Life and Books and Everything

For as much as the CFH talks about inclusion and the free exchange of ideas, it is clear that the present leadership of the historical guild assumes conclusions on the left. In this response to a recent article published by Jay Green, Kevin discusses the pitfalls of using history for activist purposes.

Several months ago, Daniel McCarthy—editor of Modern Age and Editor-at-Large of The American Conservative—published an essay in First Things entitled “The Right Right.” McCarthy’s essay was a review of Yoram Hazony’s Conservatism: A Rediscovery and Matthew Continetti’s The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism. In this episode of LBE, McCarthy talks about what was commendable in both books, and where both works can be fairly critiqued. Kevin asks Daniel about his review, about Willmoore Kendall’s populist conservatism, and how to reaffirm the importance of Christianity as “public truth” in America. Timestamps: 0:00 Intro and Sponsor 1:53 Guest: Daniel McCarthy 4:29 What is a Conservative? 9:17 Populism: Plebiscites and Demagogues 38:39 A Conservatism for Today 53:33 Yoram Hazony Critique 1:01:52 Parallel Developments in Evangelicalism 1:09:12 Avant-Garde Conservatism Books: The Right: The Hundred-Year War for American Conservatism Conservatism: A Rediscovery The Conservative Affirmation The Basic Symbols of the American Political Tradition Russell Kirk: American Conservative The Virtue of Nationalism

With what little we know about St. Nicholas, it is safe to say he would not be pleased to know he had eclipsed Christ in the hearts of many as the central figure of Christmas. In this episode, Kevin reads from his article in The Gospel Coalition about the life and legacy of St. Nicholas.

In this article written for Crossway, Kevin discusses the meaning of the term "marriage" and how Christians should view same-sex unions.

With so many sad things in our world, it can be difficult to see any bright spots. This article reminds Christians of the hope of Christmas.

In this episode of Life and Books and Everything, Kevin reads his article from The Gospel Coalition and pleads with pastors not to cancel Christmas services this year.

Happy Thanksgiving from Life and Books and Everything! In this episode, Kevin reads from his recent article in WORLD Opinions about the history of an American holiday and the opportunity it presents to Christians to display their thankfulness. 

If you love long words like antidisestablishmentarianism and are looking for a deep dive into history, then this episode is for you. Jonathan is a professor at Samford University who specializes in the founding era of American history. He joins Kevin to talk about the 50 years process by which the American states ended their church establishments. Find out how it happened, why it happened, and why it did not happen (hint: it wasn’t because secularism was winning out over Christianity). Timestamps: 0:00 Intro and Sponsor 1:09 Guest: Jonathan Den Hartog 4:56 Religion and Disestablishment in the American States 13:49 Secularism or Religious Liberty? 39:39 Presbyterian Perspectives 44:58 Freed from Worldly Cares 49:04 Liberal Religion in Massachusetts 54:11 "Doing History"  Books: Disestablishment and Religious Dissent: Church-State Relations in the New American States  Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ  

In this fun, punchy, and (hopefully) edifying conversation, Kevin interviews his good friend, Mark Dever, about his conversion, his ministry on Capitol Hill, whether you have to be an extrovert to evangelize, and why Kevin likes G.K. Chesterton and Mark doesn’t. Timestamps: Intro, Guest, and Sponsor [0:00-4:21] Does Membership Make Churches Unfriendly? [4:22-8:58] Dever's Youth and Conversion [8:59-15:13] Practicals for Evangelism [15:14-19:14] Dever's Later Education [19:15-25:42] Ministry in DC [25:43-36:16] Dever's Influences [36:17-40:22] Strengths and Weaknesses [40:23-44:10] Presbyterians and Baptists [44:11-48:14] Evangelicalism [48:15-55:12]

Was America founded on purely Christian principles and ideals? Or, were the founding fathers simply trying to prevent corruption and preserve the sanctity of consciousness? In this article for WORLD opinions, Kevin discusses three observable pillars that make up the famous and crucial founding principles of America’s heritage.