constitute failing to love them. Wanting to all just get together and sing songs that we can agree upon is no solution. Given our historical situation, we'd do well to render our heavenly worship enthusiastically and faithfully within our separate churches while also coming together in love outside of church for delightful times of honest debate and creative culture-making (like building schools together, for example).

This report on the little-known Museum of Biblical Art in Manhattan makes it sound like a great field trip opportunity.

Finally, a few good words on how to write and think well (with Orwell):

Many people ... who think about the general quality of scholarly prose would admit that we're in a sorry state, and most would say there isn't much to do about it.

But George Orwell did something about it. In 1946 he wrote "Politics and the English Language," an essay that explains the connections between bad writing and bad thinking as well as the political consequences: "Modern [insert the word "academic" here] English, especially written English, is full of bad habits which spread by imitation and which can be avoided if one is willing to take the necessary trouble. If one gets rid of these habits one can think more clearly, and to think clearly is a necessary first step toward political regeneration: so that the fight against bad English is not frivolous and is not the exclusive concern of professional [or scholarly] writers."

By writing prose that is nearly unintelligible not just to the general public, but also to graduate students and fellow academics in your discipline, you are not doing the work of advancing knowledge.