The First Half of May: Reads

Two pieces on the beginning of life:
Michael Chabon, GQ, Are Kids the Enemy of Writing?
Laura Turner, Catapult, Missing Hope: A Trio of Miscarriages, and What Happened After

Two pieces on the end of life:
Robin McKie, The Guardian, No death and an enhanced life: is the future transhuman?
Rowan Williams, New Statesman, How dying offers us a chance to live the fullest life

Transhumanism is only the ad absurdum conclusion of recent trends in tech; our phones are tacitly trying to eliminate some of the things that make us most human (Furness). We view extravagance and luxury as normal (Clymer – though his piece lacks this critical lens); our habits are harvested for profit. Even religion is in the process of being digitized (Samuel). Perhaps it's time to take a step back technologically (Jacobs).

Dyllan Furness, Digital Trends, Technology makes our lives easier, but is it at the cost of our humanity?
Benjamin Clymer, Hodinkee Magazine, Apple, Influence, and Ive
Nicholas Carr, Rough Type, You are your phone
Sigal Samuel, The Atlantic, This Design Lab is Making Rituals for Secular People
Alan Jacobs, The Atlantic, I Went Back to a Dumbphone

However, it's not merely the technology's fault; there is a whole history behind the narcissism of the modern self (Beckerman's piece gives a good overview, although Christopher Lasch and Charles Taylor are conspicuously absent). Indeed, the bigger change than mere regulation is a reshaping of our moral imaginations (Foroohar) and a willingness to not give in to the wicked impulses the online world encourages (Holmes). These demons may only come out by prayer, and we may need to gouge out an eye if the offense is great enough (McClay).

Gal Beckerman, New Republic, Don't Blame Phones for Narcissism
Rana Foroohar, Financial Times, Regulating big tech is just the start
Jasmine L Holmes, Be the Change You Wish to See on the Internet
B D McClay, Commonweal, "Log Off" or Pray

Our technology does shape us, but we shape it as well, forming a feedback loop (Doan) – one that reveals our darkest desires (Saler). It has not been long since the Internet has become a shaping force in our lives, but it feels as though we are now a radically different generation because of it (Smith).

Jeremy Doan, Christ & Pop Culture, Smartphones, Guns, and Black Mirror: The Shaping of Our Technology
Michael Saler, The Weekly Standard, A 'Mirror' to Our Souls

Zadie Smith, New York Review of Books, Generation Why?

Changing gears to race issues: As Nikole Hannah-Jones frequently says, American schools are still segregated because white people want them to be (Branigin). This is nothing new, just the most recent manifestation of a racialized society set up to keep black people from acquiring wealth (Roller). For people old enough to remember a more hopeful time, in which there was at least a greater perception of momentum, the revelation of our true racial attitudes turns even the happiest song sad (Jacob). From the outside of struggles with systemic injustice, it's easy to dehumanize those struggling against flawed power structures, either by expecting them to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, or by assuming they have no agency whatsoever in the face of their challenges (Miller).
Anne Branigin, The Root, Watch: Roomful of Rich, White NYC Parents Get Big Mad at Plan to Diversify Neighborhood’s Schools
Emma Roller, Splinter News, How the U.S. Government Locked Black Americans Out of Attaining the American Dream
Alan Jacobs, Snakes & Ladders, Everyday People

Roselyn Miller, Slate, For a Former Foster Kid, "Poverty Porn" is Personal

Coates has a really interesting piece on Kanye's recent Twitter antics (which I'm personally not quite ready to say aren't performance art; whether joking or genuine, they carry little weight for me). I only wish this piece were framed differently, focusing on the crushing burden of fame and its power to disconnect us from the human connections – our families and friends, our heritage and history – which provide accountability and a sense of reality and responsibility for those whose fame is growing. In his recounting of his own struggles with fame, Coates brings to mind Andy Crouch's essay on celebrity; these are the strongest parts of the essay and despite the truly cutting accusations of racial denialism (which certainly have merit!), I think they should have been the focus: 

Ta-Nehisi Coates, The Atlantic, I'm Not Black, I'm Kanye

Two really good pieces on the pilgrimage of black Christians leaving white churches: 

Jemar Tisby, The Witness, A Wilderness Wandering After the "Quiet Exodus"
Esau McCaulley, The Witness, After Lemonade: The Future of Black Christians in the Diaspora

In between the crises of race and sex, here are some articles about the President. Liz points out that when people in a democracy feel as though they aren't represented, it drives national anxiety; such is our case, as our politicians care more about cash than citizens. Reviewing two books on Trump supporters, Kennedy observes that academic liberals have a hard time disengaging their judgement against flyover country (her piece is a little too "both sides-y" for me, though). As Flanagan observes, this President is the first to embody the general ethic of pornography in his history of both business and women; perhaps some judgement is in order:

Elizabeth Bruenig, WaPo, Our democracy has much bigger problems than Trump
Anne Carlson Kennedy, CT, Taking the Measure of Trump Country

Caitlin Flanagan, The Atlantic, The First Porn President

"Sex robots" were a legitimate conversation topic on the internet this month – what a time to be alive. Douthat's column challenged the Left's nascent reading comprehension skills; apparently, they're so used to thinking of him solely as the conservative at the Times (read: "the enemy") that they've forgotten (or never bothered to consider) the roots of his sexual ethic, and therefore thought he was attempting to advance the cause of sex-bots and prostitution. Uh, no. Thankfully, Ms Burton is a more careful reader, and offers her own look at the history of automated erotica. Dalmia's piece also reads Ross right, to its credit, although its conclusion (that we need to further the sexual revolution) is way off:

Ross Douthat, NYT, The Redistribution of Sex

Tara Isabella Burton, Vox, We’re talking about “sex robots” now. We’ve been here before.
Shikha Dalmia, The Week, Our perilous sexual moment

The Dalmia piece above certainly gets the moment right in its title, and it is no less perilous in the Church right now. Beth Moore's cri de coeur (and Thabiti's poignant confession in response) lays bare the bias against women in evangelicalism. There is a massive unveiling occurring in the American Church, exposing the sexism and corruption that has lurked behind closed doors for generations (Wehner). It seems many in the Church have forgotten that rape is a sin, and not merely against chastity (McClay). This is the natural consequence of barring women from any position of influence, silencing their voices even when true prophetic gifts are present (Scheiss). This is unbiblical and untethered from the historical Christian practice (Olmstead).
Beth Moore, Living Proof Ministries Blog, A Letter to My Brothers
Thabiti Anyabwile, TGC, An Apology to Beth Moore and My Sisters
Peter Wehner, NYT, The Great #MeToo Awakening
B D McClay, Commonweal, Rape Is a Sin
Kaitlyn Scheiss, Christ & Pop Culture, Paige Patterson Counsel Abounds When Women Aren’t Given a Seat at the Theological Table
Gracy Olmstead, WaPo, What early Christians knew that modern Christians don’t: Women make great leaders

Many Christians have suggested the "Billy Graham/Mike Pence Rule" as a panacea for these sexual ills, splitting pundits into a naïve hope in legalism or (via the path of overcorrection) a naïve hope in license. Tish offers a more virtuous middle ground, showing what marriage practices that nurture chastity, fidelity, and trust while still fostering fellowship could look like. Jake, while mostly agreeing, pushes back a bit with the worthwhile observation that marriages that may have less collective virtue than two literal priests may flourish with some stricter boundaries to safeguard against a world set against the idea of marital limits. Samuel James expands this by reminding us that marriage changes our fundamental identity – we are no longer our own, no longer separate but one flesh – and this should be reflected in our friendships. On that note, Rosaria Butterfield's piece on her new book shows how opening our homes is a spiritual warfare strategy; Patricia Snow reminds us to remember that the Church is a field hospital for those injured by the enemy:
Tish Harrison Warren, CT, It's Not Billy Graham Rule or Bust
Jake Meador, MereO, On the Pence Rule
Samuel D James, Letter & Liturgy, Hospitality as Friendship: A Billy Graham Rule Proposal
Rosaria Champagne Butterfield, Desiring God, The Best Weapon Is an Open Door

Patricia Snow, First Things, Heal Our Wounds

On that note, Wes Hill's gorgeous writing so often makes the case for deeper Christian friendship, and here it is specifically married couples whose love he seeks. How much more beautiful a vision this is than the horror of Julie Rodgers' experiences in gay conversion therapy. Wes offers further thoughts (not in direct response) to this mindset of many evangelicals; if we don't have a robust theology of sex, it's easy to just be anti-gay because of prejudice:

Wesley Hill, Comment, Love, Again
Julie Rodgers, NYT, What I Learned From Gay Conversion Therapy
Wesley Hill, Spiritual Friendship, On Evangelical Bigotry

Two last #MeToo-related pieces, on DFW's abuse of Mary Karr. Garber's piece challenges me in a good way, pointing out how easily we allow an abuse victim (in this case, even a brilliant literary mind in her own right!) to become a prop in a "troubled genius narrative." 

Whitney Kimball, Jezebel, Mary Karr Reminds the World That David Foster Wallace Abused and Stalked Her, and Nobody Cared
Megan Garber, The Atlantic, David Foster Wallace and the Dangerous Romance of Male Genius

Local news: 

Baynard Woods, The Real News, Baltimore Police Commissioner Facing Federal Charges, Still Under Investigation
Luke Broadwater, Baltimore Sun, In Baltimore's high-crime zones, an experiment in government starts to yield results
Mark Ruetter, Baltimore Brew, Celebrated cops and a wrongfully convicted man

Theology-related:

Wesley Hill, First Things, Andy Stanley's Modern Marcionism
Thabiti Anyabwile, TGC, Evangelical Gnosticism
John Wilson, First Things, Versions of Paul
Samuel G Freedman, WaPo, One of America’s most influential religious figures has died. He deserves more notice.
Rachel Darnall, Fathom, The Proverbs 31 Husband
Matthew Walther, The Week, What Catholics have sacrificed by allying with Republican evangelicals

Lyman Stone, First Things, Two Kingdom Theology in the Age of Trump

John Shelton, MereO, Stanley Hauerwas: Modern American Puddleglum

Auden stuff (and also a poem, not by Auden):

Hannah Arendt, LitHub, Hannah Arendt on the Time She Met W H Auden
Rosie Schaap, Poetry Foundation, In Search of the Auden Martini

Christian Wiman, New Yorker, Eating Grapes Downward

I don't know, every time I write up these round-ups, there are the same sections, on tech, race, sex, the Church, politics, etc. WHY NOT A TROPICAL WILDLIFE SECTION FOR ONCE.
Karen Abbott, Topic, Birds of a Feather
Nina-Sophia Miralles, Paris Review, The Strange History of the "King-Pine"
Nadia Drake, The Atlantic, The Jaguar Is Made for the Age of Humans

And a whole bunch of reviews/miscellaneous stuff:
Andrew Spencer, TGC, Disrupted Witness for a Distracted Age
Carol Iannone, Modern Age, Seinfeld: The Politically Incorrect Comedy
Joe Berkowitz, Esquire, If You Think You Hate Puns, You're Wrong
Lolade Fadulu, The Atlantic, The Experiment in Irresponsibility
Lauren Rae Konkol, First Things, A Touching and Feeling Faith
Drew Batcher, TGC, Reading Moby-Dick with Marilynne Robinson

Paul J Griffiths, First Things, Letter to an Aspiring Intellectual
Kyle Williams, Comment, Markets are Made: The Story of Capitalism