How Should We Then Live? Episode 2 – A Discussion on This Series, the Author, and the Why
A little about this series: “How Should We Then Live?” The title is taken from a book by the same nomenclature. “How Should We Then Live: The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture, by Francis Schaeffer, a prominent 20th-Century theologian and philosopher. Schaeffer wrote extensively with diligent research and insight into the conditions and directions of Western Civilization.
Many of us briefly studied a course or two in high school or college on Western Civilization. Sadly, the term is now often referred to by some as being a plethora of info about a progression of dead white men, who were racist, jingoistic—ultra-nationalistic, misogynists, misanthropes who were always waging war and forming unholy alliances with others based on seeking a balance of power in order to garner more power.
Some of that is absolutely true, but please do not relegate that to only one demographic. Mankind is fallen and inherently selfish, even when our soul is expanded and we seek the good of others. As Solomon said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” It is the human condition; tribes have always existed. Find me a big-city block where hegemony doesn’t exists?
For some reason, I love history centered around the advent of civilization, as we know it, which includes only a nominal familiarization with Biblical, Roman, Hellenistic (Greek) culture as it traipsed westward toward the European continent and the British Isles.
I love British history, with the greatest emphasis on the dance and dalliances of the European royalty, the Roman Catholic Church, the Holy Roman Empire (think to some degree modern Germany), which it’s been said was neither Holy nor Roman—national European lines didn’t exist then as we known them today, and likely will change often in the future. And, my particular interests are the epochs leading into the Renaissance and Reformation and the ensuing years, pre-Industrial Revolution (circa 1760’s).
All that intro being said, I am absolutely no scholar, nor an academic, am attention-deficit, easily over-stimulated, having a hard time finishing tasks related to new or a litany of ongoing interests, have lived a mostly foolish life, too often on display, not even being circumspect in hiding my behaviors. I am definitely not a role model as a husband, father, friend, or example of what a “good” Christian boy should be. I am terribly fallen, and spend an inordinate amount of time worrying what others think while acting like I don’t care. And, most of the time I gallivant between the extremes of thinking too highly of myself or viewing myself as a worm, forgetting that I was made in the image of God, though I have demonstrably marred my visage.
HOWEVER, I truly believe that the God and Creator of the Universe lives within me in Spirit form, and that I have been given many “second chances” due to his Grace and not my good works, and I want to be willing, to be willing, in order to allow Him to help me become more like Him and who He wants me to be. A tall order, but I am willing to be willing!
I’ll be 65 this year, have lived a lot of lifetimes in myriad places, with few successes and a host of failures; yet, God has stuck with me, has allowed me to find a loving marital relationship usually reserved for folks far more noble than I. My wife, Madge Marley Howell, is in my estimation, the most spiritually sensitive, always present, non-judgmental muse that I could ever hope to know. I am truly the cur dog who wandered up to the right house.
Regarding education: Though I’ve spent a majority of my life with broad exposure to formal education within several different disciplines, I am essentially an autodidact, which just means self-taught, with a further meaning: I lack systematic training.
Enough about me: I just wanted to be upfront about the fella who will be using this platform for this series. Stick around if interested, and no worries if not. As I say on my Delta Bohemian Tours, “This is just one man’s thread and outlook and one still needs to filter what I say through a thick piece of cheesecloth.”
The Covid debacle did have a silver lining for Madge and me, as do most events, if we are able to search for it and attempt to remain thankful in spite of the difficulties. Our silver lining came in the way of a morning devotional. We lost our two Bed and Breakfast inns, my regional-identity tours were put on hold, Madge got a job in town, yet we began a morning devotional prior to her heading off to work. We continue to start the day off with prayer, scripture reading, and reading aloud from different theology-culture-oriented books with ensuing discussion.
Madge and I have a vehicle for delivery of this series, “How Should We Then Live,” via an online blog called the Delta Bohemian. We started the blog in 2011 to somewhat celebrate the constancy and diversity in the Mississippi Delta, with an emphasis on the local creative economy.
Well, life changed, we aged, demographics and socio-economics shifted, and I took “the cure”—euphemism for went into treatment and Recovery from substance abuse six years and four months ago. Due to our emerging desire to live a simpler life pleasing to God, praying that He will strengthen what remains, we are navigating Delta Bohemian’s focus more toward sharing thoughts regarding our long-term, yet renewed embrace of Judeo-Christianity. We have no intention to preach, but merely asking ourselves out-loud the question, “How Should We Then Live?”
For those wondering what Delta and Bohemian could possibly have in common? I believe they embody the duality of the Delta and existence in general. They are as oxymoronic and they are redundant.
Madge remembers better than I, about fourteen years ago, we were sitting in the carport at the Clarksdale White House, after a night on the town, and I was certainly “in my cups,” when I told her that I felt like God put two words in my mind or heart: DELTA and BOHEMIAN. I told her I couldn’t figure out why or what to do with it. She ran with it and an online blog was born. Stay tuned in the near future for a more in-depth look into the many possible meanings and advent of Bohemian thought, which might surprise modern day “Bohemians.”
NEXT EPISODE: “How Shall We Then Live,” Episode Three: “Who Were the Lollards?” I will discuss John Wycliffe, considered the Morningstar of the Reformation, and the Lollard movement he influenced.
If you find this interesting, subscribe to deltabohemian.com, it’s free, and let me know if you enjoy this series. If not, feel free to let me know, just be nice, as I am a rather sensitive guy whose sensibilities outweigh my sense. Cheers! Chilly Billy
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