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.

Retire Retirement?

Does Monday off make you long for retirement? As Congress wrestles with our government’s soaring debt, one entitlement program might be the easiest to fix—Social Security. Trustees project a shortfall of $3.7 trillion over the next 75 years. There are essentially two solutions being proposed. While there is merit to both, a third way—proposed by…

Seeing the Forest for the Trees

Prior to the 16th century, economics was considered a moral as well as a monetary discipline. The English word “credit,” for example, is from the Latin credo, “I believe.” Economists were trusted since they saw the forest for the trees. Our current models of capitalism and socialism don’t. Is there a third way to see…

Late Boomers?

Are they Picassos or Cézannes? There’s a flurry of 50ish baby boomers entering “second acts.” If they are Picassos, the second half isn’t likely to be any better than the first. If, however, they are Cézannes, these “late boomers” could make a positive contribution in the faith community.

Point Guard

Ultimately, Rondo’s not the most critical player. But he is initially. Andy Crouch suggests that our ways of talking about culture—how it works, how it changes—often do not serve us well. He’s right. Watching the NBA Playoffs might help, however. If you are a Boston Celtics fan, take note of point guard Rajon Rondo.

The Benefits of Boredom

What’s so bad about being bored? ‘Tis the season to be bored—end of the school year, Senior Slump, and spring fever. Everyone assumes boredom is a bad thing. Now we’re learning that being bored might have some benefits.

Pollyannaish?

Polly Whittier never grew up. Novelist Eleanor Hodgman Porter labored in obscurity until the publication of “Pollyanna” in 1913. It’s the fictional tale of Pollyanna Whittier, an impossibly positive heroine. “Pollyannaish” came to mean a sugary or overly positive take on life. It might describe our contemporary take on passion.

Let Me Hear Your Body Talk

Actions speak louder than words. In “Let’s Get Physical,” Olivia Newton-John sings when “there’s nothing left to talk about, let me hear your body talk.” That’s also what the Bible says, but it reverses the order. The Christian faith is first bodily, giving us something meaningful to talk about. It’s a faith that begins with…

The Rest of the Story

“In a minute, you’re going to hear … the rest of the story.” Paul Harvey’s famous catchphrase told listeners the whole story hadn’t yet been told. For those who scratch their head as to why marriage is only for heterosexual couples, they probably haven’t heard the whole story. It’s in scripture as well as church history….

The Whole Story

Solving a mystery requires seeing the whole story. For some, it’s a mystery why marriage is only for heterosexual couples. This mystery cannot be solved unless we see the whole story. Is marriage a picture of the community of love between the Father, Son, and Spirit, as well as Christ and the church? Is this…

A Good Mystery

You can’t solve a mystery if you don’t see the whole story. It’s a mystery to many why God would deny gays the right to get married. It seems arbitrary. This is to be expected, since at first mysteries don’t make sense and God is a mystery. He is also good. Reconciling these two requires…