My latest posting on the Big Government site is now available. Most people know next to nothing about James Garfield and Grover Cleveland, but they understood the perspective we need to have on government. Check it out at
http://biggovernment.com/asnyder/2010/06/23/forgotten-but-honorable-presidents/#more-135814
In the nearly two years that I’ve written this daily blog, I’ve never, to the best of my recollection (how’s that for a lawyerly term that gets me off the hook if I’m wrong?), advertised for books I’ve authored. Today, though, I would beg your indulgence, since I’ve just had a new edition of one of my books come off the presses.
I first wrote If the Foundations Are Destroyed in 1994. This is now the fourth edition of it, complete with a new cover. Why might you want it? The subtitle, Biblical Principles and Civil Government, tells you what it’s all about. I go through what I consider to be Biblical principles and how they apply to government. These form the basis of all my analyses of current government policies. So if you are a regular reader of this blog, this book will provide a window into why I believe as I do.
I have excerpted some of these concepts on the blog already as an overview. If you are interested in a preview, just click on the “Biblical Principles” category in the right sidebar. To learn more about the book and to order it, go to:
http://snyders.ws/alan/writing/itfad.htm.
While I’m at it, let me talk briefly about the other two books I’ve written.
I did my doctoral dissertation on Noah Webster. While writing it, I had in mind that I wanted to make it into a publishable book. That’s not always easy with a doctoral dissertation, but I made every effort to ensure the writing style was accessible to a general audience as well as scholars. I hope I succeeded.
Webster was the schoolmaster to early America. His speller and dictionary could be found in nearly all American homes. The subtitle, A Spiritual Biography, lets you know that my goal in this book was to chart the course of Webster’s thinking and worldview. At age 50, he experienced a conversion to orthodox Christian faith. How did that affect his scholarly work? The book compares the pre-conversion Webster with the post-conversion man, while offering along the way an accounting of his contributions to American life and culture. To find out more and order this book go to:
http://snyders.ws/alan/writing/webster.htm.
In 2001, I completed a study of the Clinton impeachment. My approach was different than any of the other books on the impeachment written at that time. I wrote it from the perspective of the thirteen congressmen—they were called House Managers—who went to the Senate to argue for Clinton’s removal from office. I personally interviewed all thirteen of the Managers in their Capitol Hill offices; this book provides their story on why they thought it was essential to go forward with these impeachment proceedings in spite of public opposition. It’s a study in character and the significance of the rule of law in society.
At the time of its publication, it was a main selection for the Conservative Book Club. Well-known author and editor of World magazine, Marvin Olasky, wrote the foreword for me. This is the only one of my books that is currently out of print (which I hope can be changed someday), but it is still available for those who are interested. For one of the limited number of new copies that still exist, you can order from this page:
http://snyders.ws/alan/writing/misimp.htm
If you don’t mind getting a used copy, check out Amazon.
I don’t offer these with any expectation of becoming fabulously wealthy. My primary concern is to disseminate valuable information. I’ve promoted books by a number of authors over the past two years. I just wanted to make sure you are aware of mine as well. I hope some of you decide to add one or more of these to your library.
My latest article for Big Government posted today. In it, I contrast Thomas Paine with John Jay. Most people are big on Paine and have little knowledge of Jay. I’m not so big on Paine and believe Jay is a model for us today.
Big Government actually made this one into its “Feature Story,” an honor I didn’t expect. You can check it out at
http://biggovernment.com/asnyder/2010/06/09/paine-vs-jay-patriots-in-contrast/#more-130026
If this is your first time on my blog today, don’t miss my earlier posting—scroll down.
The Big Government site has just posted my third offering. If you would like to learn why Whittaker Chambers [one of my favorite people] thought the New Deal was a true revolution, go to the following URL:
Today I’m just going to refer you to the Big Government blog, where I posted my second contribution. Consider that my “personal blog” for this day.
You can go to http://biggovernment.com/asnyder/2010/05/16/in-honor-of-a-president-few-remember/ and read about a president that far too few people remember. Hope you enjoy the historical trip.
I have been asked to be an ongoing contributor to another blog–Big Government. In fact, my first article appeared yesterday. If you are interested, go to http://biggovernment.com/.
You might have to scroll down a little to find it since more articles are added daily. I hope you find my regular contributions to that blog worthwhile. Of course, I will continue to make Pondering Principles a daily endeavor. Now to find the time . . .
It’s with great pleasure and a significant amount of relief that I announce the following developments—all in one day.
Happy April Fools Day, everyone!
A personal note as I start this blog today. I have never advertised “Pondering Principles” beyond word of mouth and my Facebook page, yet I am amazed how readership has grown. Starting from almost nothing a little over a year ago, now more than 2000 hits per day are being recorded. If not for the Thanksgiving week when readership naturally lags, this blog would have averaged at least 2500 hits per day in November. Just a few months ago, that average was 1500. So somebody is spreading the word, and for that I am grateful.
I never intended for this to be a daily endeavor, and I am sometimes up against the wall as I consider what is worth comment on a particular day, but I am convinced this is a ministry; therefore, I continue, and trust that it is worthwhile to those of you who are regulars.
Reminder: you can post comments in response to my ponderings by registering. Go to the sidebar and do a one-time registration, which allows you to share your thoughts. I do moderate those to ensure that nothing uncivil appears, but that has never really been a problem. I appreciate your support.
In case any of you are wondering, I don’t make any money on this. It is purely a labor of love.
Before I end this post, though, I want to make a comment on the Climategate scandal that has exploded on the Internet and via Fox News. Unsurprisingly, the other major networks have ignored it completely. Acknowledging that what they have believed in for so long may actually be a gigantic pseudo-scientific hoax is apparently too bitter a pill to swallow. They had such trust in those scientists!
It’s now been two weeks without a word from the major networks. For a tongue-in-cheek account of this oversight, check out the Media Research Center’s article.
Again, thanks for reading. I hope that my daily commentary does lead to some profitable “pondering.”
I’d like to take this space on the blog today to praise the university where I work. Last night I participated on a panel dealing with the current economic crisis. Four professors shared from their areas of expertise, which allowed students to see this crisis from different angles. Yet the message was pretty unified.
This economic forum was sponsored by the Department of Historical, Legal, and Leadership Studies, which I have the privilege to chair. The room where it was held was the largest classroom on campus, holding approximately 130 students. There were few empty seats.
The unifying factor was, of course, our Christian faith. I appreciate a university where we can be open about what we believe and apply our faith to our academic expertise. Relatively speaking, there are few universities that allow this kind of openness for Christian foundations in subject areas such as history and economics.
Commercial time: if you or anyone you know is looking for a Christian university where Biblical faith is fundamental to its operation, you might want to check out Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. I have found a home here, and I would welcome the chance to help educate young people who are earnestly seeking to understand how their Christianity is applicable to all areas of life.
My department houses degrees in history, public policy, criminal justice, leadership, and also a pre-law track for those desiring to attend law school. I am excited about the future of this institution, and what its graduates can do for the kingdom of God in this world.
Okay—end of commercial.
Meanwhile, back at the forum, I think the following expresses what all the panelists believe about the current direction of the economy.
A poor solution, don’t you think?
I’ve never used this blog to remind readers of what else might be available to them. If you look above this posting, you’ll see other things you might want to peruse on my website.
There’s a recommended reading section where I don’t simply list titles of books, but I have annotated them so you can see why I think they’re worth your time. They’re divided into different categories.
Another section is called Great Quotes, and that’s exactly what they are. Unlike many websites that use quotes, though, I fully document each one. You can know precisely where these quotes originated.
There’s also a section with my publications. Obviously, I hope you look at that one. And the home page includes links to three articles I published recently. If you want to have more insight into Ronald Reagan or Whittaker Chambers, I recommend those.
So, that’s your personal invitation. I hope you enjoy the offerings.