Joshua Gibbs

Needs

Progressives need politics to be fascinating, spectacular, and sublime. Such needs make progressive politics wildly unstable. Conservatives are content to have stable and boring politics, though, because religion and art serve their desire for the sublime. Besides, religion is far better than politics at fulfilling the human need for the sublime. “Spectacular politics” ultimately involvesContinue reading “Needs”

So What?

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A First

I woke up this morning and heard something that I never thought I’d hear on the news: “We need to not rush to judgment. We need to wait until the all the facts are known and not make any hasty conclusions. Making hasty conclusions would be very dangerous.” You think?

Election Day Thoughts

My thoughts on the election are posted on the CiRCE website, but I am making them available in full here, as well: Man was created to seek glory. He was created to love the glory of God and to mirror God’s glory through the pursuit of beauty, truth, goodness, and holiness. The glory of manContinue reading “Election Day Thoughts”

Arbitrary Laws

Arbitrary laws have to be enforced with disproportionate punishments. Reasonable laws are based in common sense and exist for everyone’s benefit. Reasonable laws are enforced with proportionate punishments. Why? Because people follow reasonable laws for their own benefit. A man doesn’t drive 100 miles an hour on the interstate for two reasons: first, because heContinue reading “Arbitrary Laws”

Nicolas Gomez Davila

In lectures and articles for CiRCE, I have often mentioned Nicolas Gomez Davila, and lately been asked where to start with his philosophy. Sadly, very little of Davila’s work has been translated into English. I first encountered Davila on the recommendation of a friend, yet he recommended I begin with Davila’s Goodreads quote page, whichContinue reading “Nicolas Gomez Davila”

New Uncritical Prejudices

There is no “bizarre” Old Testament purity law moden men wouldn’t take seriously if “recent studies” showed it had health benefits. One easily imagines “cloth spun of two fibers” becoming unpopular after headlines reported human skin was healthier (“and 20% more luminous”) when regularly covered with single fiber cloth. Neither would anyone who decided toContinue reading “New Uncritical Prejudices”

My Latest Book Is Now Available For Pre-Order

I am pleased to announce that The 25th: New and Selected Christmas Essays is now available on the CiRCE website and on Amazon. While you’re waiting for The 25th to ship, join the prestigious, elite, and by-no-means massive group of people who have read Blasphemers, my short story collection.

Madness… Ending?

While generally not one to look for silver linings, the pandemic is putting a pinch on art museums, who have accordingly begun selling off paintings in their permanent collections in order to stay alive. Every museum selling off art to stay alive has started with their 20th century garbage. I think we are ready toContinue reading “Madness… Ending?”

Michael W. Smith

My latest for CiRCE concerns the place of contemporary Christian music in classical Christian schools. Is it enough that a book, song, or record be “Christian”? Or, do classical Christian schools have a higher standard than “mere Christianity”? If classical schools have a higher standard than “mere Christianity,” why? And what is that standard?