Faith, Fiction, Friends: Saturday Good Reads

In “Renunciation and Re-enchantment,” Corbin Barthold at Front Porch Republic starts out by discussing British author Peter Ackroyd (a favorite writer of mine; his Dickens biography is monumental and so is his multi-volume History of England). And then Barthold moves to another British writer, Paul Kingsnorth (yet another favorite writer of mine), and his journey to faith.

I would wager that very few people in America actively encourage their children to go into politics, except perhaps for the members of political dynasties. Few professions are viewed with such disdain, and not without good reason. But should it be like this? Adam Carrington at Ad Fontes makes a case for restoring Christian dignity to politics and political life..

If there is any common denominator across political, social, cultural, and economic lines these days, it would have to be outrage. The internet repeats and amplifies it. The editorial and op-ed pages screech with it. It is the lifeblood of cancel culture. So how do you explain it to your children? Alyssa Ramsey at Story Warren talks to her daughter.

And in this past contentious week, these past contentious 24 hours, I'm thinking of Father Richard John Neuhaus (1936 - 2009): We Shall Not Weary, We Shall Not Rest.

More Good Reads

Life and Culture

Forgetting vs. Overcoming: Nietzche on Abuses of History and the 1619 Project – Robert Thornett at Front Porch Republic.

3 Ways to Live Humbly Online – Chris Martin at Terms of Service.

Ukraine

Your past is my present – how Volodymyr Zelenskyy uses history – Beth Daley at The Conversation.

Russian Journalist’s Nobel Medal Sells for $103.5 Million – NBC News.

Saturday Bad Read

Beyond our ‘ape-brained meat sacks’: can transhumanism save our species? – Celina Rebeiro at The Guardian. And its partial antidote: How to prevent the coming inhuman future – Eric Hoel at The Intrinsic Perspective.

Writing and Literature

Shelf Life: On the Stories Our Books Tell About Us – Bryan VanDyke at The Millions.

B-Sides: Agatha Christie's at Bertram's Hotel – Briallen Hopper at Public Books.