Scriptorium Archive
for October, 2006

Myth and New Media

Administrator | Misc. | 10.31.2006

Christian GodBloggers have not been willing to take a tough, thoughtful position and defend it. As Christians, we need to be holistic in our thinking as we try to work through every aspect of life and understand how the goodness, truth, and beauty of Christianity offers an answer to the toughest questions we can conceive. We need to be willing to consider tough questions or we lose the advantage of writing unexpecte... Read More...

Shot Blocked

Fred Sanders | Avant-Garde | 10.28.2006

The marks on the left could be read as railroad tracks converging at a distant vanishing point, but they are in fact the goal net. This young goalie has all the right moves, not even condescending to use his hands in blocking this shot. With such a kick you think to score on me? Ha! With my head I knock away your so-called "shot." Leaning easily into its trajectory I cause it to bounce into the banner of my triumpha... Read More...

Additional Scriptorium for October, 2006

Is Blitzer Up to His Job?

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 10.27.2006

I pity poor Wolf Blitzer. He decided to turn an interview about a children's book with Lynne Cheney into an attack, but then forgot to attack well. Check out the story at Hugh Hewitt. The best way to summarize the story is that the interview went this way: Wolf: Here is a big charge! Respond! Cheney: Can I talk about my book? If I must respond, then (insert factual and wi... Read More...

Quick ESV Bible Trick

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 10.26.2006

The publishers of the English Standard Version didn't just produce a highly usable translation of the Bible. They also worked hard to make their work easily available on the internet. They've got a whole ESV blog full of nifty techie tricks that their version can do. But here's one I discovered on my own: When you Google a Bible verse by itself, you often get a whole lot... Read More...

Dewian Debacle

Paul Spears | Misc. | 10.25.2006

I have been reading a very interesting book about John Dewey by Henry Edmondson called, John Dewey and The Decline of American Education. In this book Edmondson points out that much of Dewey’s educational theory has been employed by teachers and administrators who have not taken into account his foundational ideological commitments. While Dewey’s educational theories captu... Read More...

The Wooden Sword of Playmobil

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 10.23.2006

What's better than Playmobil? I'm not trying to be controversial here, and I don't want to pick any fights with my Legocentric brethren, but the Playmobil toys are wonderful things. If you don't have children in your house, it's a real challenge to think of excuses for playing with these amazing little plastic figures. But those of us with younguns underfoot are free to swe... Read More...

Calling Ishmael: Tony Maalouf at Biola

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 10.22.2006

In these complicated days of geopolitical confusion, here is a straightforward question: What does the Bible say abut the Arab people? It's a clear enough question, but who do you know who could put together more than a few sentences on the subject? There must be only a handful of such people, and one of them is Tony Maalouf, a Lebanese Christian who has taught in Jordan ... Read More...

Words, Power, and Education

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 10.21.2006

John Mark Reynolds wrote recently about the relationship between education --especially the ability to use words well-- and freedom. Verbal fluency is a mighty weapon to enslave or liberate people; it doesn't take a Marx or a Foucault to spot the way education and miseducation direct the flow of power in a society. I have nothing to add but a couple of great passages on th... Read More...

The Coming Slavery of the Illiterates

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 10.19.2006

This discovery shocked even me: The study also finds that more than 50 percent of students at four-year colleges have only the most basic literacy skills, meaning they can't do basic tasks like summarize the arguments in a newspaper editorial. On both measures, students at two-year colleges perform even worse. Without literacy, most people will lack adequate vocabularies... Read More...

Who approved this Anti-Ford Site?

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 10.17.2006

This morning while drinking my super-strong Joe to get ready for a discussion of Spencer and other fun . . . the Corner (NRO) tipped me off to what the Republicans have been doing with our money. Long time readers might guess that I am a Republican . . . and I am proudly so as every member of my family has been since Mr. Lincoln called for loyal help in saving the Union and... Read More...

Why Few Succeed and Many Fail

Fred Sanders | Misc. | 10.17.2006

I love weird old books, and the worse they are, the better I like them. One of my favorite bad books is a modest little volume from 1927 called Why Few Succeed and Many Fail, by Dr. R. A. Richardson. Never heard of Richardson? He was "A Graduate and Licensed Osteopathic Physician and Surgeon, Also Oculist and Optometrist." In addition to this book (published by himself T... Read More...

Rock and Roll!

Fred Sanders | Avant-Garde | 10.16.2006

On a make-shift stage with a pipe-and-drape backdrop, one man plays a portable keyboard while another brandishes a mean microphone. Put your hands together, people, I can't hear you! (I can't prove it, but I believe this is a drawing of worship leader Walt and preacher Erik. At least that's who was on stage when the drawing was made.) Read More...

The Truth about Nancy Pelosi!

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 10.16.2006

In this blog, breaking news on Nancy Pelosi! Governor Romney can hardly cross the street without a reporter breathlessly asking, "Is America ready for a Mormon President?" Harry Reid can hardly cross the street without someone asking, "Who is Harry Reid?" The interesting thing is that no reporter asks, "Is America ready for a Mormon as Majority Leader?" Yes, Har... Read More...

Books to Burn!

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 10.14.2006

Hay-on-Wye is the biggest city in the world if the ideas contained in a city available for purchase measure the size of the city. Actually they don't, but it feels that way when you are in this nearly perfect place which is dedicated to books. . . used, hardly used, and new in mounds and shelves and barns without a Noble. Hay-on-Wye contains the most used bookstores I have ... Read More...

Too Much Like Prejudice: A Warning Against a Dangerous Political Argument

John Mark Reynolds | Misc. | 10.13.2006

I am a big fan of Jim Dobson and his work with families. This blog has defended him against unfair attacks in the past, but he should avoid this kind of statement: "I don't believe that conservative Christians in large numbers will vote for a Mormon but that remains to be seen, I guess," Mr. Dobson said on a syndicated radio program hosted by a conservative commentator, Laur... Read More...