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Blogging through Leisure: The Basis of Culture, by Josef Pieper

After spending the better part of a month chewing on John Owen’s doctrine of the Sabbath, and a previous month thinking about Arthur Boers’ points in Living Into Focus, we’re now going to take up and read Leisure: The Basis of Culture, by the German Roman Catholic philosopher Josef Pieper.

The publisher’s synopsis says this:

One of the most important philosophy titles published in the twentieth century, Josef Pieper’s Leisure, the Basis of Culture is more significant, even more crucial, today than it was when it first appeared more than fifty years ago…

Leisure is an attitude of the mind and a condition of the soul that fosters a capacity to perceive the reality of the world. Pieper shows that the Greeks and medieval Europeans, understood the great value and importance of leisure. He also points out that religion can be born only in leisure — a leisure that allows time for the contemplation of the nature of God. Leisure has been, and always will be, the first foundation of any culture.

Pieper maintains that our bourgeois world of total labor has vanquished leisure, and issues a startling warning: Unless we regain the art of silence and insight, the ability for non-activity, unless we substitute true leisure for our hectic amusements, we will destroy our culture — and ourselves.

For the next few weeks we’ll discuss the book and I will make some posts trying to meditate upon and distill some of the content.

Applying the Scriptures: Introduction

This is just a heads-up. I have been trying to get to this for a while, but it is a tough subject and I’ve needed to cull a few resources.

This week I am going to make two or three posts on the proper application of the Scriptures. The first will deal with the dreaded subject of the relationship of ‘meaning and application’ and the second will deal with the application of Law and Gospel. From there, it may or may not take a third to tie up loose ends. That is all.

Summer Hiatus

This post is just a heads up for regular readers. I have an insane schedule for the next four weeks and probably won’t be able to respond to comments. I am setting up some posts to auto-publish each week so that there will be some new content, but I will not be checking the blog regularly. You’re still welcome to read and comment of course, but I don’t want you to think I’m just being rude if I don’t respond immediately.

If all goes according to plan, things should be back to normal no later than August 10th.

The Summer of Biography 2014

For the past four years I have dubbed each summer ‘the summer of biography.’ ‘What do I do during the summer of biography?’ you ask. I read biographies. I try to pick a theme each summer. For instance, one year was a tour of the Great Awakening. I read biographies of Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield, and John Wesley. Another was the summer of the Inklings. I read biographies of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Another was a summer of Catholic classics: Augustine and Francis of Assisi.

This summer, I actually don’t have a theme, but I do already know two books that I hope to read. First up is Iain Murray’s Evanglicalism Divided, which is a history of the changes that took place within evangelicalism in the last half of the 20th Century with particular focus on Lloyd-Jones, Stott, and the like. After that I am, Lord willing, going to read Alister McGrath’s biography of C.S. Lewis (which my wife bought for me as a gift).

I’ll start writing on Evanglicalism Divided in the next couple of weeks. Until then, consider making this your own ‘summer of biography.’

Blogging Through ‘Creed or Chaos?’ by Dorothy Sayers

Though I have finished the book, I am still writing my way through In Defense of Sanity (a collection of essays by G.K. Chesterton). In addition to that, starting tomorrow I will begin a series of posts on another collection of essays. This time I will be posting on Creed or Chaos? by Dorothy Sayers.

Dorothy Sayers is special to me because of her book The Mind of the Maker. Quite frankly, that book changed my life, and I find myself referencing it all the time in various contexts. She is a great writer, full of insight and clarity, and I look forward to thinking, and writing, about her essays.

In the meantime, you can read my summaries of The Mind of the Maker HERE , HERE , and HERE.

Top 10 Posts of 2013

It’s time for the obligatory ‘top posts’ post. These are the most read posts from the blog in the past year. If you’ve missed any of them, here’s your chance to catch up.

1. Myths About the Bible: Noah Was Mocked?: The Fight Against Apathy
This post from February got a lot of traction at one point and was by far and away the most read post with around 600 clicks.

2. A List of Benedictions
This post was number 3 last year, number 2 this year. If you need a benediction, this one’s for you.

3. C.S. Lewis and G.K. Chesterton: Reading, Fairy Tales, and Mental Health
This post was number 1 last year and still gets a good number of reads. The quotes have remained helpful to me in expressing the importance of reading good fiction.

4. C.S. Lewis Defining and Defending the English Puritans
This post was from late December of last year and records a number of Lewis’ quotes concerning the English Puritans.

5. Recent Reading: The Mind of the Maker, by Dorothy Sayers: Part 1 – Summary of the Argument for a Trinity in Creative Art
This is one of my all-time favorite books and I am pleased that quite a few folks checked out my summary. Hardly a day goes by that I do not think about this book in some way, shape, or form. It has been absolutely invaluable in my preaching on Romans 8:28-30.

6. On Self-Centered Music (Ken Myers, Mars Hill Audio)
This is another post from February. I found a talk by Ken Myers helpful and decided to write down some thoughts.

7. Michael Polanyi, Tacit Knowledge, and Indwelling
This post was in the top 10 last year as well. It’s a simple application of Polanyi’s idea to the biblical idea of indwelling. I based an entire sermon series on the biblical doctrine of ‘indwelling’ or ‘abiding’ as a result of the insights I gained from Polanyi (thanks again to Ken Myers and Mars Hill Audio).

8. Recent Reading: A Tale of One who Traveled to Learn what Shivering Meant
This was number 9 last year and is still hanging in there. This story is one of my favorite fairy tales and I have frequently drawn from its wisdom. As a matter of fact, I used it as a sermon illustration just a few weeks ago. Read the post and you’ll probably see why.

9. Anthropomorphism, Unlikeness, and Reality in Fiction: Opening the Eyes of the Blind
I wrote this post in July 0f 2012 after reading The Wind in the Willows. The Wind in the Willows is one of the best books I have ever read and Mr. Toad has an enduring place in my heart. He is a constant reminder of my own pride, which someone once said is like underwear – the first thing you put on and the last thing you take off.

10a. Science a good servant, but a bad master
This is a great quote from Michael Aeschliman’s book The Restitution of Man. It is currently in a tie for the 10th spot.

10b. Recent Reading: Leaf by Niggle, by J.R.R. Tolkien
This one is from June of this year. I wrote it after my second reading of the story. As I finished reading, I happened to listen to a Tim Keller talk that used the story as an illustration. The post draws from Keller to reflect on the story.

Here’s hoping the next year of reading and thinking will be more productive and fruitful than ever.