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borderlands
[Frederica Mathewes-Green 03/28 10:20 AM]Like Bruce said. I think we're in the same ballpark. And I don't think I really disagree with Caleb here either, though such lonnnnnngggg posts are a temptation to skim. However, here I think he misread me: I wonder if you don’t give the game away with unnecessary talk of burned out utopians and despair that striving towards any kind of demanding standard has been rendered utterly impossible by the combination of disorder and affluence? I'll clarify. By "burned out utopians" I meant specifically to counter the possible notion that all Crunchy Cons should move to a single *geographic* location. I don't think that's what Rod meant by "defensible borders," but I wanted to touch on it, since historically others thought that was a good idea. As you, Caleb, would agree, one drawback to an earthly utopian community is that it would take you away from your homeland and relatives.
I don't "despair" of striving toward a demanding standard; as I said, we can live holy lives. As an Orthodox Christian, I would say that the whole point of earthly life is transformation in Christ (and as far as I know, the Orthodox Church is the Christian body in the US that most diligently continues first-millennium patterns of fasting, confession, and personal spiritual direction. Not that you don't find lots of nominalism as well, but at least the standards haven't been "updated".)
And I think the best way to change a culture is to seed it with holy people. I think what's made Evangelicalism less effective than it might be is a tendency to dream of big cultural-impact projects, rather than the humbler route of turning out millions of transformed, humble, holy people.
Hard times prompt self-discipline, and make the practical value of such virtues obvious. But in a comfortable age like ours self-indulgence is the rule, shopping is a patriotic duty, and serious spiritual discipline looks like a quirky hobby. It would be easier for us if the culture really were collapsing, as it was for St Benedict, but it's capable of spending many more decades in the Barcalounger.
And I should add that I approve of "going back into the culture" as journalists, screenwriters, etc. That's what I'm doing with my life, as is Rod and others of us; we'd be glad to have our children follow in our footsteps. But if we're not diligently praying and fasting and listening to our spiritual fathers' guidance, we'll be a noisy gong and a clanging cymbal. Without humility and repentance, and genuine love for our neighbors, we're just self-righteous blowhards.
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