DLGP

Doctor of Leadership in Global Perspectives: Crafting Ministry in an Interconnected World

“Excuse Me, I’m Flawed.”

By: on March 18, 2024

Nigel Biggar author of Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, stepped out on a ledge when writing his controversial book on British Colonialism. In the context of 2023, he took a risk and he also struggled greatly to have the book published. I believe in the value of varied perspectives. Learning from each other and seeking to…

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Moral Truth

By: on March 17, 2024

Colonialism, as defined by Merriam-Webster is “domination of a people or area by a foreign state or nation : the practice of extending and maintaining a nation’s political and economic control over another people or area[1]” Nigel Biggar, Emeritus Regius Professor of Moral and Pastoral Theology at the University of Oxford, challenges prevailing attitudes towards…

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Bias and Critical History

By: on March 16, 2024

By what information do we form our perceptions, opinions and future behavior? Psychologist point out that people are not entirely rational and rely on shortcuts called “biases” to make sense of information. One particular bias that seems relevant for a reflection of historical events and their impact on the present and future is called the…

3 responses

The Red Coats Are Coming

By: on March 15, 2024

During his midnight ride, Paul Revere alerted the colonial militia that the British troops were coming. However, in many countries there was not a person or warning of what was to come by invasion of the British Empire. We see many countries in Africa and throughout the continents of the world that were impacted by…

8 responses

“Truth” Herein Lies Buried

By: on March 15, 2024

Nigel Biggar’s work, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, is an ambitious, thorough, and all-encompassing analysis of Britain’s historical relationship with colonialism. I can understand why the book has received mixed reviews. It was a complex undertaking, and I consider myself just a few inches left of the center. However, rather than go point by point with…

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Nothing praiseworthy is a result of Colonialism!

By: on March 15, 2024

In his book Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning, Biggar starts the introduction to his book and shares how he got notified that his “Ethics and Empire project had become the target of an online denunciation by a group of students, followed by a reassurance from the university that it had risen to defend my right to…

18 responses

Colonialism: Grandma Shares Her Wisdom

By: on March 14, 2024

I was recently imagining a conversation with my grandmother on the topics we have been discussing in our DLGP cohort: wicked problems, the good kill, colonialism. What would Grandma have to contribute? Born in 1910, my grandma saw a lot of change in her ninety-six years. I lived with her for my first two years…

8 responses

Perspective

By: on March 14, 2024

Life in the Russian River Valley has been an eye-opening experience. Our summertime tourist hotspot becomes a deadly menace in the midst of winter storms. Even the small creek on my property can quickly evolve into a dangerous torrent. We do not take lightly the threat of flooding or falling branches. I had no idea…

6 responses

Won’t You Be My Neighbor?

By: on March 14, 2024

Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood was a television preschool program that ran from 1968-2001. What was the secret to the success of this 33 year running TV program?  Read the lyrics to the song that Mr. Rogers would open the show with: It’s a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day…

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Good and Evil: History on Repeat

By: on March 14, 2024

Introduction This week I enjoyed frequent reading interval sessions using both audio and ebook formats of Nigel Biggar’s, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning. Biggar’s treatment of history is both humble and enlightening, presenting a balanced perspective on the complex issues of empires, colonialism, and morality that feels both honest and reflective. By acknowledging his faith upfront,…

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Biggar’s Colonialism: A Call to Nuance and Critique

By: on March 13, 2024

“Was British liberal imperialism, given the extent of the damage it inflicted over generations, a more malevolent influence on world history than even Nazi Fascism?” This question is, according to Sunil Khilnani, indirectly implied in Caroline Elkins’s book Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain’s Gulag. Khilnani, in reviewing Elkins’s book in The New Yorker,…

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Native American Genocide

By: on March 11, 2024

Introduction This week’s book, Colonialism: A Moral Reckoning by Nigel Biggar, partly argued that the British Empire and its colonies never intended to cause harm. In fact, their intentions were primarily good. [1]  In addition to the book, I viewed an interview with this author. He delineated four areas in which the British “got it…

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Embrace Fragility to Become Antifragile

By: on December 11, 2023

“Some people just shouldn’t have kids.” This was something that I overheard in a conversation last year about how IVF(in-vitro fertilization) babies frequently end up in the NICU(neonatal intensive care unit). Their argument was simple, parents who “artificially” conceived were more likely to have fragile babies. By fragile, it was implied that these babies could…

6 responses

Antifragile

By: on December 10, 2023

“Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder” by Nassim Nicholas Taleb is an exploration of how systems, both natural and artificial, respond to different kinds of stressors. In this review of Talibs’s book, I will focus on Taleb’s perspective on stressors as sources of information and catalysts for improvement. Central to Taleb’s idea is the concept…

8 responses

The Outside Edge of the Inside

By: on December 10, 2023

Identity politics is a charged phrase these days. For some, it elicits a prideful response, for others a snicker or sneer. Regardless of whether one is a fan of identity politics, we all must acknowledge that we want to be valued for who we are. It is this desire for recognition and respect that Francis…

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Train Up A Child

By: on December 10, 2023

Nassim Taleb’s book Antifragile: Things that Gain from Disorder was a challenging read for me this past week, perhaps because it’s the end of the semester for both doctoral work and my job at school. I’m pressured to finish my assignments, give and grade semester exams myself, and so on. Then there is this very…

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Omnifragile

By: on December 9, 2023

Introduction In Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s (NNT) groundbreaking work, Antifragile: Things That Gain from Disorder, the author challenges traditional perspectives on resilience and introduces the concept of antifragility. Rooted in both financial expertise and philosophical insight, Taleb urges readers to view “volatility, randomness, and disorder,” not as threats but as opportunities for growth.[1] He opens his…

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“We Know the Best of Us Did Not Return”

By: on December 9, 2023

Controversy To say that Nassim Taleb’s book, Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder, is highly controversial is an understatement. Some have read his book and his prior two books, The Black Swan and Fooled by Randomness, and found Antifragile disappointing and sometimes contradictory to his earlier works. Then, a select group thinks he is “pretentious,…

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The Fragile Idea in Antifragile

By: on December 8, 2023

Much Too Delicate In a recent conversation concerning resilience, I offered a thought that I described as The Great Dilemma in Parenting, which is the tendency to protect our children from harm while we know that the difficult situations will make them mentally, emotionally and spiritually stronger. If you have ever wondered how to navigate…

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