COMMENTARY

Clapham Institute Blog

Welcome to the Clapham Institute Blog. You may have followed us previously at doggieheadtilt.com or come across us through a corporate event, church gathering, or online outreach. However you arrived here, we're glad to have you. If you have any questions about the content we're presenting, please feel free to reach out to us at any time.

Selective Memory

Selective memory keeps us sane.

Power of Porches

My wife Kathy and I are getting an education on community. We recently moved downtown. Our home has a large front porch. Our previous homes didn’t. They had rear decks. We’re learning why decks and patios make building community difficult.

Five Meadows

In my mid 40s I began meeting men who were churning with angst. Many were Christians but all were restless for more. It was time for them to climb to a higher meadow. Today, after countless conversations, I have come to see five meadows.

Meadows

Henry Kissinger described life as “a journey across the meadows.” C. S. Lewis also saw meadows but understood better why so few take this trek.

Before Late Adopters Adopt

Last week I proposed what a church for the rest of us might look like. If we’re going to develop these types of faith groups, best to get going before late adopters adopt.

A Church For The Rest Of Us

Over thirty years ago Apple changed the personal computer landscape. The Macintosh was introduced—“the computer for the rest of us.” Now our cultural landscape is changing. Does this call for a church for the rest of us?

A Little Bit of Soap

The Jarmels were close to the truth. In their 1961 hit, they sang “a little bit of soap will never wash away my tears.” That was emotional pain. Now scientists are seeing how washing hands can in fact wash away this sort of pain—but that’s not always healthy.

Suffocating Yourself

“Hamilton” is a hip-hop Broadway hit. It recalls one of America’s most talented founders. It’s also a reminder of what happens when perceived slights are not resolved.

Limitless?

Peter Thiel, the Paypal co-founder who happens to be a Christian, knows how to monetize the Internet. But he doesn’t appreciate the moral implications of technologies.

More Caught Than Taught

March Madness is great fun. But it causes us to forget what’s been described as a “fundamentally immoral” relationship between academics and athletics. Moral solutions are required, but we seem to have also forgotten how to implement them.