« December 2010 | Main | May 2011 »

I have my next Biologos post to finish on Conor Cunningham's Darwin's Pious Idea. I find the book the epitome of Christian scholarship. Alasdair MacIntyre argues recently that the university has failed in its attempt to be what it claims to be -- a university -- with its proneness to the fragmentation of knowledge. Conor has taken on the hard work of mastering the data of evolutionary theory in its empirical results, and provides wonderfully astute philosophical critique and suggestions. I have to finish the review on chapters 1-4 tomorrow so hopefully it can be posted on Monday.

But perhaps that's not the most interesting thing that has happened this week. One of my friends from downtown, London, who moved to Louisiana a year ago got picked up by INS for immigration violations. It is very strange to have a friend in a detention center thousands of miles away, sequestered away into the black whole that are such centers. Worse, at least part of his plight comes from an unscrupulous lawyer who did not file papers that London paid for and that the lawyer said he did. If the legalities were not hard enough, here is new messiness. I have missed London. He grew up in the shade of the Arsenal Football Club in London -- of whom I have a certain amount of devotion -- though it does not much my son Carl's.

Speaking of Carl, he is back in Rio de Janeiro. He became ill on Monday and worsened. This morning he got the diagnosis back: Dengue Fever. To have an adult child with a potentially serious illness so far away is another weird experience. I guess one learns how to pray -- and is thankful for the gift of prayer. Maybe an Arsenal win over the weekend, after their tie with Man City this week, would boost his health.

Last night I had the tremendous pleasure, in the deepest sense of the word, in having Ken Oakes come by the house with Irene -- whose presence obviously makes Ken much better than he would be without her! I listened in awe and envy as Ken spoke of his research on Karl Barth and particularly, the early Barth and the context and background for his emerging position. Though Ken didn't use the language (and he can comment on it), it seems to me that his work supports a reading of a "post-liberal" Barth. If I heard correctly, Ken's research shows early Barth's fundamental continuity with the liberal theological tradition in which he was formed, even as he diverged from it in certain ways. Oxford has one manuscript from Ken in hand; Cascade Press is expecting a finished manuscript in April for another. The detail and command Ken has of this material is humbling.

Finally, and much more distressing, it an incident yesterday at the church -- I am awaiting full details. But it is my understanding that a group of members of some sort of City Heights Business community showed up at the church unannounced and talked with Al Kuhn, who oversees our Thursday and Saturday distributions. They had a list of complaints with our distribution that basically comes down to the amount of people who come through to get goods is visible to the business community and hurts the development program, supposedly. What was most interesting is that they got out of their chairs with three armed private security guards (I guess they heard that Al was a really tough guy) as they entered the courtyard of the church. I guess that we are supposed to be intimidated that we shouldn't obey Jesus because they can pay for person's with gun permits. It is the first real opposition that he have had toward the distribution from the various area. My guess that it is a sign that the people think that the recession is over and that gentrification needs to go on apace. It may be related as well with the approaching of completion of Price Charities massive business complex that looks to be completed in the coming months that is around 4 - 5 blocks away.

When I get more exact information and an account, I'll blog it. It is an interesting fact that the poor are hurt by a good economy and crushed by a bad economy. And the poison is administered, not chosen.

Posted by johnwright at 7:47 PM