Collin Hansen and Allen C. Guelzo, “How to Save Western Civilization with Allen Guelzo” (Gospelbound)

“Having been widely condemned as oppressive, imperialist, colonizing, and appropriating, Western civilization is sometimes not even taught, let alone celebrated for producing the moral, technological, political, economic, and lifestyle achievements that give shape to our world. The Golden Thread helps in remembering and teaching without ignoring the failures and shortcomings of Western civilization.”

Erik Coonce, “A Scrapbook of Pastoral Care” (Mere Orthodoxy)

“The Ministry of Small Things, is not a book about preaching, nor sacraments, nor is it primarily about prayer (some portions notwithstanding) but rather it seeks ‘to unpack one more significant element in the minister’s job description: pastoral care.’”

Claire Cain Miller, Francesca Paris, and Sarah Mervosh, “Why U.S. Test Scores Are in a ‘Generation-Long Decline’” (New York Times)

“Few rigorous studies have teased out the role of devices in academic outcomes. Yet educators say there’s no question that swiping has decreased students’ focus and persistence, and time on devices has displaced time spent reading or studying. Far more teenagers—nearly one in three—now say they ‘never or hardly ever’ read for fun.

“In turn, schools expect less from students, assigning fewer whole books and simplifying the curriculum.”

Trevin Wax, “Does ‘Disenchantment’ or ‘Desecration’ Describe Our Current Crisis? Yes.” (The Gospel Coalition)

“Carl Trueman’s new book, The Desecration of Man: How the Rejection of God Degrades Our Humanity, will likely make my list of Favorite Reads of the Year. Immensely readable for the thoughtful observer of our current cultural climate, it’s also penetrating in its analysis and insight. Trueman brings into view something outside the frame of his Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self—he shows how technology, not merely philosophy, has sped our cultural devolution in recent years.”