Editor’s note: This first appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review in 2018. This year’s remembrances of September 11, 2001 were odd for me. Consider: Did you ever think you’d live to see a time when the new generation doesn’t remember … Continue reading
“And we know that to them who love God all things work together for good to them that are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Next month I turn 75. The ubiquitous “they” tell me I’m on a COVID-19 … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Last weekend I overheard two recent grads (both musicians) discussing America’s greatest composers. The usual names were raised: Copland, Gershwin, Bernstein, Sousa … Foster. “Who?” said one. “Stephen Foster,” replied … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at thegospelcoalition.org. The storm surrounding J. K. Rowling’s tweets on women and menstruation is as predictable as it is depressing. That her gracious response has, if anything, exacerbated the fury simply underlines the way civil debate is now … Continue reading
Conservatives, don’t give up on higher education. That’s essentially the opposite of what conservative political activist Charlie Kirk, leader of the conservative youth organization, Turning Point USA, told a crowd of young people at CPAC, the annual Conservative Political Action … Continue reading
“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future in life” Plato Howard Mumford Jones, an English professor at the University of Michigan and later at Harvard, long ago commented that American colleges and … Continue reading
My father was a Presbyterian minister in rural northwest Alabama from 1961 to 1965. I came of age there, then left the University of Alabama with an M.A. in history in 1969. Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and Governor George … Continue reading
During an episode of Lebron James’ online show “The Shop,” California Governor Gavin Newsome signed into law a bill allowing California student athletes to sign endorsements while in college. The NCAA Board of Governors, having studied this issue for years, responded … Continue reading
“I had no idea how critical religion is to the functioning of democracy.” So said a Marxist economist from China conversing with Harvard Professor, Clayton Christensen. This Chinese Communist supposed that American democracy has worked because “most Americans, most of … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at National Catholic Register. A shorter version appeared at the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. Not every Thanksgiving in America had the feeling of gratitude like Thanksgiving Day a hundred years ago. That Thanksgiving 1919 was truly … Continue reading
While all the rage in education, my hackles rise when an educator declares, “We learn from our students” or “Students should construct their own knowledge.” Granted, the 55 years since I was a freshman may explain my antediluvian notion that … Continue reading
A significantly lower percentage of young men are now obtaining college degrees compared to women. We have known this for some time now. As Jon Birger pointed out in his 2015 Date-onomics, and as the mass media trumpeted widely, among … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at Crisis Magazine. “If someone calls it socialism,” said Rev. William Barber at the August meeting of the Democratic National Committee, “then we must compel them to acknowledge that the Bible must then promote … Continue reading
College students have racked up $1.5 trillion in student loan debt. These students take on staggering debt and blindly head off to college, hoping for the best. For many college students, this is a formula for disaster. These leaders of … Continue reading
The motto of a college is a sacred thing—even more sacred, perhaps, than its mission statement. In its pith, its power, its appeal to ultimacy, the motto is a bold cry from the heart of an institution. I do not … Continue reading
Last week USA Today reported on the reaction of officials at Yale Law School to speakers and students who believe in and advocate for religious liberty. Their reaction wasn’t pretty. The initial provocation was the invitation by the Yale Federalist Society to a certain … Continue reading
Every year at Thanksgiving I trek into Barnes & Noble for an annual ritual of self-mortification. I go to the children’s section and glimpse the offerings for Thanksgiving. It never ceases to be a painful experience. A friend of mine … Continue reading
Joy, real meaningful joy, should be the most important consideration when choosing a college. What about getting a good job? Don’t worry, rewarding employment will follow the pursuit of divine joy. I’ve been working at my alma mater for 24 … Continue reading
Editor’s note: This article first appeared at First Things. As a new teacher at Grove City College, I thought it appropriate to start my upper-level humanities course by informing the students of my broad educational philosophy: I am over fifty. I no … Continue reading
Editor’s note: On May 18, 2018 Grove City College Chair of the Board of Trustees, David Rathburn, gave the following address to the trustees, administrators, faculty, trustee scholar winners, and retirees at Grove City College. A year ago I stood … Continue reading
