“The aim of education is wisdom, and each must have the chance to become as wise as he can.”
-Robert Hutchins, The Great Conversation
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ThinkingWest aims to revive the “Great Conversation” in our digital age through promoting the study of the great books of the western world, classical approaches to education, and through thoughtful commentary on current events, history, philosophy, culture, education, and religion.
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Recent Posts
Christianity in The Lord of the Rings: (Part III) Evil in Middle Earth
The Lord of the Rings is full of Christian symbolism, ranging from the Threefold Office of priest, prophet, and king represented by Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn (respectively) as covered in Part I to the slew of “good guys” representing various Christian aspects and relationships as covered in Part II of this series. This Part III covers the darker aspects of Middle Earth and their connections to Christian concepts of evil.
Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (Part II): The Good in Middle Earth
The Lord of the Rings has many characters with aspects reflecting a Christian worldview. In this Part II of Christianity in The Lord of the Rings, we’ll be exploring various allies of the Threefold Office (Gandalf, Aragorn, and Frodo) covered in Part I. Some bear similarities to prominent Christian figures, while most demonstrate the qualitiesContinue reading “Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (Part II): The Good in Middle Earth”
6 Classic Book Collections for Your Kids
Getting your kids to read books is important. Getting your kids reading the right books is even more important. Yet, selecting appropriate reading material for children has become increasingly difficult in our modern society. With the introduction of ideologically driven literature in schools and other public institutions, one can be at a loss for whichContinue reading “6 Classic Book Collections for Your Kids”
Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (Part I): The Threefold Office
J.R.R. Tolkien’s legacy-defining book The Lord of the Rings is not an explicitly Christian work. In fact, Tolkien disliked on-the-nose allegory, when a story contains a one-to-one function to some exterior idea and permits a message to lead the story. Nonetheless, in a 1953 letter responding to a Father Robert Murray, Tolkien admitted the followingContinue reading “Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (Part I): The Threefold Office”
When Civilizations Collapse (Part 3): Aztecs and AI Weaponry
On November 8, 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes and his exploration party first made contact with Aztec emperor Moctezuma II. After a coup d’état resulting in the death of the emperor in the Aztec capital city of Tenochtitlan, the Spaniards found themselves at odds with the formidable regional power. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Spaniard’sContinue reading “When Civilizations Collapse (Part 3): Aztecs and AI Weaponry”
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ThinkingWest 
What a beautiful photograph and perspective you brought to having a home and family with our Lord! Beautiful perspective on what has happened to Christianity with regard to families and our culture these days! People were lulled into being titillated and mesmerized by technology and people starting trusting in man and materialism to a fault and are abandoning God their only hope of being saved from eternal damnation. Even myself thinking I was always a pretty good Christian now realized I was still diluting my faith with a sprinkle of this or that and even self-ego that I can do OK; sort of giving myself license to sin a little which we all do but, consciously inviting it in a sense, which is not putting one’s whole heart into loving Jesus our Savior! I see now that true repentance and devotional faith; that we are at least trying our best to improve each day is required of us, and we can’t be lukewarm as Scripture tells us so plainly! On Calvary I see how by that best of all examples as our Lord was actually here and finalizing His new and everlasting covenant on that cross, so the despots or fools who lived in sin were being crucified along each side of him but the one that had been cold to seeking our heavenly Father, seeing Jesus the Savior, had his own great epiphany talking to Jesus as they were dying and became hot for truth, and through his humble contrite heart at that juncture, he was saved as Jesus told him, “Verily I say to you today, you will be in paradise with Me.” I feel it’s pretty obvious we must be close to the end time and hopefully more people are going to awaken before it’s too late! God Bless You and Yours.
Lawrence
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Thanks so much Lawrence! I was also lukewarm (and am still “warming up”) for Christ in many ways until just a few years ago. I still have a long way to go and continue to struggle in many ways. But, the trajectory is upwards!
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Absolutely you’re welcome Christian! Can identify and the only way worth going of course is up so knowing that I figure I better try a helluva lot better if I’m capable! My mother was always saying God only asks that we try our best, see words of wisdom there because Jesus knows our heart perfectly and will know if we did our best in spite of the sins and failures He will know if we are one of His! We are either for Him or against Him, plain and simple! God Bless.
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Great blog. I’ll check out more of your posts.
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Fresh
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action-items
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Sharable
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radical
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