The Clorox splashed around and sanitized the black bucket. I watched with a lump in my throat; that meant they didn't make it. My dad had taken care of it by dumping the contents of the bucket into the gulley. Less than twenty-four hours earlier, there were four tiny, breathing kittens huddled together in that … Continue reading Inordinate Compassion for Animals as a Cure for the Unbearable Lightness of Being
Culture
Death Within, Devastation Without
There is a malady among us, a plague that is far more sinister than the coronavirus. While the coronavirus itself can only harm the body, this virus corrupts the thoughts of men and induces them, step by step, to commit acts of mass murder— in some cases, to slaughter innocent children. It is a virus … Continue reading Death Within, Devastation Without
Is the Body Positivity Movement Really So Bad?
Yesterday, psychologist and bestselling author Jordan Peterson decided to take a break from Twitter after posting a picture of a plus size model on the cover of Sports Illustrated and saying, "Sorry. Not beautiful." He then proceeded to criticize the choice of model, calling it "authoritarian" as though it were meant to re-wire our brains … Continue reading Is the Body Positivity Movement Really So Bad?
Consummatum Est
The following are some reflections on John's account of Christ's death in light of the sacrament of marriage. "For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be two in one flesh. This is great sacrament; but I speak in Christ and in the … Continue reading Consummatum Est
Self-Sustaining Lifestyle
There are many aspects of "the olden days" we feel a certain nostalgia for– a better connection with nature, strong communities, independence, and close families. These aspects can all be implemented today with one unifying goal: self-sustenance. I spent many years on the side of a mountain in Alaska at the end of a dirt … Continue reading Self-Sustaining Lifestyle
On Psyche’s Impossible Tasks and the Little Way of Wooing God
Psyche at the Throne of Aphrodite, Edward Hale, 1883 Probably the greatest of the Greek myths has to be the story of Psyche and Eros. No matter how many times I recall this tale, I am always drawn into the details of the story, feeling deeply for every joy and sorrow of Psyche. I feel … Continue reading On Psyche’s Impossible Tasks and the Little Way of Wooing God
We Are Bound to Our Times
For the past year, I have been slowly moving through my resolution to finally complete Owen Barfield's Poetic Diction. (Barfield, Owen. Poetic Diction: a Study in Meaning. Wesleyan Univ. Pr., 1973). It is a relatively short but dense account of the philosophy of poetry that deserves a lot of time and annotations. Without the impetus … Continue reading We Are Bound to Our Times
Some Thoughts As Lent Approaches
1. Reject Destructive, Self-Pitying Thoughts Now that you're out in the wide open world, without the formative constraints and influences you had in college, some of the good habits you formed then have likely slipped away. Possibly, without the next outdoor trip looming over you, or the shame of the nightly dorm push-ups, or the … Continue reading Some Thoughts As Lent Approaches
On the Reading of Leo Strauss
When a Christian picks up Leo Strauss' work, two things strike the educated reader: 1) That this man knows his subject matter, and 2) He does not want to be read. Thus the experience of continuing to read Strauss, rather than tossing the book away with irritation and disgust, will not happen if the reader … Continue reading On the Reading of Leo Strauss
MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
During my recent reading of the prologue to the third edition of Alasdair MacIntyre's After Virtue, I realized that I had never, either for others' education or my own, written down my own understanding of MacIntyre's process of arbitration between rival traditions of rational inquiry. Since that process is central to MacIntyre's project and I … Continue reading MacIntyre’s Concept of Inter-Tradition Conflict
Lander's Forge 