Now You're Tolkien!
Today’s Itinerary:
Phronesis – observations in pursuit of wisdom.
Life and politics seem to have become increasingly geared toward performance, appearance, and emotional appeal—the pursuit of impressing and impacting others in ways that benefit the actor, rather than the pursuit of truth and shared knowledge in ways that contribute to the common good. I am thinking that the former has always been a condition of human nature, but perhaps the distinction between the two has grown more intense and conflictual for two reasons; the understanding of the actor’s benefits has narrowed and the methods of pursuit are increasingly relativistic and Machiavellian. The benefits are largely power and pride, mixed in with all seven of the so-called capital sins. The methods are less moderated by belief in God and the so-called capital virtues; also, the methods increasingly employ powerful tools used in psychology, marketing, and other fields which tend to focus more on the individual and less on the community.
Chewing on This – a story I heard.
The pursuit of truth, discussed in a more theological vein, was the essence of a homily by Cardinal Raniero Cantalamessa, long-time Preacher to the Papal Household, during Holy Week. During the Good Friday Liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, he spoke to Pope Francis and the world about pursuits of truth that are central to humankind’s understanding of God’s Incarnation in Jesus and the whole story of His death and resurrection—a story which lives on in today’s doubt-filled times. Cantalamessa offers powerful quotes from insights J.R.R. Tolkien (Lord of the Rings author) passed along to his son to answer doubts about Christ as the centerpiece of truth. The Cardinal also quotes from existential philosopher Kierkegaard who spoke of the need to find meaning in Christ. We have to find lasting meaning somewhere; created in God’s image, we have what philosophy professor Peter Kreeft has called a built-in God detector.
“Pandevotional” Prayer/Observation.
Pope Francis has urged more in-depth, other-oriented thinking in journalism—as opposed to lazy, self-satisfied exercises of subjectivity. For one taste of this, see his message for the 2018 World Communications Day. I wrote about this message and its implications for media and news in my book, When Headlines Hurt: Do We Have a Prayer? Please note that the Pope closes his remarks with an inspiring “rewrite” of the Franciscan Peace Prayer, making it a prayer for journalists who want to re-focus their activities toward the benefit of others.
Word’s Worth – a word (or phrase) I heard.
“Third Rome.” This is said to be a doctrine that Moscow has succeeded Rome and Constantinople as the ultimate center of true Christianity. The degree to which this theology-centered idea has influenced thought, policy, and geopolitical strategy from the 16th century to modern times is unclear to me as a novice. But it is intriguing, and it does suggest the popular and institutional views about religion and faith—views which are very strongly held in Russia, Ukraine, and elsewhere—deserve to be explored in journalism covering today’s geopolitics.
That’s the Spirit – an experience of God.
Maybe it’s inevitable that I am sometimes absent-minded about God—not bringing Him into my considerations or plans, not including Him explicitly n discussions or activities with family, etc.—because I can be absent-minded about almost anything. But absent-mindedness, which oddly can mean being too focused on the present moment (as when a bird flies by or a shiny object catches the eye), has its good points. It’s always a joy when God occurs to me again and I can thank Him for being there when my mind wasn’t. One thinks of the loyal dog who greets his master with the same enthusiasm every time the two reunite. I’d like to think my tail is always wagging—except when I’ve foregone Him, not merely forgotten.
I think of two quotes in this connection. According to my friend from Catholic radio, Tom Threlkeld, “God is always poised to say, ‘I thought you’d never ask!.’” And people should be saying all the time, “God loves us, and there’s nothing we can do about it.” If we see ourselves as equally “pummeled” by love, I hope we will quickly form peaceful alliances.
Infokeeper – something from current affairs worth pondering.
Hillsdale College recently established an Academy for Science and Freedom at its Washington, DC, campus. The think tank will consider the free and open exchange of scientific ideas.
Question period – a question worth asking.
What does our society think about science? How does our society think about science? In one of the latest episodes of his “Clear & Vivid” podcast about communication and connection, Alan Alda interviews cosmologist Saul Perlmutter, who received the Pulitzer Prize in Physics in 2011. He says science is a way of thinking that embraces everyone’s potential to make mistakes, as well as the joy that comes with identifying and correcting those mistakes.
Do Americans now want to be led only by the certainty of scientific findings, experiential evidence, and “objective” truth? They may have adopted the same “cafeteria” approach to the positivist-rational approach as they have to the spiritual-faith approach, accepting only what they hunger for at the moment.
Perlmutter described a method that promotes curiosity and dialogue. Insisting that facts be checked and experiments be repeated before one reaches conclusions, the typical scientist does not turn these reasonable professional practices into a mind frame of skepticism or retributive fault-finding. A healthy stance for scientists and non-scientists alike is the eagerness to keep learning and the realization that some of our best lessons come from making mistakes and assuming too much.
Religion and science have different fields of operation, but both can guide a society toward a kind of humility and away from a collective “god complex.” Is our society’s relativism or secularization well explained by reference to a battle between conventional religion and conventional science? Young people will see that science does not always provide easy answers, and it provides no answers at all in matters of charity or hope or virtuous living. I think it’s more productive for us to identify areas of agreement in those arenas and instead to seek other basic causes for divisiveness; science and religion, or aspects of them, are employed as weapons by all sides in a wider war.
Just Kidding – some witty thing waiting to be used.
Don’t see much of Mark Steyn anymore? He appeared fairly frequently on Fox News as a witty commentator and substitute host. But it appears that he has a full-time radio and TV gig with GBNews, “Great Britain’s News Channel.”
One episode several weeks ago reflected his trademark humor:
“… Nukes, bioterror, weapons with a 60 percent fatality rate? Armageddon Outta Here!”
Miscellaneous.
Catholic Chemistry: It’s a dating website for young people who are serious Catholics. Sounds promising! Perhaps, because of its chemical bonds, it promotes the use of some kind of “periodic table” for natural family planning?