How to Be Persuasive: Commitment & Consistency
We recently began a conversation about why each of us, no matter what our careers or areas of interest, needs to know how to be persuasive. We’re taking a look at Robert Cialdini’s six principles for...
View ArticleHow to Be Persuasive: Social Proof
We’re in the middle of a conversation about the importance of persuasion by working through Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence: Science and Practice,” and his six principles for being persuasive. We’ve...
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The Ramifications of Religious Freedom: A View from France
Having spent the last few years living in Indiana, I paid close attention to the transatlantic rumblings created by the state’s Religious Freedom Act last month. It is hard to believe such a raucous...
View ArticleHow to Be Persuasive: The Liking Principle
We’re in the middle of a conversation about the importance of persuasion, and are working through Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence: Science and Practice,” and his six principles for being persuasive....
View ArticleHow to Be Persuasive: The Authority Principle
We’re nearing the end of a conversation about persuasion. We’ve been examining Robert Cialdini’s book, “Influence: Science and Practice,” and his six principles (based on psychology) for being...
View ArticleThe Social Significance of Sports
A few weeks ago, the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox played a baseball game in an empty stadium. A crack of the bat, the ball soars over the fence, Chris Davis rounds first base, and in the...
View ArticleThe World Isn’t Flat Yet: Why Urbanization Still Matters
Thomas Friedman published “The World is Flat” ten years ago. In celebration, I’d like to propose that it isn’t. Yes, globalization is real: The Economist reported in February that by 2020, 80 percent...
View ArticleThe Secret to a Flourishing City
Jane Jacobs, the legendary urbanist, gifted the city her commonsense observations of what makes for flourishing community. While she walked her beloved Greenwich Village, she’d watch the comings and...
View ArticleWishful Ideas Have Consequences Too
In today’s era of instantaneous news, mudslinging has risen to previously unseen levels. Business executives like Justine Sacco and Brendan Eich are beholden to Twitter mobs who hold no legal...
View Article‘The Office’ and the Value of Work
Recently, I re-watched “The Office” (U.S. version). Even though I have seen every episode multiple times, I still found myself laughing during all of the awkward silences created by Michael Scott. I...
View ArticleProtecting Religious Liberty by Bridging the Relational Gap
If you’re like me, and you’re a Christian college student who’s passionate about how politics and culture impact the world around you, then maybe you’ve noticed a startling cultural change in the last...
View ArticleThe Upside of Uncertainty
“In Italy, for thirty years under the Borgias, they had warfare, terror, murder and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and the Renaissance. In Switzerland, they had brotherly...
View ArticleConservatism and the Art of Catechesis
The word catechism has fallen out of usage in American vernacular, but it remains an important concept. It refers to “a series of questions, answers, or precepts used for instruction in pedagogical...
View ArticleWhat “A Wrinkle in Time” Teaches Us About Good Government and Society
With the fast approaching movie release of “A Wrinkle in Time,” based on Madeline L’Engle’s children’s book, I decided to reread one of my childhood favorites before March 9th. Distinct in my memory...
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The Art of Advertising
In the contemporary United States, commercials are a cultural phenomenon. These mini films often have massive production costs and rake in serious cash for all kinds of companies. Their public...
View ArticleHow Should the Church Engage in a Consumer Society?
“To be prophetic is to host a world other than the one that is in front of us.” Christians, as theologian Walter Brueggemann so eloquently wrote, ought to be set apart, practicing faith and life in a...
View ArticleVisions for Christian Public Life
Exploring Christian Engagement in Contemporary American Politics and Society A compilation of essays written by Daniel Bennett, Brad R. Hale, Bryan T. McGraw, Peter Meilaender, Abbylin Sellers, and...
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