The Great Dance
Greg Wilbur, the Dean of our school (New College Franklin) speaking about the Great Dance with Andrew Kern of the Circe Institute Continue reading The Great Dance
Liturgy, Religion, and the Obligation of Worship
Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. Psalm 149:3-4 Debts There are certain debts that are never be paid back, that we never fully make good on.* If a woman saves my child’s life, there is no sufficient currency … Continue reading Liturgy, Religion, and the Obligation of Worship
Mr. Spun’s Truly Terrible Awful Jokes: #35
Why did the German philosopher have trouble getting a date with the girl he liked?
Continue reading “Mr. Spun’s Truly Terrible Awful Jokes: #35”
Wise Woman: A Commentary on Proverbs 31:10-31
10 An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels. The author has recounted a mother’s warnings against unprofitable companions for a king who is to uphold justice and have mercy for those in need (v. 3-7). Unfit companions and disordered desires are a hindrance to the function of a king. … Continue reading Wise Woman: A Commentary on Proverbs 31:10-31
Virtue and its Limits: from Prudence to Contemplation
A talk Given at New College Franklin, Prospective Weekend, Spring 2018 Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics, the great Western text on virtue, concludes in a very strange way. After all his work discussing virtue, Aristotle unexpectedly relegates it to second rank. But if I am to make clear the remarkable nature of this move, I first need … Continue reading Virtue and its Limits: from Prudence to Contemplation
Mr. Spun’s Truly Terrible Awful Jokes: #34
Did you here about Hot Chocolate company that went bankrupt in Switzerland?
Continue reading “Mr. Spun’s Truly Terrible Awful Jokes: #34”
A Question of the Liberal Arts: Why is Song a Gift from the Gods?
from a talk given at New College Franklin in the Fall of 2013 Main Texts: Homer’s Odyssey, Book 8, lines 42-45, 62-94, 483-499, 521-534 Homer’s Iliad, Book VI, lines 440-465 My goal in giving this talk is to inspire wonder and excitement about the program of study here, to encourage intellectual enthusiasm. With this goal … Continue reading A Question of the Liberal Arts: Why is Song a Gift from the Gods?
Mary Poppins and Alcoholism
In the alcoholic home and wherever there is addiction or mental illness, children are often forced to deny the things they see and feel. In fact, the unofficial slogan of the dysfunctional family is “don’t talk; don’t feel; don’t trust.” How confusing to depend upon such people for one’s very existence. How strange to love … Continue reading Mary Poppins and Alcoholism
Thomas Aquinas Explains why I can Always Eat Another Cookie
After a delightful dinner with friends, somebody brings out a tray of cookies. I help myself to one, and then to another. I am now full, but I still want to eat another. Why? How can this be possible? All men by nature desire happiness. But the happiness which we desire is not a certain … Continue reading Thomas Aquinas Explains why I can Always Eat Another Cookie
Vague and Unconvincing
A friend recently gave me a Star Wars button with the the phrase “I find that answer vague and unconvincing.” While wearing it at school the other day, I realized that a large part of my job is communicating this to students, helping them see why it is the case, and what a sufficient answer … Continue reading Vague and Unconvincing
Same & Other 