I sometimes feel a bit embarrassed to play guitar. There’s something –I don’t want to sound ungrateful –but there’s something very old-fashioned and traditional about it. You meet kids today whose grandparents were in punk bands. It’s very old and traditional, but then, so is an orchestra and so is a string section. … [It's] is a contradiction going around in my head, and I can’t really resolve it.
-Jonny Greenwood (guitarist for Radiohead in an interview with NPR, a perfect metaphor for a particular “postmodern” soul)
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Art
Peter Leithart on the Nude in a Pornographic Age
These intriguing thoughts were published today over at the First Things blog. Excerpts below, but the entire article can be found here. Also (for my money), Leithart’s blog is one of the best Christian theological blogs out there that is both philosophically engaging and honestly “catholic” in its perspective. It is a …
Distractions: July 2012
Jazz and quantum physics have a lot in common. Two weeks ago I stumbled across the John Coltrane album Live at the Village Vanguard and Brian Greene’s book “The Fabric of the Cosmos” at a library used book sale. That same week PBS was scheduled to play the Nova series devoted …
We live in a post-authentic world.
-Bruce Springsteen (during keynote address at SXSW 2012)What cannot be said must be passed over in silence. But what cannot be said is most important of all.
-Ludwig WittgensteinDiscarnate man is not compatible with an incarnate Church.
-Marshall McLuhanPromote what you love instead of bashing what you hate.
-Someone On Facebook
Distractions: March 2012
Theology Moral Theologian Cathleen Kaveny (Notre Dame) had a facinating discussion with John Stewart on the “Daily Show” about the debate over Catholic institutions and contraception. Both parts of this interview are well worth your time. Martin Luther certainly had a way with words. Generate random insults from this great …
Everything is a Remix: Part Three
When I was growing up many of my elders loved to read biographies. I remember seeing quite a few Lee Ioccoca and Winston Churchhill biographies laying around on coffee tables, and even more in the 25 cent bin at neighborhood garage sales. I don’t like reading biographies and never have. …
Film as Art: A Few Recent Examples
Film is a specific art form particular to our world culture and time in history. It can even be more than just a way to kill a few hours. Philosophers need not justify an interest in it. Ever since Aristotles Poetics, philosophers have tried to explain and analyze the art …
A Visual Experiment: Comparing Provocative Images
Which image is more provocative or offensive? Why? Which image offends you more? Why? Or this one…
Distractions: March 2011 Lent Edition
March 2011 Lent Edition Some Recent Distractions and Resources for Lent Lent Resources Church Fathers Lenten Reading Plan Links for Lent from the United Methodist Church Daily Reflections from members of Christ Church NYC A video of Jesus in the Wilderness from an filmmaker in the UK Theology Stanely Hauerwas …
Ash Wednesday 2011
Psalm 51:1-17 traditionally referred to as the Miserere For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. 1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my …