Thanks for sharing the Olasky piece! Very interesting background I didn't entirely know. Remind me sometime to get your longer thoughts. It does seem there is much to lament in the loss of independent reporting. I have to admit though, I am a (moderately occasional) reader of World Opinions, and I've found it to be a good thing for our movement, more helpful than not, with few columns striking me as inflammatory (and I'm fairly sensitive to that!). It may be that I selectively read only their best contributors . . . . hah. Andrew Walker's piece this morning on Christian Nationalism is a good example of his always careful, biblical analysis.
I also found Olasky's paragraphs on CRT and compassionate conservatism unhelpful... he sets up false oppositions on both. Of course there are corners of our movement that lack compassion, but among Christians its mostly a good faith disagreement on the role of government authorized by scripture.
In my experience with World, the most valuable piece is long form reporting, and their focus on worldwide (ha) Christianity, rather than American Christianity. If the energy and funding at World has shifted from that to more short-form opinion pieces on American politics, it's a downgrade in my opinion. We already have publications in that space. It represents a shift in focus (observed in other domains as well), and that is what I grieve.
There are more inflammatory columnists featured there, but I commend you for having avoided them thus far. I agree that not everyone there is that way. I will not name names here but happy to do so in person. :)
Olasky's poke at compassionate conservatism probably represents what he experienced at World over the last few years, not the whole. I took it to mean that he worries that the "corners" are being given a louder voice, with no editorial input on rhetoric, etc.
That makes sense. Regrettably I was not a regular World reader before the shift, and the move away from long form reporting is definitely a loss of something unrepresented elsewhere.
Thanks for sharing the Olasky piece! Very interesting background I didn't entirely know. Remind me sometime to get your longer thoughts. It does seem there is much to lament in the loss of independent reporting. I have to admit though, I am a (moderately occasional) reader of World Opinions, and I've found it to be a good thing for our movement, more helpful than not, with few columns striking me as inflammatory (and I'm fairly sensitive to that!). It may be that I selectively read only their best contributors . . . . hah. Andrew Walker's piece this morning on Christian Nationalism is a good example of his always careful, biblical analysis.
I also found Olasky's paragraphs on CRT and compassionate conservatism unhelpful... he sets up false oppositions on both. Of course there are corners of our movement that lack compassion, but among Christians its mostly a good faith disagreement on the role of government authorized by scripture.
Thanks for reading and commenting, Bryan!
In my experience with World, the most valuable piece is long form reporting, and their focus on worldwide (ha) Christianity, rather than American Christianity. If the energy and funding at World has shifted from that to more short-form opinion pieces on American politics, it's a downgrade in my opinion. We already have publications in that space. It represents a shift in focus (observed in other domains as well), and that is what I grieve.
There are more inflammatory columnists featured there, but I commend you for having avoided them thus far. I agree that not everyone there is that way. I will not name names here but happy to do so in person. :)
Olasky's poke at compassionate conservatism probably represents what he experienced at World over the last few years, not the whole. I took it to mean that he worries that the "corners" are being given a louder voice, with no editorial input on rhetoric, etc.
That makes sense. Regrettably I was not a regular World reader before the shift, and the move away from long form reporting is definitely a loss of something unrepresented elsewhere.