Trinity Forum Update

“It matters what we are ‘exposed’ to, because we take on the shape of the things we contemplate.” —Wilfred M. McClay

In this Trinity Forum Update we have a bit to catch up with in Provocations, a new Reading selection from Chesterton, and three new books from our Fellows.

New Reading

Our Spring Reading, The Oracle of the Dog is about to go to press. This entertaining short story is among the best of G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries. In this case, by helping an eyewitness see his own evidence in a different light, the priest-detective solves the murder of Colonel Druce without leaving his chair. Common sense, Chesterton shows us, is not so common as we wish, and the story prompts us to take a fresh look at the assumptions that can cloud our vision.

The Reading features a Foreword by Senior Fellow Doug Wilson, whose career has focused on developing senior executive talent. Doug looks at lessons we can draw from the story, and particularly Father Brown’s method of questioning, for developing our own character and fostering character in others, by learning truly to hear what others have to say.

The Reading includes a group discussion guide and suggestions for further reading. It will be available at the end of April.

Also, don’t forget that the popular selections Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl and The Wager by Blaise Pascal are now in stock again, as is To Bigotry No Sanction: George Washington and Religious Liberty. The new editions include discussion guides. You can order from our online store via the links for each title.

Recently on our Provocations Journal

We welcome your responses on these and other Provocations pieces.

Whatsoever Things Are True: A Few Thoughts on Education in Modern America. Senior Fellow Wilfred M. McClay suggests that we may have reached a point where the most radical and liberal people in society are those who pursue old-fashioned wholesomeness. He suggests a model of education that is equally radical, because we take on the shape of the things we study. So what things are exemplary? What things are worth imitating? Perhaps humanity is not just something we are, it is something we achieve. (1280 words)
The Bigger Picture. Gary Moore reminds us that, in the current financial climate, perspective is a critical attribute of leadership. (460 words)
Confessions of a Small Business Fanatic. Jo Kadlecek looks back on her experience with small businesses as a link to what is human in the capitalist system. (563 words)
A Life Worth Emulating. Senior Fellow Luder Whitlock reviews Jonathan Aitken’s new book on John Newton. (450 words)

And from David Aikman’s column:

Barack Obama and Rev. Jeremiah Wright (960 words)
Death in a Jerusalem Yeshiva: Where Do They Go from Here? (1050 words)
America’s Religious Supermarket (518 words)

New from the Fellows

Don Eberly has a hopeful new book out, The Rise of Global Civil Society: Building Communities and Nations from the Bottom Up. Hardback, 300 pages, from Encounter Books.

David Aikman is being provocative with his new book, The Delusion of Disbelief: Why the New Atheism is a Threat to Your Life, Liberty, and Pursuit of Happiness; 250 pages, hardcover from SaltRiver/Tyndale.

And Jonathan Aitken, our director in Europe, has another new book, this time a practical spiritual resource. Prayers for People under Pressure is 224 pages, paperback from Crossway.

Academy Accepting Applications for Class of 2009

The Trinity Forum Academy is now accepting applications for the 2008–09 academic year. Interested parties can download the cover letter and application form from the Academy FAQ page.

Upcoming

Next week, watch our site for a feature from T. M. Moore on “Christ for Culture” as he explores the potential of cultural standards for beauty, goodness, and truth focused on Jesus. And David Aikman addresses the issue of Tibet.

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