Week 27 (2024)
zoning & family-friendly cities, play & leisured contemplation, crying & the resonant world, fertility, moral formation & taming tech
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to read: books
Anna Karenina — Leo Tolstoy — He’s a master of unveiling the human heart.
Begotten Or Made? — Oliver O’Donovan, intro by
— Necessary reading on the limits of medicine as technique. So many underlines. Highly recommend this iconic little book.
to read: essays, articles, newsletters
Fertility Awareness Before "TTC" —
and , Whole And Holy — “Because the truth is that I actually didn't think much about my body for years.”(added to the big ol' compilation)
On Controversies and History: The SBC and IVF —
, The Path Before Us — “Deep, mature Christian formation on questions of fertility requires addressing history head-on: how did we arrive where we are now debating this, and what did we miss along the way?”(related: Embryos As Schrödinger’s Persons and IVF: Questions and Answers, shared previously)
The Quiet Return Of Eugenics —
, The Spectator — “Does a widespread belief that some genes are better or worse than others lead to the widespread conclusion that some people are better or worse than others? And does this conclusion always lead to some very dark places? We are about to find out. The new eugenics will shortly be with us, although it will not describe itself as such. It will be described with euphemisms such as ‘genetic enhancement’ or ‘genetic health’.”(related: Is The Future Autistic?, shared previously)
Playing In The Shadow Of Death — Katy Bowser Hutson, Ekstasis — “He subverted the laws of nature to help his friends see reality rightly. That is the crux: God coming among us to draw us into play, to show us that reality is more than it seems. There is deeper joy to be had.”
The Limits Of The Burnout Society Critique — Dylan Belton, Church Life Journal — “The leisured soul takes pleasure in what appears useless from the perspective of the work-world. In brief, the leisured soul is a contemplative soul… Need contemplation and work always be placed in such a contrastive relation? Indeed, what counts as “work” or (authentic) “contemplation” for that matter?”
Intermittent Crying — Jennifer Ditlevson Haglund, Fathom — “Every time I’m surprised by life persevering, my tears testify to faith returned, renewal over entropy, rest over toil…”
America’s Mental Health Crisis And The Loss of Meaning —
, The Dispatch — “Rosa, in his short but brilliant book, The Uncontrollability of the World, argues that modern people feel like the world is retreating. Life feels flat, stale, and mute… Most of us no longer effectively believe in an external world (a world of resonance!) that has inherent meaning in it. Instead, we believe that all the meaning in the world has been placed there by us… It is raw, material existence.”(related: You Are Not Your Own, On Getting Out Of Bed, and Disruptive Witness — I’ve heard it said that authors have messages they’re continually writing over and over again, just saying it in different ways. This essay seemed to combine themes from his three books which I now see as interrelated. And maybe that’s the point.)
Taming Tech In Community — Andrew Zimmerman, Plough — “Such caution, when directed at newer technology such as smartphones, does not necessarily mean hostility. And it’s not a blanket ban. We consider that tools, whether simple or high tech, are used to build up the community, advance our mission as a church, and help individuals and families to flourish… we are trying to find the right place for it.”
How Neighborhood Character Actually Condemns Land Use and Zoning Restrictions — Elizabeth Ward Williams, Strong Towns — “If this area conformed to its current land use and zoning, it would have an entirely different character.”
(related: Arbitrary Lines (book), The 6 Zoning Reforms Every Municipality Should Adopt, Yes In My Backyard—And In My Frontyard, Why Catholics Should Resist NIMBYism, shared previously)
How To Build A Family-Friendly City —
, Institute For Family Studies — “Before long I was surprised to find that going to Spanish playgrounds did not feel like a stressful chore as it often does in my neighborhood, but instead like a pleasant respite.”(related: Family Unfriendly (book), Free The Children, Cities Aren't Built For Kids, Walkability And The Culture Wars, The Case Of The Carseats, Our Year Without A Car (With Kids), Cities Aren't For Families… But They Should Be, Care At Scale, Closer To Home, Who Needs A Car?, Grilling Man At The End Of History, shared previously)
to watch, listen to
Free-Range Parenting: A Deep Dive With Public Discourse —
and — In addition to Dixie’s essay discussed, ’s joint review of Carney and Haidt’s books mentioned (Family Unfriendly and The Anxious Generation) has been shared here in the past… and dovetails well with the topics at hand.Christian Ethics With Oliver O’Donovan —
and , Mere Fidelity — Unbeknownst to me until this week, they talked with O’Donovan recently. The timing of my read through Begotten Or Made? couldn’t be more perfect.
Continuing On:
to glean from: tip, product, resource
Hosanna Revival — The way they take beauty and quality seriously is really wonderful. If you’re looking for a new Bible or journal, they have a variety of translations, formats, and artistic designs. There’s so much to peruse and consider for gifts, if not for yourself. I loved reading an overview of the history of their business.
to look back on
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You’re forming my intellectual life, Haley 😂 Your newsletter has become my post-college equivalent of a course reading list. Dunno what the course would be called exactly, but it feels like there’s a theme—maybe “How to Survive Modernity Spiritually Intact?”
Thank you, Haley!