The Role of Music in Civic Life
by Jacob Lute Introduction: The Communal Bond of Music Most of us would readily admit that music plays a significant role in our personal lives; after all, we spend countless hours listening to music in our cars or through our earbuds. But how often do we consider the role it plays in our social and community lives? I was raised in Southern Ohio where my family had a special affinity for college football, especially when The Ohio...
Citizenship in Christian Perspective
What is the proper relationship between the Christian and the state? Thinkers have not provided a shortage of answers to that question throughout the church’s history. Christians have (and do in different parts of the world) existed as outlaw sects uneasy with the state, as members of the official religion of the state, and everything in between. At this present moment of increasing partisan polarization within the socio-cultural...
Recommended Books (Winter 2023)
Arctic storms, shortened daylight hours, and rainy/snowy weather forces us indoors during the cold winter months. Even as we appreciate and enjoy the austerity of this time of year, it also encourages us to look forward to spring and resurrection. So, as we fill the longer nights with family activities and time indoors, we have great opportunities to reach for new books. Below, you will find reading suggestions from our group that...
The Table of Nations: Biblical Nationalism I
Since 2001, we have seen a marked decline in American patriotism. A 2019 Gallup poll showed that the number of Americans who are proud of their country began to drop in 2005 and now hovers under fifty percent.[1] In 2013, researchers with the Pew Research Foundation discovered a generational devolution from the Silent Generation (b. 1925–1945) to Millennials (b. 1980–2000) of confidence in America’s prominence compared to other...
Thinking Biblically About Political Discord
Do you find yourself frustrated and exhausted by political discourse—even among Christians?[1] Are you concerned that some seem to think of themselves first as Democrats, Republicans, or Independents, and second as Christians? Few things create strife like conversations about faith and politics. For that reason, many learned as children not to discuss politics or religion in polite company. That advice is helpful but only to a point....
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