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Entry: Bitch-Slapping Barack Link: http://www.takimag.com/blogs/article/btich_slapping_barack#24628 Post contents: Scott, You are right. I have not read John's books. My knowledge of his religion comes from reading the articles posted on takimag, which apparently were based on the books. The idea of a conflict between "fun and games" and "serious" Christianities again comes from the observation that overcoming sinful passions, such as pride, envy, anger and greed takes self-control that is incommensurable with impulsive, childish behavior. The last two chapters of Peter Burke's "Popular Culture in Early Modern Europe" sum the two types of Christianity and the conflict between them. As to why overcoming pride, envy anger, etc is important, it seems to me those personality traits really are as dangerous as they were thought to be. An example of the traditional view of their effects can be seen in Hobbes's "Leviathan," because Hobbes took his view of human nature and its effects on society from contemporary religious psychology of pride. Hobbes, however, did not discuss at all the massive Christian effort to overcome people's innate lust for power. This omission probably explains why Hobbes's thinking turned out to be drastically wrong: England since the late 17th century has had very weak central governmet, yet it has been a remarkably peaceful, successful society. The lust for power and its dangerous effects are real (evolutionary psychology provides additional evidence), but this personality trait can be controlled by methods other than a brutal, omnipotent ruler. Sent at: 2008 07 24