Machiavelli, the Prince, and the Tradition of Liberty

Machiavelli’s succinct and semi-diabolical advice to the prince is one of the most enduring works of political philosophy in the world. This man, writing in a time roughly contemporaneous with the Reformation, was less concerned with seeking the will of God than with winning at all costs. I wrote about him in my book The End [...]

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Evangelicals and Fatima

Cross-posted at First Things’ Evangel blog:
As I may have mentioned earlier, I grew up with Catholics on my mother’s side and the Church of Christ on my father’s side.  Not exactly a recipe for happy relations.  For the record, the Catholics were more gracious about it.  I found the tension painful, difficult, and unnecessary and [...]

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Christian Academics Doing What They Do . . .

Benjamin Wiker interviews me at To the Source.  Fun stuff.
We talked about . . .
Wait for it . . .
Secularism.

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What’s an Evangelical? An Adult Convert’s View

I’ve recently joined an evangelical group blog at First Things.  Think of it as The Corner for evangelicals.  So far, things are going swimmingly.  Lots of activity.  Joe Carter started us off by asking for a definition of an evangelical.  Here’s my entry:
When I became a Christian at Florida State University at the end of [...]

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General Thoughts on Being Reviewed

It is fascinating to read what other people have to say about the book (The End of Secularism).  So far, all the reviewers seem to like it.  Some show unconditional positive regard.  Others emphasize what they like or don’t like.  It seems to hit different people different ways.
For any would be reviewers who are curious, [...]

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Andrew Klavan Digs The End of Secularism

Andrew Klavan has been my favorite writer of thrillers for several years now and has provided some of the best reading moments I’ve ever enjoyed. His books have been made into films starring Michael Douglas and Clint Eastwood. He also happens to be a conservative who writes sympathetically about Christianity.
For all of those [...]

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Great Review of The End of Secularism

At ReformedBooks.net. Here was the part I really liked:
In some of the most compelling parts of the book, Baker turns a scathing critique on the secularist movement itself, and in particular, its claims to take a solely neutral and scientific approach toward social and political science. If the secularists really employ the scientific method [...]

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The Political Double Standard for Religion

The point has been made by outstanding thinkers like Stephen Carter and Richard John Neuhaus that the New York-Washington, D.C. establishment eats up left wing religion and declares it delicious. Give a radical a cross and we have activists bravely “speaking truth to power” and “speaking prophetically.” Put the cross in the hands [...]

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Al Kresta Interviews Me on EWTN Catholic Radio

I’ve done Al Kresta’s show before and really enjoyed the process. He is a very knowledgeable interviewer.
So, we talked about The End of Secularism. Here’s the link. I come on about five minutes in.

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The Secularism of a Religious Country – Mike Potemra – The Corner on National Review Online

Mike Potemra at National Review offers his review of The End of Secularism.
The Secularism of a Religious Country – Mike Potemra – The Corner on National Review Online
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First Things Spengler Blog Reviews The End of Secularism

A fellow named David Layman (not David Goldman, who I think is THE Spengler) has reviewed The End of Secularism for the First Things website.
Wow.
This was the first full contact review by a person who doesn’t know me at all.
Pretty exhilarating.
Layman is very complimentary of the book, particularly the [...]

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The Audio from My Prime Time America Interview

Here’s the link.

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Inglourious Basterds Just Plain Inglorious

I admit that I saw the new Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds. Now that I’ve seen it, you don’t have to.
Inglourious Basterds is a cultural low point. It is the revenge fantasy of a poorly educated and completely unreflective thirteen year old. It is a jerky exercise in crudely manipulating the feelings [...]

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I’m on Prime Time America

At 5pm central today in Chicago and elsewhere. Listen live here.
Discussing The End of Secularism, by the way . . .

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The End of Secularism Is Here!

Well, the book by the same name is, anyway. The End of Secularism is now in stock at Amazon.com and should be available in stores, too. Help me, faithful readers.
I don’t think I’ll disappoint you. Francis Beckwith, David Dockery, Russell Moore (of Touchstone fame), Father Robert Sirico, Herb London, Jennifer [...]

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For those who want to help with promoting The End of Secularism

Here are some ad styles you can use on your website.  Please link to Amazon.com.

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Beautiful Clip Left Out of Theatrical Version of The Watchmen

I give you the death of Hollis Mason, AKA The original Nite Owl.

I found this missing gem when I bought the director’s cut of the film.

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New Endorsement for The End of Secularism

“Secularism was supposed to have displaced religion before the end of the last century. It failed. Hunter Baker has done every Christian interested in a faithful life in the public square an immense favor.  As an important and emerging young evangelical scholar and public thinker, Baker doesn’t cower at the seemingly imposing face of secularism [...]

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Healthcare, Democracy, and Freedom – The Acton Institute

I wrote a column on the tension between government healthcare and freedom for Acton Commentary.
Healthcare, Democracy, and Freedom – The Acton Institute
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Momentum Building for The End of Secularism

I’m excited. Crossway has created a product page for the book with lots of features.  Here is the back cover:

The product page also allows you to browse the book.  Check it out.

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In Fairness to Zenni . . .

Okay, I have revisited the glasses I received from Zenni.  My conclusion is that the plastic frame glasses are still poor and the photochromic lenses do not work.  However, the bendable titanium pair of glasses is quite good except for the fact that they failed to include the anti-glare lenses I paid for.

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A Deeply Beautiful Book: Karl Stern’s The Pillar of Fire

From the foreword to The Pillar of Fire:
A few years ago, at a psychiatric convention, I ran into a girl with whom I studied medicine and with whom I interned in the Neurological Department of one of the municipal hospitals in Berlin.  We met in a big hotel in Chicago.  It was a most [...]

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Ordering Glasses Online: The Conclusion

Okay, I finally got my glasses from Zenni Optical.  Ultra-long wait.  Crappy glasses.  The photochromic lens on one pair barely changes in the sun.  Barely enough to notice.  The other pair was ordered with anti-reflective coating.  They don’t have anti-reflective coating.  Low price gets you big hassle and low, low quality.
On the other hand, I [...]

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Reflection on Abortion, Wilberforce, and Amazing Grace

I came across this piece in my personal archives and thought it might be worth running here.  I was thinking along these lines because my pastor asked me to preach about the sanctity of life this week in church.

I never learned about William Wilberforce in my twelve years in the public school system. Neither did [...]

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The Big Review of Russell Kirk’s Ancestral Shadows

Read it here at Touchstone Magazine’s Mere Comments blog.
Just in case you’re crazy enough not to click through. . . click through anyway!!!

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Christian Worldview Bootcamp for Houston High School Students

At Houston Baptist University, we’ve started up a really nice partnership with John Mark Reynolds and Wheatstone Academy to offer Christian worldview programming for high school students during the summer. If you live in or around Houston and have a student who could use (or would enjoy!) an intellectual boot camp for the faith, [...]

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Habermas on Christianity, Europe, and Human Rights

From Philip Jenkins at Foreign Policy:

Ironically, after centuries of rebelling against religious authority, the coming of Islam is also reviving political issues most thought extinct in Europe, including debates about the limits of freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to proselytize. And in all these areas, controversies that originate in a Muslim [...]

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Zenni Optical and Buying Glasses Online

The Saga Continues . . .
I ordered from Zenni Optical over a month in advance of a vacation so I would be sure to have new glasses and sunglasses.  Calling to cancel after a wait of nearly a month now, I got the most unsympathetic customer service person I have EVER encountered.  She informed me, in [...]

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Ordering Glasses Online: Apparent Failure with Zenni

Okay, I posted a while back that I had ordered two great pairs of prescription eye glasses from Zenni Optical for a low price and that I fully expected a great success.  
So far, it isn’t working.  We are now three and a half weeks out from the order and I still have no glasses. [...]

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Amazon Finally Has It Right: Book Description for The End of Secularism

Here’s what you’ll see at the Amazon.com page for The End of Secularism:
This ambitious work offers one of the most comprehensive attacks on secularism yet attempted. Hunter Baker argues that advocates of secularism misunderstand the borders between science, religion, and politics and cannot solve the problem of religious difference.
University scholars have spent decades subjecting religion [...]

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