In today’s #FaithandCulture Reading, we cull a brief list of some of our favorite articles of the week. Today we highlight resources from Kevin DeYoung, Bruce Ashford, Alan Jacobs and Drew Dyck.
Were the First Christians Socialists?
Were the first Christians socialists? We’ve asked a similar question here at Intersect, but Kevin DeYoung gives his perspective in this piece at The Gospel Coalition. He writes,
First, there is no evidence that the first Christians shared in the means of production and no record that they abolished private property. We see nothing like a workers collective, let alone state-run enterprises in the book of Acts. The Christians were generous, but they did not disavow personal ownership of their possessions.
#ShunTheTake
Alan Jacobs offers a word of caution to those of us prone to develop hot takes: “Most things happen for complicated reasons.” Here’s an excerpt:
Those two classes were occupied not only by people of the same generation, but by people who are studying in the same program (the Honors Program) in the same university. And yet, for complicated reasons, their behavior in my classes was very different.
How an Obscure Dutch Historian Helped Me Understand 2019
Bruce Ashford tells us about Guillaume Groen van Prinsterer (1801–1876), a Dutch historian we should know about. He writes,
Under the pretense of neutrality, the West’s revolutionary ideologies function as immanent systems of salvation. For that reason, it’s unsurprising that the West continues to experience social and political convulsions. Creation order and the moral law can’t be contradicted forever with impunity. And, as Groen rightly predicted, the situation will only worsen unless God grants us spiritual renewal and cultural and political reform.
How to Keep Your Phone from Eating Your Soul
Drew Dyck offers practical suggestions to technology-addicted readers. Here’s an excerpt from this piece at The Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission:
The important thing is that we get intentional about freeing our minds from the tyranny of technology. Too much time in front of screens breeds impatience and impulsivity. It leaves us depressed and distracted and discontent. Compare those states of mind with the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and—self-control. The contrast could hardly be sharper.
What other articles would you recommend?
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