The Archive

Every essay.

Matthew Lee AndersonDiscussion Leading

Fostering Conversations that Count: Setting Clear Expectations - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

Most people, by and large, aren’t used to having discussions.  They just aren’t.  What passes for discussion in most workplaces, classrooms and small groups is opinining without critique.  Very rarely do students actually engage each other in face-to-face conversation about […]

Matthew Lee AndersonBook Reviews

The Kingdom Triangle: The Decade's Most Important Book

The Kingdom Triangle: The Decade's Most Important Book

Matthew Lee Anderson

On Providence: Peter Jackson vs. JRR Tolkien - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

One of these days I’m going to do a thorough comparison of the crucial differences between Tolkien’s version of Lord of the Rings and Peter Jackson’s film adaptation.  The differences illuminate much, I think, about our contemporary values in very […]

Matthew Lee AndersonDiscussion Leading

Fostering Conversations that Count: The Crucial Role of Questions - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

When it comes to discussions, questions are king. I’ve already touched on (unexpectedly) the tension between questions and answers in a discussion. This last week, I spoke to educators at a Christian school–that very tension was one of the most […]

Matthew Lee AndersonUncategorized

ID Making Inroads in Berkeley

ID Making Inroads in Berkeley

Matthew Lee Anderson

Five Forgotten Forms of Forestalling Filling Out Probloggers "Favorite Five" Post - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

Okay, so the title is a stretch.  It’s so obviously a dire attempt to get clicks that it’s laughable.  Let’s just acknowledge that fact and move on. Problogger (whom I read avidly–gratuitous flattery points, anyone?) is hosting a group writing […]

Matthew Lee Anderson

Biola President Update: Dr. Barry Corey in Chapel - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

Yesterday and today, Dr. Barry Corey has been at Biola meeting with various constituents and speaking in various arenas. Dr. Corey is the final candidate for President. I have heard him speak twice now, and have been quite impressed by […]

Matthew Lee AndersonDiscussion Leading

Conversations that Count: The Rules of Improv as a Model for Discussion - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

According to the roadmap for this series, this post marks the transition from Part One of the series to Part Two. Congratulations to me for making it this far, and thanks for all the encouraging feedback!! Ultimately, reading about being […]

Matthew Lee AndersonPro-Life

Cliff's Notes: The Supreme Court's Decision on Partial Birth Abortion

Cliff's Notes: The Supreme Court's Decision on Partial Birth Abortion

Matthew Lee AndersonDiscussion Leading

Fostering Conversations that Count: Common Objects of Love - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

The Problem of Commonality: One of the problems (and one of the joys!) of informal conversation is that while it is often directed toward a topic, the backgrounds of the participants often diverge so widely that it makes progress on […]

Matthew Lee Anderson

Chesterton's Infuriating Style, or, Defending Chesterton against the Lewisians - Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture

The increasingly prominent and popular (as well as uncannily accurate!) Dawn Eden pointed out a discussion about Chesterton at the Relevant Magazine message boards. A number of writers vented frustration at Chesterton’s style, so I penned the following response in […]

Matthew Lee AndersonUncategorized

Biola's Next President? Barry H. Corey (Updated)

Biola's Next President? Barry H. Corey (Updated)