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Recently, Reformed theologians, Michael Horton, professor of apologetics and theology at Westminster Seminary California, and John Frame, professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, FL, have written two differing articles on how Christians should approach the surrounding culture. The first thing that many might think is that these different approaches are related to a Christian view of political activism in our hyper-politicized age. What is really happening is a continuing debate, esecially in the Protestant, Reformed community about how to have an over-arching point of access to the surrounding culture.
First, let me review the main ideas from both. Horton, in his article called How the Kingdom Comes. Frame’s essay is entitled, In Defense of Christian Activisim.
It’s summer, so the slower pace of life leads itself to slower entertainment as the heat of the day ebbs out. This summer, that has meant for me a little regional ballpark tour and review. A quiet day at a baseball park can be both relaxing and exhilarating. There are some excellent sites that compare baseball parks across the nation, like Ballpark Digest or Clem’s Baseball. Great sites, and if you have a spare Saturday afternoon, you could lose it just reviewing the information there. I cannot begin to offer the sort of information they have, but here is just a taste with a little on-line tour of four parks in South Carolina and Georgia.
1. First stop on the tour is Clemson’University’s Doug Kingsmore Stadium.
I last visited here for game two of the NCAA Super Regional match-up between Clemson and Oral Roberts U. in early June. The Tigers came from behind to beat the Eagles 6-5 and earn a trip to the College World Series.
The Tigers set records in attendance this season, with over 4,500 a game and its easy to see why. The team was one of the best in school history, and in recent years the university community has embraced the game with deep sort of enthusiasm matched on campus by only the football program that plays across a few streets and a parking lot. The one concession stand is good and parking is not an issue. While different professional stadiums are under pressure to sell the experience of the ballpark, you see less of that in Clemson, even though the stadium was renovated extensively in the past few years with a larger concourse, brick-work around the structure and better seating. In all likely hood, this park will continue to draw larger crowds and will probably be expanded again in coming years. In the meantime, its one of the best places to enjoy some of the best college ball in the nation. Read the rest of this entry »
Historian Victor Davis Hanson has remarked that the United States has fought four Iraq Wars, the Gulf War of 1991, the 12 year armistice enforcement from 1991 – 2003, the Iraq War of the Spring of 2003 and the Insurgency War of 2003 – . Historian Williamson Murray and Gen. Robert Scales (ret.) have collaborated on this late 2003 volume about the third US v. Iraq War that ended with the overthrow of Saddam Hussein’s Baathist regime. Their intent was to write a straightforward account of the lead-up to the conflict in context, a description of the actual US/British led invasion and an analysis of why the conflict ended the way it did and what the results mean for future United States and British military strategy and policy.
Previously, Murray had written the military account of the US air war during the 1991 Gulf War and Maj. Gen. Scales had written the official postwar analysis of that six week conflict. Both are experts in the US military’s strategy and weaponry. And more importantly for how they wrote this work, both are knowledgeable in how the United States changed its approach to manpower and tactics between the first and third Iraq Wars.
The significance of this volume is to concisely describe how the US military approached its third Iraq War, what the differences were on the operational level between this conflict and previous ones and likely lessons to learn and apply for future military operations. The Iraq War was written in late 2003, after the end of the operation to overthrow the Baathist regime and before the insurgency and founding of the new Iraqi government took hold. So the authors’ comments about the continued need for initiative, change and operational awareness in future conflicts is almost prophetic in light of the last two years.
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The disconnect between popular history and scholarly history often shows up in how events and individuals are remembered.Communities in the United States are filled with memorials to events of just a few decades ago, that are now barely noticed and are on the path towards obscurity and decay. Such is the case when the history of the present, popular mindset has little scholarly or grounded foundation to it. And I think that is the case with the life and actions of American Continental Army General, Nathaniel Greene.
I was born in the mid-sized community of Greenville, SC, in the county of Greenville, not far from the county and town of Greenwood. I have ancestors who lived not far from Greeneville, TN. I have driven through Greenville, NC on the way to the beach, and through Greenville, AL. It is not hard to find someplace in the Southern United States named Green(e), and virtually all of them are there to honor Gen. Nathaniel Greene of Rhode Island, perhaps the most unlikely Major General in US Army history, and without whom, the winning of the Revolution would have been much less likely. Terry Golway’s attempt in this biography is to turn popular attention again to this significant, and at times forgotten, figure in American history with an excellently researched book that places Greene squarely in the context of his times.
Greene was a walking contradiction. He was born to a pacifist Quaker family, yet aspired to be a great general. He had little formal education, but was able to converse with the intellectuals of the day due to his self-taught education. Perhaps the greatest accomplishment for someone who wanted to be remembered for battlefield action was as Washington’s supply officer. He wanted nothing more than to be asuccessful Yankee businessman, and ended up being a Southern plantation owner. He could be full of self-pity and defensive with other officers and he hated dealing with Congressional politicians; yet he was admired for his selflessness and his ability to work the political situation for the gain of his men under arms. (read more)
July 4th! What a day! It impresses me so much I’m back blogging again after a few month respite, in inattention. For me and I suspect millions of other Americans, the day is a symbolic apogee of the year. Forget the official days that start the seasons June 21 (my wedding anniversary) and December 21, for me the high swings of the yearly clock are July 4th and December 25. One hot and explosive and another cold and contemplative. Not a bad way to measure time if you ask me.
This year’s observations included a symphony pops concert and fireworks Saturday night, a pool party Sunday evening after church, and a cookout with some friends in northern North Carolina on Independence Day itself. A wonderful, happy time for all, full of conversation, rest from work and community.
In recent days, in theme with the holiday’s demand to revisit the founding fathers, I read this wonderful article in the Wall Street Journal about Declaration signer, Presbyterian pastor and President of Princeton, John Witherspoon (1723–1794).
Witherspoon was a teacher of many of the Founding Fathers, active on over 100 committees in the Continental Congress and acted with expertise in a variety of fields besides his native theology, including his insistence that the new United States have free market economic underpinnings. His retort in Congress to the thought that the 13 colonies may not be ready for independence?
“In my judgement the country is not only ripe for the measure, but in danger of becoming rotten for the want of it.”
He was eager for independence and fervent to spread his faith. Read about him if you get the chance.
The national observation of Independence Day in 2006 is a bit different from the solemn remembrances, feasts and eager actions of the Rev. Witherspoon. In lots of ways, Independence Day celebrations as we know them are the creation of former Boston Pops conductor Arthur Fiedler, who linked July 4th with symphony Pops concerts, increasingly massive fireworks displays and the 1812 Overture, an odd combination were it not for Fiedler’s marketing genius.
One of the best July 4th’s I’ve spent was when I was dating my wife and while she was visiting relatives in Massachusetts, we toured Boston and enjoyed the Pops concert and fireworks by the Charles river on the 4th of 2002. The spectacle combined with the apprehension of living post 9/11 linked with the history of Boston flashed in my mind as one of great events of my youth. I am in the center, approximately, of the picture above.
It’s a day of joy, and I hope for myself not one that slips into excessive sentimentality, but the day’s continuity, year after year, allows you to slip into a fog of history, hopefully to anchor you for the future as a nation and community.
The picture at left is of the legislative chamber in Independence Hall in Philadelphia, set up for how it looked when the Constitution was debated 11 years after the Declaration was signed.
