On Saturday's long drive to Louisiana, I listened once again to a Mars Hill Audio Journal disc -- this one part of its "Conversations" series. It consisted of two lengthy Ken Myers interviews with scholars on the art and theology of Flannery O'Connor. Because of what I heard there, I want to offer some further thoughts later today or tomorrow on religion, aesthetics and vulgarity, but while I'm thinking about it, let me urge anyone with an interest in Flannery O'Connor to follow the link above and order this disc (or, for $5, you can get the conversation delivered straight to your desktop as an mp3 file, which you can quickly and easily put on your iPod).
It is hard for me to think of a broadcast or publication more crucial to helping intellectually engaged Christians understand modern culture than Mars Hill Audio Journal. Tonight I'm going to download the 100-minute series of audio essays about the meaning of place, which features a contribution by Wendell Berry. I was telling Julie yesterday that I keep going back to old Mars Hill interviews I've heard several times before because they're so rich and challenging. Ken Myers has a gift for finding vital ideas and thinkers who are overlooked by mainstream secular and Christian media, and for exploring the deep connections below modernity's surface (check out the MHAJ back catalog for the kinds of things these interviews cover). The MHAJ comes out every two months, and the only regret I have is that I didn't pay more attention lo, these many years ago, when an Evangelical friend told me how great they were. Of all the many media sources I consult for my personal and professional reading, MHAJ is without a doubt among the most important. If you subscribe to MHAJ as an mp3 download, it's only $30 a year.
How many Mars Hill fans are readers of this blog? I'm thinking about starting a Mars Hill open thread about the latest Journal, once folks have had a chance to listen to it.
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I've been a fan of Mars Hill for many years. Indispensable. And you got that right about the dream job, Kevin. Man. It doesn't get much better than that, does it? A Mars Hill thread here would be great, Rod.
I'm a big Mars Hill fan. It was recommended to me about nine years ago and, stupid me, never listened to it. It wasn't until two years ago that I actually subscribed and now I can't wait for each new edition.
One of the many things I appreciate about Mars Hill is that it is separate from ChurchLand. Myers and his gang are not clergy or church bureaucrats, and most of their guests aren't either. Some of the guests aren't even Christian. But the interviews go straight to the heart of what it means to be a Christian in our world. More power to Myers and Mars Hill!
i just read the description for the MHAJ mp3 about flannery o'connor. i am a fan of hers and after reading her thoughts on the worthlessness of a lot of Christian writing I just adore her.
She had that to say back in her day- wouldn't she just be disgusted by the slew of crap Christian novels that are out today!?
MHJ and Ken Meyers have helped to explode my Christian worldview. Some of the interviews are way over my head and I keep rewinding before I get half of what they are saying but some of it finally sinks in. MHJ needs our help financially, so send them some money if you can.
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