The Conservative Antidote: The Galli Report

How Money Buys Loneliness | What Sin Is Like | [View online]( [Give Now]( Advertisement [The Galli Report]( [Home]( [Podcast]( [Subscribe]( Friday, June 15, 2018 The Conservative Antidote Like most people, I have political views that are a mix of left and right. For example, I support more liberal immigration policies and believe in rational gun control; on the other hand, I’m firmly pro-life and am deeply suspicious of the idea that empowering the federal government is the way to solve most of our social problems. But it would be disingenuous to suggest that I don’t have a fundamental philosophy that can be described as conservative. It’s less a political philosophy, though it does have political implications. It’s more about the fundamental ways of understanding human nature, how best to live together with others, and the means and pace of change. I’m also a conservative of the stripe who is annoyed with much that goes in that name and who not only thinks we need liberals for a society to work well but also happens to genuinely like many of them. (I better—my family has its fair share of them). This is a long way of introducing why I’m linking [to a book review]( of philosopher Roger Scruton’s, [Conservatism: An Invitation to the Great Tradition.]( Though not an ideologue, I do think it a healthy antidote to the prevailing worldviews that fit under the label of liberalism. It fosters insights like this: Of particular note is how Scruton defends the relational aspect of conservative thought. Conservatism is not the unbounded “I” of the progressives (and some libertarians), but neither is it the undifferentiated mass of the socialist state. Rather, Scruton posits that the essence of conservatism is the I–thou, the “second person” perspective “in which the ‘we’ of social membership is balanced at every point against the ‘I’ of individual ambition.” It’s not hard to see how this cuts across both political liberalism and political conservativism as they are popularly expressed—and thus why I might believe it is a medicine we need today. How Money Buys Loneliness New York Times columnist David Brooks continues to offer arresting insights about our cultural moment, like this: I would say that one of the things that’s noticeable about affluent people — and this has happened to me — is, as soon as people make money, they seem to purchase loneliness. I grew up in the city, super crowded. When I had a book sitting over there, I had a best seller, which allowed me to buy a house. And I bought it out in Bethesda with a big yard because I thought that was cool. I remember the moment I put the garage door thing on the visor of my car. That was one of the biggest moments of my life. I had made it to suburbia. But then you realize, “I got a big acre yard, and I’m lonely.” And I think that’s a common phenomenon, that people take money and translate it into loneliness. For more, check out [this interview on Conversations with Tyler.]( Or listen to [the podcast.]( What Sin Is Like Karen Swallow Prior, a popular writer in evangelical circles, was recently hit by a bus. She lived, but recovery is slow and painful. In the meantime, the whole affair got her thinking, and she dashed off this splendid piece for CT: [“Sin Is Like Walking in Front of a Bus.”]( That Amazing Korean Church You should also check out [this week’s Quick to Listen podcast]( in which Dr. Sang-Bok David Kim offers surprising insights into the nature and practice of Christianity in South and North Korea, especially relevant in light of the recent high-powered summit. What Church Shopping on Vacation Is Like At least for a certain type of evangelical. John Crist once again [gently pokes fun]( at the movement and its foibles. Grace and peace, [Mark Galli] [Mark Galli] [Mark Galli](mailto:GalliReport@christianitytoday.com) Editor-in-Chief, Christianity Today Advertisement More from Christianity Today [The Man-Friendly Church]( [Cover Story]( | [CT Magazine]( [The Man-Friendly Church]( These three congregations don’t have a men’s ministry. Why men—and their families—still love them. Michael Zigarelli [Read More]( [J. D. Greear Elected Youngest Southern Baptist President in Decades]( [News]( [J. D. Greear Elected Youngest Southern Baptist President in Decades]( The popular North Carolina megachurch pastor takes over amid significant membership declines and a public reckoning over abuse cases. 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