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.

Speechless

“What is a weekend?” Lady Violet, no shrinking violet, was speechless. She might not be alone. One day Jesus might be speechless, asking us, “What is a weekend?”

4D… 5D…

A few weeks back I suggested the new Copernicans think in 3D. It turns out that falls short. Dr. Paul J. Zak is one of the new Copernicans. The closer you look at his work, the more angles you see. The new Copernicans see things in 4D… 5D…

True Friend, Tough Critic

Oscar Wilde said a true friend always says unpleasant things. David Brooks is a true friend of the Christian faith. He’s also one of its toughest critics. He recently shared a few of his insights into our shortcomings. They are worth considering.

3D

Copernicus connected the dots to develop a better picture, a heliocentric system. Today’s Copernicans seek to do the same. They’re looking for meaning but not drawn to polarizing faith positions. They want both/and. They’re thinking three-dimensionally.

The New Copernicans

In writing about revolutions of celestial orbits, Copernicus didn’t think he was starting a revolution. But he did. Research indicates Copernicus had “strategic intuition,” what religious “nones” also seem to enjoy. They might be the new Copernicans.

The Stick

Last week I urged organizational leaders to complete their roundtables. I was dangling a carrot. There is another way to motivate – the stick. Here’s a stick, what an incomplete roundtable looks like. That’s what happened to King Arthur’s Round table.

A Complete Roundtable

“Come in. I’ve been expecting you.” Merlin’s first meeting with young Arthur explains why he would one day be indispensable to King Arthur’s Roundtable. I wrote last week how businesses benefit from having a complete roundtable. Every organization does. Here’s why.

DOA

“… in my heart I know I’m funny.” Unfortunately, Lt. Steven Hauk was not funny. He’s clueless in Good Morning Vietnam. It’s a limitation of the left hemisphere, explaining the inability to get a joke. But it also explains the inability to craft an effective metaphor.

Cogs in the Machinery

While the invention of the printing press did a lot of good, we often fail to recognize what it undid. Fleet Foxes might. “Helplessness Blues” captures one consequence of the printing press – a tenfold increase in unipolar depression in the Western nations.

The Upside of Feeling On The Outside

“For some reason I can’t explain, I know Saint Peter won’t call my name.” Coldplay’s Chris Martin feels like he’s “not on the list.” The lyrics of “Viva la Vida” spell this out. It’s often an unsettling feeling, but there is an upside to being on the outside.