Philosophy

"Many Things are Important"

This idea has seemed impossible to most people throughout history, though their differences about what alone is important have been astonishing. To make mental space for genuinely independent goods, sometimes in competition, sometimes in temporary alliance, but always potentially in conflict, potentially presenting hard choices -- that is an unusual act.

The value of preaching, as an intellectual activity, is that preaching is guided by texts from very different experiences of value, on different Sundays or Saturdays, so that one has to be a channel for a plurality of values, to preach well. One has great help from this tradition, in avoiding single-mindedness.