A human community, then, if it is to last long, must exert a sort of centripetal force, holding local soil and local memory in place. Practically speaking, human society has no work more important than this. These are the words of farmer and writer Wendell Berry in his essay “The Work of Local Culture.” We
READ MOREMany Americans believe our world’s becoming more secular. While that’s true, many of today’s fastest-growing religious denominations aren’t progressive—they’re traditional. Here’s what the data show. In the 1990s, 90 percent of Americans identified as Christians on Pew surveys. Today, that number has fallen to about 67 percent. Among young adults, over 40 percent are religiously
READ MOREI didn’t have a name for it. I just knew I hated it. That’s how I felt when I first began studying literature at a public university and encountered a morass of muddled ideas about literature, language, and truth that all but spoiled the beauty and art of great books, which was what had caused
READ MORERecently, my 10-year-old son, Eric, made a play in his baseball game that I was particularly proud of. He didn’t strike out the side or make a fantastic stop in the field. He didn’t smash a double down the left-field line. No, it wasn’t a remarkable play at all—Eric was hit by a pitch on
READ MOREThe phenomenon known as Ballerina Farm on Instagram is one of the most popular moms in America. With her eight children, a gaggle of hogs, endless Instagram videos of baking from scratch, and her 10 million followers, Hannah Neeleman is a mom to be reckoned with. Oh, and she also wins beauty pageants like a boss. And
READ MORESummer is the season for “recreation.” After slogging through work and school for most of the year, millions of parents and their children try to cram enjoyment into a road trip or an international holiday. They spend enormous amounts of time, money, and effort doing so—in fact, Americans have devoted over $200 billion annually to
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