Jason Mccool > Recent Status Updates

Good read on a flight home after an engineering conference. Basically a bunch of short-form essays/tidbits by various authors collected into 1 readable book. As Peter Bregman suggests in the 1st essay, don't get overwhelmed by the variety of advice; pick 1 tip that will be most impactful to your work & just do that one thing. Then repeat until results diminish & find a more applicable tip. Seems like good advice.

"But if Old Princeton could depart from evangelical orthodoxy, anyone could. We would all do well to learn from history." - conclusion of chapter 13 on Princeton theology. Hence, the purpose of writing & reading history books like this one. Still enjoying this hefty volume. It'll take a while to finish, but it's not laborious reading by any means. Relatively short chapters & subheadings provide good stopping points.

The chapter on Hyper-Calvinism was interesting and appeared to be fairly balanced. There were some nuanced explanations of that view that I found helpful in not strawmanning that view while still judging it lacking.

Very thought-provoking with all the various inconsistent positions by different people catalogued. May we do better in the future.

Surprisingly short chapter on the Westminster Assembly, followed by the whiplash of a chapter on Amyraldism & one on Hyper-Calvinism back to back. What's been enlightening so far is the extent of the disagreements over seemingly very fine points of debate. Were they all splitting hairs back then, or are we too apathetic now?

Still enjoying this tour of theological history. Finished going through the different branches of Puritanism up through 1700, and going back to Westminster now, which naturally deserves a chapter unto itself.

For a history book, this isn't dry or boring at all. I'm really enjoying this deeper dive into the topic of Calvinism. The author seems fairly balanced in his treatment of various views and their proponents. He gives his opinion at times, but states it's his opinion. Just about to start his chapter on English Puritanism.

So good!

Just finished reading about the Remonstrants and the Synod of Dort. I'm really enjoying this historical tour of theology.

Two good forewards by Joel Beeke and John MacArthur. Interesting history of "precalvinism" from Augustine up through scholastic debates. About to start the Reformation era in Chapter 2. Relatively easy reading and a good balance of depth of footnotes (not just obscure citations for deeper research, but also helpful explanations).

Mrs. D'Amato has an engaging, conversational writing style (although rather informal, profane, and disorganized). But so far, she ignores the elephant in the room: what is the unborn child & is killing him or her justified? She admits multiple times her unease with abortion in nursing school, as well as when seeing a 2nd trimester abortion, and yet she perseveres in her obstinate support of abortion. Very sad.

Heartbreaking read & only 2 chapters in. The author's cynicism is a real turnoff. I always want to read the opposing side, but so far this makes the abortion side out worse than the prolife side ever could.

This really has been a fascinating book. Whether you look at the human body from a structural, mechanical, electrical, or computer science engineering perspective, it's just mind-blowing the complexity & genius of the design.

Some overlap in some of the essays, but all good reminders of the timelessness of what Neil Postman wrote 4 decades ago.

Just finished reading about the extraordinarily complex but brilliant design of the human ear. I think people would be more skeptical of evolutionary fairy tales if they understood the immense design inherent in their own body.

It's a really good message for a wealthy, consumer culture to read. Even in this chapter of life where I don't have as much discretionary income as in the past, Burroughs still helps me appreciate all that I do have.

A real gem of a book. Burroughs is insightful in his observations of the human condition & humble & pastoral in his tone, even with 4 centuries separation from us. "Lightly edited" for readability, this is a great series of classic works of the Puritans. This one is especially applicable to those of us living in an affluent culture.

Berlinski applies a razor-sharp wit to the frequently condescending atheists who ironically look down on the religious from positions supported by thin air. His candid (quite blunt) observations of that ungrounded view are refreshingly direct.