Robbie Rambles | July 14, 2023
Hi all,
I'm writing this week's edition after a couple of fun weeks with the in-laws visiting. We went to the Outer Banks, and, despite being the parents of a toddler, Jen and I both found it to be a refreshing and even restful time. Little E is inexorably drawn to the water, and I love seeing her excitement around it. Hope your summers are going well, here are some links that I thought worth sharing this week.
Richard Beck wrote some thoughts on how Tolkien's influence on the fantasy genre is...incomplete? Basically, though the genre has adopted his motifs of wizards, orcs, dark lords, epic quests, etc., the underlying Christian metaphysics and patterns of conflict and (non)-resistance are almost entirely absent.
Need some positivity and health advice? I recently subscribed to the Arnold's Pump Club newsletter. Lately I've found Arnold Schwarzenegger to be really fascinating. He takes up a lot of space in my boyhood memory as the star of some of the first non-Bond action movies I remember watching — T2, Commando, Last Action Hero — and as governor of California shortly after my family moved there. He's a remarkable person in my opinion — to go from being a body builder to actor to politician back to actor to "influencer" is no easy feat. Is he flawed? Of course, in some profound ways, which he owns, and others more subjective (e.g. his advocacy of certain public health measures over the last couple years irked me in a couple of ways). And I love the earnestness of the newsletter's identity as the "positive corner of the internet". There's little polemic here, just helpful and healthful information.
Jocko Willink's recent conversation with Peter Attia was significant in its breadth and depth. They hit on exercise, nutrition, sleep, biology, and mindset, all revolving around the longevity of one's lifespan and healthspan. However, the last ~90 minutes or so are what I think to be the most profound, when they talk about emotional health. Dr. Attia is disarmingly vulnerable talking about his struggles with shame and anger stemming from abuse he suffered as a child. Come for the fitness tips, stay for the surprising amount of grace.
For some devotional reading, I'd be remiss if I didn't recommend this recent post by Fr. Stephen Freeman. For Fr. Freeman, the most important question we can ask is what the deepest desire of our being is, to which he answers, Christ the Logos of God. All of our desires are ultimately deep yearnings for union with God in Christ.
Paul Kingsnorth recently wrapped up his two-year writing project exploring the nature and aims of "The Machine". Now, he's shifting his gaze to exploring how we ought to live as Christians in light of the Machine Age. I've enjoyed following Kingsnorth over the last couple of years, and am excited to see where he goes next.
Thanks for reading, friends. Hope you all have a great weekend.
Robbie