Welcome, Kari!
I am very excited to introduce and welcome Kari Lundgren to the impressive cast of new contributors here at Vox Nova.
As an undergraduate, I had the distinct pleasure to spend lots of time in a variety of philosophy classes and honors seminars with Kari while we were classmates at Franciscan University of Steubenville. Not only has Kari always been exceptionally bright, she has also been right.
I will never forget the day that I bitterly critiqued a paper she presented in class as a “meaningless cacophony of love.” Time has proven that her insight into the dimensions of love that govern reason was not only right, but true, of course. So, I welcome Kari with something of a public apology to say that her mind and heart are not new to the realm of insight, indeed she has been showing her intellectual prowess (to me) for some time.
She continues her academic work at Carnegie Mellon University where she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Rhetoric. Her research focuses on the expression of Catholic identity through language, particularly in the political sphere. During the election, her commentary was featured at The Huffington Post and she also co-hosts the insightful blog, Religious Rhetorics.
Welcome, Kari!
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Welcome!
A glimpse at her blog suggests that “meaningless cacophony” was not far from the mark.
Welcome, Kari!
ron: You are either an exceptionally fast reader or you commented too hastily (and uncharitably).
Welcome, Kari – I look forward to your posts!
Welcome Kari.
I read the huffington post article where she opens with basically “I voted for Obama not despite his abortion views but because of them”. She threw the word nuance in there as an out I presume. The first thing I thought was “oh great, that’s what Vox Nova needs another left wing Catholic”. Then for some reason the name Joe Hargrave came to mind. I thought “he was a distibutist I think. What happened to him. Joe we barely knew ye”. I remember blackadder leaving but I don’t think I caught jonathanjones slipping out quietly. I do remember Policraticus, who probably avoided political ideology more than anyone, go back to his old blog along with his new bride Katerina. He did, I think, like to tweak the noses of “conservatives” more than “liberals”. So basically as far as I can tell this really is turning into an echo chamber for Obama. (And then there is the censorship of “offensive” disagreements.) blackadder and jonathan jones leave and in comes Mark DeFrancis(one of the meanest spirited people in the comboxes I can remember), and Matt Talbot, if I’m not mistaken another former “conservative” turned “liberal” catholic. I googled Hargrave and came upon The American Catholic Blog. Lo and behold there was blackadder and jonathanjones, and DarwinCatholic to boot. I like them even though I don’t agree with them all the time. (I was dissapointed to see Tito Edwards there.) It’s odd, I agree with a many views on this blog(obviously not the pro-choice ones) , and have become more open minded, but can’t say I could stand being in the same room with any of the crew here. Anyway this is a rambling post, but the point I guess is that if one were to judge the state of Catholicism in America by looking at Vox Nova and The American Catholic and the divide that exists, one could easily become very depressesd. I was thinking to myself that I should always remember to not speculate on the politics of the person next to me or in front or back of me at Mass.
Correction:
In looking again at The American Catholic blog, maybe jonathanjones is not a contributor. I didn’t see his name listed. I must have seen him in the comments.
Tim, the purpose of this post is to welcome Kari, not to question her before she gets to publish a word of her own here. To that end, I will edit anything else that goes beyond that purpose. Nonetheless, I did not make that explicit in the post so let me reply in goodwill.
I am sympathetic to the “divide” you sense and describe and we all find ourselves in different places in that jagged topology, but of this I am sure: All of those bitter divisions are but smoke screening the fact that if we are brave enough to enter into rigorous and loving community (communio), then, we can fail with dignity.
Welcome Kari!
Kari, welcome. I’m looking forward to your posts.