Category Archives: Clash of Civilizations

Review: Faith for this Moment

Posted on October 29, 2018 by Richard Heyduck

If you have access to this review, you know we live in a highly polarized culture. One the one hand, our political polarization has been on display during the past week as a miscreant from Florida sent mail bombs to … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Clash of Civilizations, Culture, Discipleship, Ecclesiology, Leadership | Leave a comment

Defining Features of Liberalism?

Posted on June 18, 2016 by Richard Heyduck

In the context of an apology for the lowly AR-15, Edmund Kozak begins with a list of “three defining features of modern liberalism.” These are, “an intense aversion to the Constitution, a denial of objective truth, and a penchant for … Continue reading →

Posted in Clash of Civilizations, Culture, Current events, Liberalism, Metanarratives, Tradition | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Christian Politics

Posted on March 12, 2016 by Richard Heyduck

We’re in a season where American Christians are thinking about politics. Well, maybe not. Maybe it’s truer to say we’re in a season where the politics of the current American polarizations have colonized Christian minds. Candidates and their flunkies are assuring … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Church & State, Clash of Civilizations, Culture, Current events, Ecclesiology, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Immune Systems, Individual and Social

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Richard Heyduck

I listened to Russ Robert’s interview with Moises Valsquez-Manoff (on Econtalk) yesterday on my drive to pick up my daughter. The conversation was about recent studies showing the role increased hygiene plays in the rise of allergies and auto-immune diseases. … Continue reading →

Posted in Al Qaeda, Clash of Civilizations, Politics, Robert Putnam, Samuel Huntington, Social Capital, United Methodism | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

In or Out?

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Richard Heyduck

Living organisms and organizations have boundaries. There is always some sort of line demarcating X from not-X. Some of these markers are positive, some negative. This is an unpopular reality for some. We shout “No boundaries!” as if everything flowed … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State, Clash of Civilizations, Culture, Current events, Politics, United Methodism | Tagged | Leave a comment

Downside of Demonizing

Posted on December 7, 2010 by Richard Heyduck

“Demonizing” our opponents can be great fun. When we demonize groups we offer reasons why any compromise or shared action must be ruled out before we begin. Knowing that over demonization is not politically correct, we never admit to it … Continue reading →

Posted in Alasdair MacIntyre, Clash of Civilizations, Diversity, Ecclesiology, Islam | Leave a comment

Global Faith Forum

Posted on November 16, 2010 by Richard Heyduck

Last week I attended the Global Faith Forum in Keller, Texas. As a United Methodist, I’m part of a tradition that loves dialogue. We tend to be universalists, if not in theory, then in our ethos and our practice. We … Continue reading →

Posted in Clash of Civilizations, Culture, Evangelicalism, Evangelism, Friendship, Globalization, Islam | 2 Comments

Fight, Flight, or Engage – 1

Posted on October 15, 2010 by Richard Heyduck

Where is my primary citizenship? Since I was born in the USA, have lived in the USA most of my life, currently live in the USA and have never been a citizen of any other nation state, the obvious answer … Continue reading →

Posted in Church & State, Clash of Civilizations, Politics | Leave a comment

Brief review of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Nomad

Posted on August 18, 2010 by Richard Heyduck

Ayaan Hirsi Ali tells many tales of her painful life growing up in and interacting with Islam in Arabian, African and European contexts. As one who has rejected Islam and belief in any god, she has become a full-fledged disciple … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Clash of Civilizations, Islam | Leave a comment

What about the Muslims?

Posted on August 2, 2010 by Richard Heyduck

A friend sent me this link today and asked what I thought of it. Here is my response. Nothing surprising here. I’ve read enough literature on Islam – from Muslims and others – to have seen it before. One thing … Continue reading →

Posted in Clash of Civilizations, Current events, Islam | 3 Comments