Saturday Good Reads

The phrase always struck me as odd and vaguely irritating, if not dumb. It’s widely used. We’ve even had a U.S. President use it. William Farley at Reformation 21 puts his finger on what’s wrong about it. The phrase is “the right side of history.”

Tim Parks is a teacher taking early retirement, but not for any of the usual reasons. He’s seeing the loss of a foundation stone of American culture; his school won’t let him have a computer-free classroom. See his story in The New York Review of Books.

“When Evgeny Bakhmutsky’s grandfather baptized him, the older man cried—but not just happy tears. ‘He was crying because he knew I might be arrested the next day,’ Bakhmutsky said. ‘And he was crying because he knew Christianity is a road to suffering and pain and likely death.’” Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra at The Gospel Coalition has a brief history of Christianity in Russia in the 20^thand 21^stcenturies: What the Soviets Intended for Siberia, God Intended for Good.

Bradley Birzer at The Imaginative Conservative has two articles about C.S. Lewis and the Inklings: “The Pilgrim’s Regress”: The Allegory of C.S. Lewis’s Conversion and Was Owen Barfield an Inkling?

More Good Reads

Writing 

Curiosity, Creativity, Productivity: Three Pillars to Building Your Best Writing Life – Ann Kroeker, Writing Coach.

Culture

Church, Business, or Government: Which Is Best at Fighting Poverty? – Elise Daniel at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics.

True Tolerance vs. Moral Relativism in the Workplace – Hugh Whelchel at the Institute for Faith, Work, & Economics.

In Defense of Hometowns – Charles McElwee at City Journal.

Democracy Dies in Delegation – Alexander Salter at Front Porch Republic.

Faith

6 Recent Archaeological Discoveries That Affirm Details in Scripture – Karen Engle at Logos.

7 Ways to Persevere in Your Senior Years – Dawn Wilson at Revive Our Hearts.

News Media

Where will the media take us next? – Seth Godin.

Why Facebook Failed – Samuel D. James at Letters & Liturgy.

American Stuff

What’s Exceptional About American Exceptionalism? – Allen Guelzo at City Journal.

In Search of the dreaded Andersonville – Derek Maxfield at Emerging Civil War.

British Stuff

Boris Johnson’s Challenge – Carl Trueman at First Things Magazine. 

Gertrude Jekyll, Sedate Revolutionary – Judith Taylor at English Historical Fiction Authors.

Poetry

Look Back – Doug Spurling at Spurling Silver.

A Taste of Garlic – Maureen Doallas at Poets Reading the News.

Now Faith – Joe Spring.

Art

Winslow Homer beach paintings—cut in half after a bad review—reunited for Cape Ann Museum show – Aimee Dawson at The Art Newspaper.

Magic Lofoten & Rugged Senja, Norway

Painting: A Woman Reading, oil on canvas by Henry Lebasque (1865-1937).