The modern state is driven by an ambition to expand into every area of human activity. The logic of the expansive state is to control or regulate all dimensions of life. The personal and private is undermined in favor of the public and the political. The institutions that stand in the way of unchecked government expansion — especially the family — are progressively stripped of what had been considered sovereign rights and unquestioned roles.

Philip Rieff, who died last Saturday at age 83, was one of those few individuals in any generation who names their own age in indelible ink. Philip Rieff, known best as a sociologist and interpreter of Sigmund Freud, did this in 1961 when he wrote of the “triumph of the therapeutic” in contemporary culture.

Anne Lamott is a writer of incredible honesty and uncommon candor. Beyond this, she is a highly gifted artist, writing with a fluid and passionate style that attracts readers who quickly feel drawn into Lamott's life and experiences. Writing in the June 25, 2006 edition of The Los Angeles Times, Lamott begins with these words: “The man I killed did not want to die, but he no longer felt he had much of a choice.” The language is truly shocking, and Lamott obviously intends to catch the attention of readers when she speaks of “the man I killed.” If it is attention she wants, she is almost sure to get more than she intended.

Jaroslav Pelikan, one of the Christian tradition’s greatest historians of doctrine, died Saturday, May 13, 2006, of lung cancer. Pelikan had served for many years as Sterling Professor of History at Yale University — holding the university’s most prestigious professorial title. He was also a prolific author, writing more than thirty books, ranging from classical studies to considerations of Bach and Faust.

Michael Clough, a specialist on African issues, argues that the murderous tragedy in the Darfur region of Sudan is not, properly speaking, genocide.

Today, March 31, 2006, marks the one year anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death by starvation. All too quickly, Terri’s name and cause disappeared from the national awareness as our attention-deficit culture moved on to other issues and other concerns. On this first anniversary of Terri’s death, Dr. Mohler considers once again the question whether personal autonomy really is, or ought to be, the highest moral claim.

The diagnosis of cancer is one that will come to millions of Christians. How are we to respond? That was the question on yesterday’s edition of The Albert Mohler Program, when my guest was Dr. Don Whitney, Professor of Spirituality at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and author of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life and other very helpful books. The show is entitled, Redeeming Cancer, and I believe that Don’s testimony of his recent diagnosis with cancer will encourage many.