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July 2018

July 12, 2018

The Tyrant’s Go-To Insults (Summer in the Republic 36)

Some things change. Abraham Lincoln never sent a text to the Tsar of all the...

July 11, 2018

If I concede, I can be saved. (Summer in the Republic 35)

“Justice is whatever benefits the strong!” In years of leading Republic discussions, some students have...

July 10, 2018

You are no match for ME! (Summer in the Republic 34)

Winning is not a winning move if we are wrong. That’s obvious, because most of...

July 09, 2018

Socrates and Mister Rogers Neighborhood (Summer in the Republic 33)

Won’t You Be My Neighbor? is the nicest film of the year. When I said...

July 05, 2018

Just one hundred years ago: the death of the Romanov Family

Some books stay with you and influence all you do. When I was a boy,...

June 2018

June 28, 2018

SUMMER BLOCKBUSTER: Money and Acclaim versus the Love of Wisdom (Summer in the Republic 24)

My idea for a summer blockbuster: Could Philosophy Woman defeat the villains Money and Acclaim...

June 23, 2018

In Politics and Any Kind of Leadership: Beware the Beast Man (Summer in the Republic 19)

Politicians in a republic are not usual natural aristocrats. To get enough people to vote...

June 20, 2018

Hope: Good Indeed (Summer in the Republic 16) With Bonus JANE EYRE!

With God’s blessing, we can go from seeming to be good to being good. The...

June 18, 2018

Avoid Thoughtless Quoting (Summer in the Republic 14)

The thoughtless often go looking for a thought by quoting someone thoughtful. We receive a...

June 15, 2018

Do Justice, Know Justice (Summer in the Republic 11)

A small child can get cookies from the cookie jar, even if she should not,...

June 14, 2018

A Man of Easier Virtue (Summer in the Republic 10)

Satan cannot produce blessings and so his ancient trick is to make blessings a snare....

June 12, 2018

On Grinding Poverty, Old Age, and the Good Life (Summer in the Republic 8)

“Even a good man will find it difficult to cope with old age in poverty.”...

June 11, 2018

Old Age as Freedom? (Summer in the Republic 7)

America is a young country in love with youthfulness. We do not honor the old...

June 10, 2018

Questions for the Old and Young (Summer in the Republic 6)

I am in the youth of old age. So says my mother and she is...

June 08, 2018

That would be new! (A Summer in the Republic 4)

Summertime! When I was a little boy, I was blessed to get the long days...

June 07, 2018

How Democracy Dies (Summer in The Republic 3)

Democracy dies in the light looking around for edutainment, hoping for an enlightenment that is...

June 04, 2018

Papaw and the Atheist

Doing Right is Winning Winning does not mean getting rich or famous because good, true,...

June 03, 2018

Gentle Mercy: Paul Simon and Growing Up in America

Tonight I was reminded of my need for mercy through the last tour of singer-song...

May 2018

May 31, 2018

What if Mr. Frodo is an ass?

Sam followed Mr. Frodo to Doom. Sam served, as was his place given his personality...

May 30, 2018

Looking to Joan

Joan of Arc was born into Paradise today. Remember her and know hope. We got...

May 26, 2018

Memorial Day: Growing Up in West Virginia

Memorial Day in West Virginia was about veterans or at least that is how I...

May 25, 2018

Behold the Were-Possum! (Or How Explanations Can Be Unexpected)

Skepticism is a good tool in any thinking person’s toolbox. Anybody selling anything deserves a...

May 18, 2018

To Call a Man a Monster

Unless you are Stalin, Mao, or a few other people in history, nobody deserves to...

May 17, 2018

Hard to Agree

An odd thing about our times: it is hard to agree with authority, at least...

May 15, 2018

Do Not Be Conformed (Applying MLK Today!)

“Success, recognition, and conformity are the bywords of the modern world where everyone seems to...

May 14, 2018

MLK: Tough Mind and Tender Heart

To do theology well is to pray well. Praying requires a “tough mind and a...

May 12, 2018

Don’t Step Back

My Papaw Reynolds had a favorite saying: “Don’t step backwards or the Devil will step...

May 11, 2018

The Common People Can’t Know: A Very Bad Idea

Reading Ibn Rushd (Averroes) is good: He is a careful reasoner and a chief cause...

May 07, 2018

I aspire to be Photina: Begin Badly, End Well

She is the woman at the well, who met Jesus who told her all she...

May 03, 2018

Thriving at College (A Good Book full of Good Ideas)

Bottom Line: Professor Chediak has written an instruction manual for college as we know it....