Archive for the ‘Criticism’ Category

January 3, 2010 0

Theological Criticism of Films

By Robert Minto in Criticism, Film, Narrative, Rhetoric, Theology

What, exactly, does a theologian as theologian have to say about films? Or, really, about popular narrative altogether? There is a need to ask this question, because “theological criticism” is frequently attempted — not least by myself over the history of this blog, with varying success — but infrequently considered on its own, as a [...]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

December 9, 2009 0

Would Dr. Johnson Blog?

By Robert Minto in Blogging, Criticism, Rhetoric

It seems so.
Taking a break from only the second (I congratulate myself) all-nighter of this semester, I note the recent double-impingement of Dr. Johnson upon my life. First, I listened to the New York Review of Books’ podcast about the fellow, then I came across Jason Peters’ Front Porch Republic post about “Blogging and the [...]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 3, 2009 24

Against Expository Preaching

By Robert Minto in Criticism, Gospel, Preaching, Rhetoric, Scripture

I am currently reading Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, by Bryan Chapell. I haven’t finished the book yet, so some of what I am about to say may have to be modified at a later date. Still, I have some objections to this whole movement of expository preaching (to the degree that I’ve been [...]

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

September 5, 2009 0

Erasmus On Pilgrimage

By Robert Minto in Books, Criticism, Rhetoric

“Here’s how I wander about at home [rather than wandering about on long and expensive pilgrimages to pray at shrines]. I go into the living room and see that my daughter’s chastity is safe. Coming out of there into my shop, I watch what my servants, male and female, are doing. Then to the kitchen [...]

Tags: , , , ,

July 14, 2009 2

Prospectus: How Do Faith, Culture, and Theory Intersect?

By Robert Minto in Blogging, Criticism, Faith, Thinking

It’s time I explain the blurb that I use to describe this blog. In this blurb (available in the right hand column, unless you’re reading this in a feed or on facebook) you will find that I describe the content of this blog as having to do with faith, culture, and theory.
Either I totally fail [...]

Tags: , , , , ,

June 30, 2009 2

The Culinary Model of Education

By Robert Minto in Criticism, Education, Scholarship

“Too many [...] colleges are places for lectures, rote learning, memorizing, regurgitation; St. Stephen’s encouraged random reading, individual note-taking, personal tutorials, extracurricular development. Elsewhere you learned to answer the questions; at college, you learned to questions the answers. Some of us went further and questioned the questions.” — Shashi Tharoor
I am tempted to claim that [...]

Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

June 29, 2009 0

The Gatekeeper as Anti-autobiography

By Robert Minto in Books, Criticism, Man, Politics, Rhetoric

In his book The Gatekeeper, in the midst of a discussion of “anti-philosophers,” Terry Eagleton throws out the following sentence.
… anti-autobiography means not just not writing your autobiography, an astonishly prevalent practice, but writing it in such a way as to outwit the prurience and immodesty of the genre by frustrating your own desire for [...]

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,