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Category Archives: Books
The Passage (not Saved by the Bell)
One of the best contemporary fiction reading experiences I’ve had over the last few years was with Justin Cronin’s The Passage. The book was one of those rare “first in a trilogy” books that was so well-done that a continuation … Continue reading
Lanier and the Care of 21st Century Souls
In his recent interview with New York Magazine, futurist Jaron Lanier responded to a question about his “urgent” arguments against social media. And while he has a whole book about the topic dropping at the end of the month, he … Continue reading
A Land of Lonely Hunters
A common theme from the last few weeks of news articles and essays and reading points to the issue of loneliness as a real fruit of our modern era. I suppose we’ve known this since the release of Bowling … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Faith, Notes for a World's End
Tagged Henri Nouwen, James K A Smith
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Nouwen and the First Question
For a number of years I have been convinced that one of the best things that I can do as a teacher is to ask good questions. Question-asking has been particularly fruitful with upperclassmen, as it allows for a more … Continue reading
Triangulating for Spiritual Direction
Before beginning the main discussion in Spiritual Direction, Henri Nouwen points to three different points of connection, spiritual disciplines, that are necessary for a healthy approach to a wisdom that can help us “to slow down and order our time, … Continue reading
Nouwen and a Long Obedience with No Direction
In yesterday’s post I asked a question that twisted the popular 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 passage a bit: what if the changes effected in contemporary culture have led us to feeling more renewed in body but more diminished, even damaged, in … Continue reading
A Different Wasting Away
Long before I knew him as the author of Old School, one of my favorite novels, Tobias Wolff was the author of one of my favorite quotes: we are made to persist– that’s how we find out who we are. … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Faith, Notes for a World's End
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The Thing with Tully
The first thing I did after breakfast yesterday was buy a copy of Chuck Palahniuk’s latest novel, Adjustment Day. This was an unpredictable decision, as I haven’t read any long-form Palahniuk in a good long while. The next thing I … Continue reading
Education and the Industrial Solvent
Much like liberalism, industrialism has acted as a kind of universal solvent that has assisted in what some would call the dissolution of whatever the most recent world might have been (though we now exist in the wake of its … Continue reading
Provision
One of the reasons I am drawn to a consideration of moving “from one world to the next” is because I spend a good deal of time talking with students who are making their own transition from one world to … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Faith, Notes for a World's End
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Space Enough, and Time 