Posts From Bruce Ashford
Over the past few decades, American politics has become something like the combination of a war, a carnival, and a Hollywood movie. It has been reduced to little more than theatrics and partisan combat. Because of this, many Americans have a negative view of the political sphere even as they participate in it through party [ Read More ]
After having received Edith Eger’s The Gift from a friend, I was pleasantly surprised that it turned out to be one of the best books I’ve read in recent years. I’m generally skeptical of “self-help” books—often finding them simplistic and sing-songy—but The Gift is different. It is a heartfelt, wise, and eloquent book. The author [ Read More ]
It was my privilege to live in Russia from 1998-2000, where I met Vladimir Putin and spoke with him briefly. He was campaigning for President. I knew my Russian friends were excited out of their minds about his candidacy, but I didn’t pay much attention to the encounter; I figured I’d just met a relatively [ Read More ]
I began this series with the recognition that, during my adult life there have been two dark nights of the soul. These “nights” were entire seasons of life, spanning years, in which God seemed absent or, at least, silent. I felt like God was “nowhere to be found.” The more I prayed, the worse my [ Read More ]
Although political discourse often frames Roe v. Wade in terms of women’s reproductive rights, the famous 1973 ruling has nothing to do with women’s rights. Pro-choice intellectuals and activists use any one of three scientifically-implausible arguments to support their view that Roe v. Wade protects women. Each argument involves an errant perspective on the unborn [ Read More ]
Because of Roe v. Wade, the gains of the civil rights movement were undone in an instant. A few Ivy League lawyers decided that an entire class of human beings—unborn beings—would be denied justice and equality. Those unborn beings now have far fewer rights than many species of birds, and the body count of Roe-enabled [ Read More ]
I began this series with the recognition that, during my adult life there have been two dark nights of the soul. These “nights” were entire seasons of life, spanning years, in which God seemed absent or, at least, silent. I felt like God was “nowhere to be found.” The more I prayed, the worse my [ Read More ]
In one sense, the Bible is about us. But in a deeper and logically prior sense, it is about God. Composed of sixty-six books written by numerous authors and multiple genres, it nonetheless exhibits the coherence and quality of a grand dramatic narrative. In it, God is the director, screenwriter, and main actor. As the [ Read More ]
What hath Christian progressivism to do with Christian conservatism? Little to nothing, the authors of a new study argue. In One Faith No Longer: The Transformation of Christianity in Red and Blue America, sociologists George Yancey and Ashlee Quosigk contend that the differences between these two groups are so significant that it is time to regard [ Read More ]
I’ve heard it said that there are three choices will determine the course of a person’s life: the God we choose to worship, the friendships we choose to cultivate, and the books we choose to read. Of those three, perhaps the most challenging is the friendships we choose to cultivate. Given that God bequeaths to [ Read More ]