A Thinking Reed

  • The introversion of the church

    I’m reading Lutheran biblical scholar/theologian Ernst Kasemann’s short book Jesus Means Freedom, and I thought this passage was particularly relevant to a lot of contemporary trends in Christianity, even though the book was published in the late ‘60s: The church as the real content of the gospel, its glory the boundless manifestation of the heavenly…

  • Bloggingheads theodicy

    Here’s an interesting “diavlog” on Leibniz and the problem of evil featuring philosophers Michael Murray and Jan Cover (who is a former professor of mine and a very cool guy). more about "Bloggingheads theodicy", posted with vodpod I’m not sure you’d say this makes for “fun” viewing: I have undying respect for Jan, but he’s…

  • This is your country on war

    I don’t usually describe things as “must read,” but this article on returning Iraq vets (via Jim Henley) surely qualifies.

  • WASM 3: The fox and the hound (and the mink and the seal)

    (See previous posts here and here.) In the central chapters (3-5) of Why Animal Suffering Matters, Linzey critically examines three practices: sport hunting (focusing on hunting with dogs in the UK); fur farming; and seal hunting, particularly the Candian seal hunt. I was surprised that there was no chapter on raising animals for food, since…

  • Democratizing the Fed

    I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a particularly good grasp on the complex and recondite issues surrounding the Fed and monetary policy, but William Greider (who literally wrote the book on the Fed) lays out the case for making it more accountable and transparent in the latest Nation. Crucially, he says…

  • Friday Metal: Despised Icon, “Furtive Monologue”/ “In the Arms of Perdition”

    Okay, these guys make Alice in Chains sound like Britney Spears. I like how they have two singers to get the full range of incomprehensible screams and guttural growls:

  • Quote of the day

    Comes from Matt Yglesias: Personally, I consider myself someone who enjoys nostalgia. But this article (via Alyssa Rosenberg) about the boom in twentysomething nostalgia mostly reminded me of bad times via the phrase “three of the biggest bands of the period — Blink-182, Limp Bizkit and Creed — have each reunited for summer tours.” What…

  • WASM 2: Engaging the powers

    Having established the moral significance of animal suffering, Linzey goes on in chapter 2 to ask why, if the importance of animal suffering is so clear, has it been so often ignored? After all, as Stephen R. L. Clark has pointed out, it’s hard to identify a more obvious moral truism than “Avoid being the…

  • “Statism” revisited

    John makes some fair points in his response to this post. In particular, I probably did paint with too broad a brush in characterizing conservatives and libertarians as “mostly deny[ing] that [the environment, health care, etc.] are problems and/or that government has any role in addressing them.” At the same time, John is painting what…

  • WASM 1: The difference that difference makes

    In chapter 1 of Why Animal Suffering Matters, Linzey identifies several differences between humans and non-human animals that are typically offered as justifications for disregarding the interests of animals. In a neat twist, though, he aims to show that, properly understood, they call for a greater consideration of animal interests. Animals as natural slaves: Aristotle…