MARCH NEWSLETTER

Spring will be with us in a few days here in North America, Europe, and Asia, while in the southern hemisphere autumn is around the corner. As we approach the change of seasons, I offer a summary of what I have been up to since my last newsletter.

On 25 February I was privileged to speak to a student group, the Trent University Conservative Club, on the subject of How socialism suppresses society. Most of the forums in which I speak are explicitly Christian, but this one was not. It was organized by a former student of mine who is studying at Trent, located in Peterborough, Ontario. Lest one think that I'm engaging in cold-war rhetoric by using such a title, do watch my lecture on the same subject which I have embedded in my blog. This I delivered at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in North Carolina in 2017.

A day later I received in the mail two books from Editora Monergismo, a Brazilian publisher. One is a book on Abraham Kuyper written by Thiago Moreira, which draws in part on my own Political Visions and Illusions. The second is the Portuguese translation of my good friend Derek Schuurman's pioneering book, Shaping a Digital World. I was pleased to be able to write the preface for the Brazilian edition.

On 2 March I linked to and commented on the findings of the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology (CSPI) suggesting that academic freedom is under threat in higher education: Academic freedom in crisis? Towards genuine educational pluriformity. While the concern for individual freedom in higher education is legitimate, I argue that we need also to make room for educational institutions with distinctive visions, including explicitly faith-based schools.

Earlier in the month I began a blog series under the general title, Dampening the culture wars. Thus far I have posted three instalments, subtitled How to get along while agreeing to disagree, The features of power-sharing, and What is to be done? The fourth instalment I will be posting on friday of this week. In these posts I introduce readers to the phenomenon of consociationalism, a loose category covering a number of political arrangements whereby potentially antagonistic communities have been able to get along at the leadership level. I believe this continues to have relevance to sharply divided polities, which the United States has increasingly become over the past two or three decades.

Christian Courier published my monthly column in this month's Easter issue: A Creed for troubled times, subtitled "Proclaiming the resurrection amidst lockdowns and political tensions."

In the wake of the explosive television interview with the Duke and Dutchess of Sussex, I published the following opinion piece: Canada's Crown: more than a symbol. I suggest that our country's constitutional monarchy should be retained but that it could do with some tweaking here and there.

My recorded lectures for the Jonathan Edwards Seminar in Brazil are now available online with Portuguese subtitles. The title for the course is Christianity and Political Ideologies. (The blog link is in Portuguese. There is a cost to these lectures.)

Finally, I have just completed the first draft of an introduction to Herman Dooyeweerd's philosophy for a book on philosophy and Christian faith to be published in Brazil.

For those interested in following my activities on a continuing basis, please take a look at my blog: Notes from a Byzantine-Rite Calvinist, where I link also to articles of interest and other items.

Thanks once more to those of you who have generously contributed to my work with Global Scholars. I am gradually making my way through my list of supporters, talking with you by phone or online platform. I hope to connect with more of you soon. GSC has set up a new page for giving. Once you are in the page, scroll down to the heading marked DONATION DETAILS, and then choose one of the options under FUND. Americans may donate through our sister organization in the US.  May God bless all of you and keep you in his care as you serve him in your various responsibilities.

Yours,

David Koyzis