Friday, July 3, 2009

Jonathan Rowe on the Radio

My friend and blogbrother Jonathan Rowe makes a very nice account of himself in a radio interview, now available on podcast.

I meself have a dozen minor quibbles, and one or two major ones, but they're still just quibbles. And for every quibble, Jon undoes two or ten myths of both the hard left and the hard right---the "Infidel Guy," the host, just listened in wonderment.

Excellent, JR.

[And to Infidel Guy's credit, he listened with complete courtesy, something that Jon might not have enjoyed from the "other side," I dunno. Perhaps Jon disarmed him at the outset, by saying that the Faith of the Founders wasn't out of sync with Phil Donohue's or Barack Obama's. That drew a chuckle, anyway. I think the Founders would have been appalled at the particulars of their politics, but Jon was spot-on in saying that their theologies would have been at quite at home at the Founding.]

Our blogbrother and now blogfather Brad Hart makes a guest appearance, too. Jon addresses not only many but most of the things we discuss hereabouts, and at the 40:00 mark or so Jon gives some excellent and original thoughts on some things we only hint at around here, like the 14th Amendment and modern jurisprudence.

Heartily recommended. Click here, skip the orange button that says "past episodes," click the downward-pointing button and then click on Episode 489, Founding Fathers with Jonathan Rowe.

Well done, Jon, and cheers for the nice shoutout for this here American Creation blog. And you too, Brad, who did NOT lob a softball for Jon to hit out of the park. [It was a heater, high and tight.]

8 comments:

Jonathan Rowe said...

Thanks for listening so carefully!

Brad Hart said...

Thanks, Tom. I like to throw at people tight and inside!

King of Ireland said...

well done jon

Jonathan Rowe said...

Thanks!

Daniel said...

I dunno about the FFs comfort level with the theology of Obama or Donuhue. A theology that highly values standing there with tears running down my cheeks isn't necessarily 18th century enthusiasm, but it would probably be a bit too close for the comfort of many of the FFs.

Jonathan Rowe said...

Daniel,

I think you are probably right that the FFs wouldn't relate much to the "enthusiasm" in black churches. I'm thinking more that Obama and Donahue consider themselves "Christians," believe in a personal God, that there is something "special" about Jesus but probably don't believe in things like original sin, the trinity, incarnation, atonement, eternal damnation, infallibility of the Bible.

Daniel said...

Yes, your criteria would qualify as "theology" which is what you were referring to. And you are likely guessing correctly about Obama's theology, but the matter he has been public about is the emotional; emotionalism in religion was well-known in Christian religion in the 18th Century and I think most of our FFs (orthodox or otherwise) were unimpressed. Enthusiasm was a powerful movement (or set of movements) but was not favored in the most respectable or thoughtful classes.

I confess that I did intentionally distort your well-taken point for my own amusement.

Jonathan Rowe said...

Heh.