On March 30, 2010, fellow for law & humanities with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College—Dr. L. John Van Til—delivered a talk on “Thoughtful Cal, the Founders and the Progressives” as one of the Center’s American Founders … Continue reading
L. John Van Til
V&V PAPER — The Inspiration of the Declaration: President Calvin Coolidge
To view or download the PDF of this paper, please click on the link below: “The Inspiration of the Declaration: President Calvin Coolidge”
Is There a Message in Lincoln’s Religion for Obama?
Since the Rev. Jeremiah Wright incident during the last presidential campaign, there has been low-level grousing by many Christians regarding Obama’s religious convictions. He has claimed to be a Christian, but there is little traditional evidence of a consistent Christian … Continue reading
The Education of Sarah Palin: A Review of “Going Rogue: An American Life”
“Going Rogue: An American Life” By Sarah Palin | HarperCollins (November 2009) | 432 pp. | List Price: $28.99 Most likely, millions of copies of Going Rogue have been sold in recent months because Sarah Palin inspires either great enthusiasm or great antipathy among Americans. In … Continue reading
What’s in a Word? Dissecting the “Middle Class” and “Populism”
Each day, political claims and terminology—astonishing or at least remarkable—pop up in the media. Consider two such current terms: “middle class” and “populism.”In the wake of the Massachusetts senatorial election, a sudden cascade of speeches and press releases by President … Continue reading
“Thinking” Cal Coolidge on the Declaration of Independence
Textbooks have pictured President Coolidge (1923-29) as an accidental, dim-witted president who said little, and thus, was dubbed “Silent Cal.” Actually, he was the most popular political figure in America throughout the 1920s. I have concluded that he should be … Continue reading
Meet John Podesta: Architect and Salesman for the New Progressivism
Editor’s Note: Be sure to mark your calendar for April 15-16, 2010, when The Center for Vision & Values hosts its sixth annual conference on “The Progressive Surge and Conservative Crackup.” John Podesta is a 60-year-old son of Italian/Greek immigrants, … Continue reading
V&V PAPER — Not “Silent Cal”—“Thinking Cal”: Correcting the Historical Image of Calvin Coolidge
Editor’s Note: “How did this apparent political naïf, this so-called simpleton, this relic of the 19th century, become president? That is a question frequently pondered by conventional historians and political scientists in their best-selling texts. After penning a few lines of … Continue reading
VISION & VALUES CONCISE: Q&A with L. John Van Til
Editor’s Note: The “V&V Q&A” is an e-publication from The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. Each issue will present an interview with an intriguing thinker or opinion-maker that we hope will prove illuminating to readers everywhere. In … Continue reading
Understanding Islamic Jihad’s Challenge to America
Last fall I visited Dearborn, Mich., to attend a high school class reunion. I arrived early enough to drive around my old neighborhood. To my surprise, it had become almost totally an Arab population. Every business I passed displayed Arab-English … Continue reading
V&V PAPER — Can America Be a Christian State or Nation?
Editor’s note: L. John VanTil, Ph.D. is a professor and Fellow for Law and Humanities with the Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College. He is the author of the book “Liberty of Conscience: The History of a Puritan … Continue reading
Is the Terrorist Anxiety Quotient Rising?
It appears that news items over the past few days have deepened concern among Americans about terrorist threats. Is this deepened concern justified? Consider the following news items and then decide whether they are cause for greater anxiety about safety … Continue reading
Cartoons, Religion, and the Constitution
The Muhammad cartoon incident is the latest chapter in the 30-year-old revival of a world-wide jihad—holy war—against Christians and Jews. This revival was inspired by Osama bin Ladin’s friend and mentor Abdullah Azzam. Azzam was a Palestinian born, Cairo educated … Continue reading
The New Tolerance
Americans joyfully celebrate the holiday season in a variety of ways while tolerating one another’s religious and non-religious traditions. During the rest of the year, many Americans practice a new kind of tolerance that differs from the country’s historical roots. … Continue reading
Bin Laden’s Manifesto for Americans
American leaders, including United States Senators, who are supposed to be knowledgeable about foreign affairs, need to be more candid with the American public about Islamic terrorists’ goals and aspirations. The plain fact is that Islamic terrorists are out to … Continue reading
Christianity and Conservatism
After drafting an Op-Ed piece entitled “Ronald Reagan and the Face of Conservatism” this week, I resolved to also write a brief piece on the relationship between Christianity and Conservatism. Before heading up to my study to begin, my wife … Continue reading
Ronald Reagan and the Changing Face of Conservatism
The passing of Ronald Reagan is a good time to access his relationship to the Conservative movement in America. Without doubt Reagan shaped its ideology and direction more than any other person in the 20th century, affirming and advancing certain … Continue reading
A Footnote on Reagan’s “City on a Hill” Phrase
In recent days many Americans were deeply moved by the week-long farewell ceremony in honor of President Ronald Reagan. Among the many tributes were frequent references to his vision for America. Numerous speakers, including Vice President Cheney and Supreme Court … Continue reading