Recently two conservatives, Ross Douthat and Norman Ornstein, have come out against Republicans and talk radio for their strong opposition to the use of the “self-executing rule” to pass healthcare legislation. Ornstein chastised Republicans for shamelessly accusing Democracts of using a legislative technique that they themselves have used numerous times. He writes: “Any veteran observer of Congress...

Piped to pastures still

By Amy Cannon

Lent is a time for Christians to give up what is good in order to be reminded of something better. Fasting and prayer are linked in Scripture, and it seems that fasting is a discipline which intensifies our prayers. It does so not because it makes us more holy to abstain from food, or purifies us of...

March 17th, 2010 | Protestant, Religion | Read More

A Dream That Tells The Truth: Alice in Wonderland

By Hayden Butler

Alice in Wonderland offers a fanciful study in dreaming that provokes the question of whether Wonderland is merely a dream from which we may at any time awaken. What makes the film great, though, is the follow-up question as to whether it being a dream even matters. At its core, Alice in Wonderland...

March 16th, 2010 | Culture, Film, Media | Read More

Predatory Loneliness: Nighthawks

By Renee Bolinger

Edward Hopper’s Nighthawks maybe the most famous painting of urban isolation. Don’t buy it? Let me try to help. When you’re attempting to understand a piece, the first step is to see it well. Look at the formal elements: color, shapes, and focal points. Once you can see what you’re...

March 16th, 2010 | Art & Literature, Media | Read More

Classics for the Contemporary Christian: Freud’s Non-Libidinal Rub

By Robin Dembroff

What do you want, purpose or happiness? If you don’t think the two pursuits are exclusive, take it up with Freud, who says as much in his treatise Civilization and its Discontents. “The idea of life having a purpose stands and falls with the religious system,” he said. “We will therefore...

March 15th, 2010 | Book Reviews, Culture, Religion | Read More

33 Things: The Week’s Amusing and Intriguing Links

By Robin Dembroff

Masculine slang-Victorian style, disagreements about Tim Burton, Godzilla, Symbols, Color-by-number toilet paper…oh…and even a little politics. (Meh!) 1. Forty “Bad” Books, according to the “experts”. 2. I Stopped Denying People: Ex- Bank of America CSR Tells All 3....

March 12th, 2010 | Thirty Three Things | Read More

The Suprising Spread of “Idol” TV in the Middle East- Lunch w/TED

By Lauren Myracle

Reality TV in the United States has a poor reputation. And frankly, it often deserves it. After all, some of this year’s biggest reality hits include raunchy, mindless fare like “Jersey Shore,” “The Real Housewives” franchise, and “The Hills.” As for less smutty, more family-friendly shows...

March 11th, 2010 | Lunch with TED | Read More

Is there really room for another Austen remake? You bet your Pride and Prejudice!

By Amy Cannon

Like clockwork, the BBC has come out with a television serial of Jane Austen’s classic, Emma. Weirdly, film adaptations of this particular novel seem to come in pairs: both Kate Beckinsale and Gwyneth Paltrow portrayed the eponymous heroine in 1996 — on British television and American movie...

March 10th, 2010 | Art & Literature, Film | Read More

What’s In a Name? That By Which We Call A Hero By Any Other Name Wouldst Act As…Villainous? Courageous? Cunning?

By Picturing the Word

Welcome to Week 3 of Picturing the Word! This week in class we watched movies and read books with the theme “You have great power.” We watched: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Chris Columbus, 2002) Spider-Man (Sam Raimi, 2002) Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) Star Wars: Episode II — Attack...

March 10th, 2010 | Art & Literature, Film, Picturing the Word | Read More

Fear of the Elements: Tsunamis, Typhoons, and Turner

By Renee Bolinger

Recent tsunami warnings in Hawaii brought to mind a powerful painting by JMW Turner. He was a good painter, but not gifted with pithy titles. Proof? This one’s named: ‘Slavers throwing overboard the Dead and Dying—typhon coming on.’ He didn’t misspell ‘typhoon’; that’s...

March 9th, 2010 | Art & Literature, Media | Read More

Classics for the Contemporary Christian: Is Your Identity As You Like It?

By Robin Dembroff

If the world is a stage, we like putting on the same shows. The Matrix, The Truman Show, Equilibrium…not original. Even in Shakespeare’s 17th century comedy As You Like It, we confront the suggestion that the world is a sham and humans are the sham’s pawns. At surface-level, the play is a ball...

March 8th, 2010 | Book Reviews, Culture, Media | Read More

33 Things: The Week’s Amusing & Intriguing Links

By Robin Dembroff

You know…I just don’t feel like writing an introduction. So shoot me! (Oh, but do check out the top 100 films.) 1. It’s rare for a company to admit to child labor, much less do their own investigation — let’s hope systemic solutions will quickly follow. 2. How to use that...

March 5th, 2010 | Thirty Three Things | Read More