Steveawiggins

LATEST ARTICLES ( 4123 )

• Dark Lite

  

  Maybe you’ve noticed it too. While certainly not universal, many forms of Gothic cultural expression (novels, movies, television, etc.) have a playfulness to... Read more

  Posted on 11 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Thick Skin

  

  Religion and folklore encapsulate what folk believe. Human beings, despite rationality, are ritualistic creatures. Psychologists have their work cut out trying... Read more

  Posted on 10 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Palms and Thorns

  

  “Holy Week” affects only some. That thought may be disturbing to those who still think of religions as a one-size-fits-all phenomenon. So, although today is Pal... Read more

  Posted on 09 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Whither the Weather?

  

  The weather which we’re having, showing the impact of imaginary global warming, has been quite dramatic of late. I recently had occasion to be out driving durin... Read more

  Posted on 08 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Superstar Detective

  

  One of the reasons I accept reading challenges is that they take you places you otherwise wouldn’t go. Not all the books I read for the Modern Mrs. Read more

  Posted on 07 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• For Better Information

  

  Government by Twitter is such a trendy thing. I’ve got a Twitter account and I can’t keep up with it most of the time. I wonder how anyone has time to get off... Read more

  Posted on 06 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Being Boarded

  

  It might seem superfluous to be reading about pirates when such serious issues face us these days, but my answer to most of life’s problems is to look at the... Read more

  Posted on 05 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Radicalizing the Normal

  

  Reading Orwellian headlines on a daily basis can wear you down. Think about it—we know because of the endless obfuscation that the Trump administration has... Read more

  Posted on 04 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Theoretical Monsters

  

  We’ve had a lot of rain lately. One rainy night over this past weekend I talked my wife into watching Dracula with me. It’s been a few years since I’ve seen thi... Read more

  Posted on 03 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Universal Growth

  

  Maybe the universe isn’t expanding, maybe it’s growing. Always tinged with a healthy dose of pantheism, I’ve often opined to those who will listen that life... Read more

  Posted on 02 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Interior Theodicy

  

  Photo credit: Richard from Canton, Wikipedia CommonsSpeaking of theodicy, I have a dentist appointment today. Now, if you were raised with the Protestant guilt... Read more

  Posted on 01 April 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Deal

  

  Intellectual property is a concept that only arises where thought can be monetized. Think about that. (But don’t charge me, please!) It is a strange idea, when... Read more

  Posted on 31 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Crossing Beowulf

  

  Beowulf, from Wikimedia Commons.Slaying dragons is costly. In much of the western hemisphere the ultimate metaphor for the perils that await humanity in a... Read more

  Posted on 30 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The Scofield Connection

  

  While reading about Cyrus Scofield recently—and that book has stayed on and played with my mind for some reason—I ran across the conferences that he held in... Read more

  Posted on 29 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• The One Who Seeks

  

  Academics and social media are, at times, an uneasy fit. In my work as an editor I come across many of the professorate who have virtually no web presence at... Read more

  Posted on 28 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Classic Fiction

  

  The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the ancient documents still widely recognized, at least by name. Many introductions to literature, or the western canon, refer t... Read more

  Posted on 27 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Basic Training

  

  I recently sat through Sexual Harassment Prevention training. Not because of anything I’ve done, mind you, but because organizations have long realized that if... Read more

  Posted on 26 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Non-Lending Library

  

  One of the hidden benefits of the coming societal collapse is the chance for the resurgence of print books. Since I’ve spent most of my life surrounding myself... Read more

  Posted on 25 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Such a Happy Place

  

  I fear anyone named Ronald. Being named’s something a kid can’t help, I know, but associations run deep and irrational fears are the flavor of the day. Read more

  Posted on 24 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY

• Direct Address

  

  For a man as amazingly influential as he was, Cyrus I. Scofield hasn’t been the object of much curiosity. In the venerable academic tradition of ignoring those... Read more

  Posted on 23 March 2017 POLITICS, RELIGION, SOCIETY