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The Myth of Monolithicism
In his Sophistical Refutations, Aristotle lists thirteen logical fallacies often made when using deductive reasoning. Syllogisms are a necessary part of logical analysis, but a faulty argument is neither honest nor helpful. And when used to criticize individual human persons, it may even be uncharitable or downright criminal (as in the case of slander or…
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In Praise of the Ephemeral
With the introduction of every new technology, the gain is offset by loss. Tools help man to mold his environment, to adapt to change, and to disseminate means of progress. With every new tool created, a commensurate skill is learned; yet these abilities often replace or alter the use of our innate, divinely-given tools: our…
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The Other
It was at an academic workshop in the Netherlands where I first heard the word “other” used as a verb (it was quite jarring to the ear). I was invited to offer my assessment of the historical tension between Christians and Jews in Late Antique Alexandria, but soon learned that my thoughts would be woven…
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Whence Cometh the Culture War
Although the term “culture war” has been used to describe various phenomena throughout the twentieth century, it gained its current definition from the 1991 book of the same name, written by sociologist James Davison Hunter. The author documented the growing polarization within Western society as he observed two groups, rooted in opposing moral worldviews, emerging…
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Outside the Political Spectrum
Democracy has always been a bit of prickly pear for the disciples of Christ. How do we respond to a system that asks our participation and then makes us complicit in its unjust outcomes? This question is particularly apt in a democracy structured around two parties. Although a dearth of options can often be psychologically…
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The Mathetian Option (Part Two)
This is the second part of this article. Click HERE for Part One. Mathetes explains to his interlocutor that Christians are to the world what the soul is to the body. They are dispersed throughout the world, and their presence of love towards the world is to its benefit, even if the world hates Christians…
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The Mathetian Option (Part One)
The God of the Scriptures is a very specific sort of deity. He is the architect who created and fashioned all things in a logical and orderly sequence. While he does not permanently expel chaos from the cosmos, he makes clear that disorder is not good but a distortion of goodness and a movement towards…
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The New Sergianism
Ever since Constantine saw the Cross appear in the sky prior to the Battle for the Milvan Bridge (AD 312), the relationship between the Church and the state has been a precarious one. In contrast to the romantic image of Holy Byzantium or Rus oft envisaged by eager young converts to Orthodoxy, Father Alexander Schmemann…
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Remembering Matthew: On the Death of a Man
March 1 marked the seventh anniversary of the untimely death of my dear friend, Fr. Matthew Baker—a true scholar and a gentleman. As he’s been on my mind as of late, I post here the reflection I wrote after his repose. This was originally published on the Ancient Faith blog of Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick…
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The Wonder of It All
It’s 7530 Annus Mundi, according to the calendar adopted by Roman Christendom (otherwise known as the Byzantine Empire). Every method of measuring time must have a starting point—a year zero—and for Eastern Christians it was the year in which the world was created, calculated using the historical markers and lifespans documented in the Septuagint. Today,…
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Prudence & Piety 