Jacob Aitken > Recent Status Updates

Opening thoughts:
1) Has his aim in the intro as reawakening interest in the doctrines of grace. Those doctrines are good but that is not the point of the Confession, nor should the richness of WCF be reduced to that.
2) Good distinction on mediate vs immediate general revelation.

Good pacing so far. Explores new angles. Some errors. He mentions "poisonous snakes." Snakes are venomous, not poisonous. Also, the protagonist is a powerlifter. Her workout is unrealistic. No one who is going to aim for a PR on the jerk or snatch is going to do both bench and squat along with kettlebells in the same workout. Well, Crossfit people might actually do that and get hurt.

I normally like Hans Boersma's stuff, but I cringed at the first part of his *5 Things Theologians Wish.* He writes as if anyone who isn't a Platonist is a nominalist (and on that ground attacks Hodge). He thinks guys like Reid and others must be on the same page as Occam.

Waugh juxtaposes the boredom of the average man in the war with glorious prose: "He was quintessential England; the man Hitler had not taken into account."

Third chapter is on eating meat, which is odd for a book on political philosophy. To be sure, it is profound and while defending meat-eating, does call for reform in how we go about having slaughterhouses in our economies.

Nations, because of their commitment to home and land, do a better job of conserving nature than supranational NGOs. Scruton proposes something like Burke's trusteeship.

Rights are meaningful only in the nation state. They are secured from procedures arising from a people. They cannot be declared by some supranational govt.

Terrible human being. Satanic system. Nonetheless, his letters are fascinating (in a train-wreck sort of way).

I've seen people criticize this book for being one of Shakespeare's weaker ones. I actually like it. The writing is fine and Katherine (spelled thus) demonstrates true heroism.