The word has become a catch-all term to mean “the things that conservatives hate.” However, that does not mean it has lost all usefulness. It is still a good description of a certain strain of progressive liberalism. Still, I have yet to hear a good definition of what that strain is and, more importantly, what to do about it. So, I would like to do that myself.
The abortion conversation has been stuck in the language of rights for some time. One person argues they have a right to abortion, and another argues a child has a right to life. Unfortunately for the pro-life movement, as soon as we get into a discussion of rights, we’ve already lost. The way Americans talk about “rights” has no place in the abortion debate. Rights are a negative claim. They…
Is Inequality Unjust? This one could get me in trouble. Bear with me. Part of my journey into post-liberalism has been a process of reevaluation. Certain values intrinsic to American liberalism do not fit what I have come to understand as the first principles of Catholic Social Teaching. Recently, one of those reexamined values has been equality. When I was a kid, “equality under the law” was touted as an…
If you listen to my podcast or have had the displeasure of speaking to me about politics in the past year, you may have heard me use the term “post-liberalism.” I think the time has come I actually say what that is. When I was in college, I encountered Catholic Social Teaching for the first time. I learned there were a few basic principles: subsidiarity, solidarity, a preferential option for…
When it comes to Facebook, I lean more towards the “burn it all down” camp. Based on reactions to the Facebook Papers, I’m not alone. Several scandals have broken out in the past year regarding Facebook and every time, I shake my head thinking that maybe we would be better off without it. However, I’m coming to realize that perspective reflects my Western privilege. I live in a country where…
My grandfather died this August. I’m not ready to write about my grieving process because I’m not quite sure how one grieves about these things.
Later this week, Catholic Balm Co. and I will launch this year’s Nazarite Challenge. The Nazarite Challenge is a free month-long commitment that men make to live like the Nazarites: community, daily prayer, avoiding sin, and no shaving. This year, the challenge is based on my unreleased book: The Rule of Brotherhood. Those of you familiar with St. Benedict will also be familiar with the concept of a Rule of…
The Fall of Robespierre In the second year of the first French Republic on the evening of the ninth day of a month they called Thermidor (July 27, 1794, to use our calendar) the revolutionary leader Maximilien Robespierre was named a fugitive by his own government. The day before, Robespierre gave a speech to the National Convention threatening his enemies and defending his actions during what we now call “the…
If you have read my blog once or twice, you may know social media, particularly Twitter, is a favored scapegoat of mine. I often worry that, despite my age, I come off as an old man yelling at kids on my front lawn. Hopefully I am yelling some salient points. A few months ago, I was halfway through my usual rant about social media with a friend who works on…
Where Are You? I was hired as a Director of Youth Ministry right out of college at a grouping of seven parishes merging into one. When I arrived at the parish, the youth ministries at the parishes that had them were small and fragmented. I was tasked with two things: bring these fragmented ministries together and establish a new youth ministry at the parish. My first week, I sat at…
