From the Center

Attorney General William Barr recently gave a lecture at the law school at Notre Dame University about the necessity of the Christian faith in establishing but also sustaining civil society. In a plurality of beliefs, where do we turn for the foundation of society? Hodges and Vowell discuss the lecture itself, and whether giving such a lecture breaks the "establishment" clause or is making use of the "free-exercise" clause of the First Amendment, and whether he is right in saying that faith is necessary for freedom.

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Recommendations: AG Barr's ND speech: transcription, and video

oppositional viewpoints: Catholic National Reporter, NYT, and Rod Dreher's support here.

Jack recommends you go outside or go grocery shopping for relieving discouragement and to get perspective.

Technology, health care, foreign policy, government - what do we give up to progress? Hodges and Vowell discuss a half-baked idea that the metaphysical cost of giving up our volition for efficiency and lower costs may actually not be worth the trade.

Recommendations: Hodges suggests reading Os Guinness' "Renaissance" book; Vowell suggests a podcast called "The Remnant" episode 138 entitled, 'Half-baked' between Jonah Goldberg and Rep. Mike Gallagher.

Is sex the same as gender? If different, how? Hodges and Vowell start our third season of the From the Center Podcasts by diving into the thorny issue of gender. With no more authority on the subject than speaking as human beings, the two comment on an article that came from the Vatican in July of this year entitled, "Male and Female He Created Them, Toward a Path of Dialogue On the Question of Gender Theory in Education," (which can be read on line here). The document attempts to lay out "steel man" arguments on both sides. While the document is a needed starting point for cultural address, as it intends, Hodges and Vowell discuss its points in some detail, and consider the cultural ramifications of a culture of self-identity.

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Recommendations: Hodges recommends Russell Kirk's "Roots of the American Order", and Vowell suggests Marx' "Communist Manifesto."

How does the study of the Humanities help us become more human? Could it be that the loss of the Humanities has encouraged confusion between humans and computers, robots, AI? Perhaps the more we look like Jesus, the more we become human, and the more we appreciate the Humanities that exhibit the characteristics of humanness? Hodges and Vowell discuss what the Humanities have become, and what they could be.

It has been a while since we posted a podcast! Thanks for sticking with us as we traveled to Europe, sold and bought a house and moved ourselves and the Center to the beautiful retreat house we now have! We hope to get back on our weekly schedule. In this episode, Hodges and Vowell discuss the superiority of history and the arts over law and government for the improvement of life.

The Truth is a Person. As long as we are trying to choose which system of thought is the right one, we are missing the Truth. The problem isn't which system, it is which judge...Hodges and Vowell attempt to follow up on last week's podcast and provide what Christians are FOR rather than what they are against.

There have been so many hoaxes in the last few decades, and they reveal a cultural predisposition toward accepting Narratives and disregarding facts. Or is there a deeper set of Facts that trump Narratives? Hodges and Vowell discuss the present society's fear of "Totalization" of any kind, whether Communism, Totalitarianism, or even Christianity.

With various states presently and recently debating the abortion issue, an article came out arguing that a Christian can be both Pro-life and Pro-choice at the same time. In an attempt to make sense of it, Hodges and Vowell address the article and its assumptions. (Here is a link to the article: https://www.upworthy.com/it-is-possible-to-be-morally-pro-life-and-politically-pro-choice-at-the-same-time)

For a few days there was nothing but discussion about an ad put out by the Gillette shave company (called a "short film" by its creators, 2 minutes long), that was made up of various scenes in which men were depicted as mistreating women or encouraging aggressive behavior. Hodges and Vowell discuss the implications of this view of men, how the term "toxic masculinity" is used in the ad, and whether or not it gave a fair view of men. Since both men wear beards, and thus don't need the products that Gillette makes, they might not have had any contact with the ad except for the fact that everyone and his Aunt Matilda was talking about it. See what you think. (We suggest watching the ad before hearing the podcast.)

Recalling a great discussion from one of our Sunday night dinners, Hodges and Vowell discuss human play. Is it the opposite of work? Is it of use? What part does play play in a biblical understanding of life? The fellas offer a new definition that is more about attitude than action.