My name is Ben R. Crenshaw, and I write on the intersection of Christianity and contemporary life in order to promote a virtuous and flourishing society.
Books are an important and tested source of knowledge in our media driven, sound-bite age. I read often and widely and review important works in both brief and in-depth articles. Click the link to read more.
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The Public Discourse just published an essay that Brandon Myers and I wrote about Vice President Mike Pence giving the commencement address this year at Taylor University, our alma mater. Read the essay below: In Defense of Pence: Commencement Controversies in an Outraged World The vitriolic and severe reaction against…
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On Wednesday August 12, 2015, my article, “‘Shut Up Bigot!’: The Intolerance of Tolerance,” was published by The Public Discourse. In it I explain the origins of the bigot accusation hurled at anyone who holds to traditional sexual norms. The root of this problem is a false understanding of tolerance, which is…
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What is a Socratic question? That question is a Socratic question. But not all questions are Socratic questions. Asking questions as a way of teaching and engaging with others is the Socratic method, but not just any question will do. So, what is a Socratic question? The precise reason why…
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Last September I had the privilege of sitting down with Chad E. Graham, lead pastor at University Assembly, and recording a multi-series podcast with him on the “Rise of Socialism” on his Thinker Sensitive podcast. Socialism is in vogue again after being in disrepute for decades. This is partly due…
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Over the weekend a controversy arose at the annual March for Life rally in Washington DC, when video leaked of a supposed ugly and racist confrontation between youth marchers from the all-boys Covington Catholic High School in Park Hills, Kentucky, and a Native American man beating a drum. At first…
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← Back to Book Reviews Edward Feser and Joseph M. Bessette, By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed: A Catholic Defense of Capital Punishment. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2017. Paperback, $18.79. 420 pp. ISBN: 978-1621641261. In their new book on capital punishment, philosopher Edward Feser and political scientist and ethicist…
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by John Hutchins ← Back to Book Reviews Tyrel Bramwell. Come In, We Are Closed. Reverend Raconteur, 2018. 146 pp. Paperback, $9.99. ISBN: 978-1717081858. On All Saints Day, we remember that ever since our Lord ascended into heaven, he has been sending his Holy Spirit to gather, sanctify and strengthen…
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Yesterday the Vatican announced that it would be changing the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church regarding its stance on the death penalty. The Church’s position on capital punishment has been in doubt of late, as Pope Francis has made his opposition to the policy quite clear. Catholics…
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Last month I returned from my fourth straight year at Acton University. This is a four-day conference in Grand Rapids, MI put on by the Acton Institute that seeks to integrate markets and morality in order to create a virtuous and flourishing society. It’s called a “university” because you sign…
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The debate over immigration in America continues apace. In fact, it has heated up considerably in recent months as some of President Trump’s policies have drawn sharp criticism and outrage across the country (family separation, deportation, building the wall, etc.). These are complex and difficult issues that require a broad…
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by John Hutchins In 2016, prominent evangelical theologian Wayne Grudem jumped into the political spotlight with three articles on why voting for Donald Trump is a morally good decision (here, here and here). With evangelicals receiving more criticism for supporting immigration restrictions, two weeks ago Grudem doubled down in an…
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