I began this week with a somewhat workmanlike essay on the Three Keys of Christianity, and why they are the “engine of optimism” behind Christendom Reborn. As I wrote on that day, “The world has real problems. And I think we can solve them. At any rate, we’re better positioned for it than anyone else.” It’s a kind of transition point from Autopsy Week (my exploration of the collapse of Christendom) to the positive project of rebuilding. And it ends on this note:
Faith and reason. God and Caesar. Love. Those are my grounds for optimism. We’ll go from there.
The Love of Wisdom
Tuesday I posted some inspiring quotes from the pontiffs on the value of philosophy.
That set up my second major essay for the week, “Selling Water in the Desert.” I reflect back on my days in academic philosophy and wonder: Why are so few people interested in philosophy when we so desperately need it? That leads into a discussion of what philosophy can do for us, and why the Christian philosophical tradition is so precious. Also, why we need to keep doing philosophy, grappling with new truths and integrating them into the tradition.
On Thursday I connected those themes to some recent work from Law & Liberty on AI and the relevance of metacognitive strengths, especially judgment, in an AI-shaped world.
I capped the week by revisiting my review of Carl Trueman’s book on the Frankfurt School and critical theory. This is in many ways a very good book! And yet, I was puzzled by Trueman’s reluctance to move beyond the role of critic and build up Christian thought in response to the challenges of critical theory. Shouldn’t we try to answer bad arguments with good arguments?
Recapping the Conversation
Nathan Smith and I have been chatting about religious epistemology and what “faith” means. Interested readers are welcome to read or add their own thoughts! I think this is a discussion likely to be ongoing, but, since he sees himself very much aligned with C.S. Lewis, I’ve selected the final quote as a hat-tip to him.
Terrorwhelming contributed the best line of the week, however, pointing out that “We need to retrieve Thomism the activity, and not just Thomism the fixed system.” Indeed.
Next week we’ll start talking about politics, the Second Key, and the separation of God and Caesar. Stay tuned!
Final Quote
If all the world were Christian, it might not matter if all the world were uneducated. But, as it is, a cultural life will exist outside the Church whether it exists inside or not. To be ignorant and simple now -- not to be able to meet the enemies on their own ground -- would be to throw down our weapons, and to betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defense but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen. Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.
C.S. Lewis