ICYMI

• Kamala holds a slight lead in the polls but the Presidential race is still up for grabs. The Pope, meanwhile, doesn’t like either candidate because they’re both “against life.”

A Recommendation

• Mere Orthodoxy is the New Yorker of evangelical Christian publications: deep thinking, smooth writing, well-researched and well-packaged.

Articles

• How to persuade, according to the groundbreaking researcher Robert Cialdini.

• Kevin Vanhoozer, a Lakelight teacher and world-class theologian, listed some books that have shaped his life and work. We couldn’t recommend the list highly enough.

• Brad East argues that a Church worshipping together is attractive to a world scrolling alone.

• A journalist sought out a professional time-management coach for advice. Here’s 6 things she learned.

• On the perils of “Affirmation Culture”

  • “The group text will defend its members, no questions asked, no matter how heinous the crime. Nothing can compel us to break the bonds of affirmation.”

• A clarion call to meaningful work even in retirement.

Paywalled

• Ross Douthat defines “pro-life realism,” as making it possible “to be a pro-life state in a pro-choice country.” (NYT)

  • Douthat debated David French on how conservative Christians should vote in the upcoming election here.

• Why do girls lose their self-confidence once puberty sets in? (The Atlantic)

• The Black Church is no longer a reliable voting bloc for the Democratic Party. (The Atlantic)

• How Instagram’s newest trend reveals the state of our social media today. (New Yorker)

  • “The dominant style of social media oscillates between aestheticized perfection and aestheticized mess, between minimalism and maximalism…Social media is no longer meant for connecting with friends; it is designed almost entirely to facilitate the following of brands and the monetizing of personalities.”

• Fax Machines are the new “office flex”, apparently. (WSJ)

• Elon Musk is going full-bro mode. (WSJ) AEI fellow Thomas Chatterton Williams believes Musk’s schtick is “debasing America.” (The Atlantic)

  • “The risk for the 53-year-old comes in offending not just Karens but all women, which is especially troublesome if you are trying to sell them on your cool electric cars or your free-speech platform or trips to Mars.”

The Headline Of The Week

• “How a Naked Man on a Tropical Island Created Our Current Political Insanity”

Deep Dive

• On Gen Z

  • They hold progressive social views

    • A higher percentage of them believe there are more than two genders than any other generation, though the number is declining.

    • They lack faith in our political system.

    • They also lack faith in God: only 60% believe in Him – a dramatic decline from any previous generation ever recorded.

    • (Shameless plug: I (Glenn) wrote about how the Church can address generational differences for The Gospel Coalition)

  • They grow up slow. Gen Z teens are less likely to date, drink alcohol and get their driver’s license than previous generations at their age.

  • They struggle to sleep (half of them are significantly sleep-deprived) and they love to scroll (the average teen spends more than 8 and a half hours a day with screen media), the equivalent of a full time job.

  • They are more likely than other generations to use words like “stressful, relatable, gender identity, free, true, honest, fake, cancel, ghost, block, fam and squad.” (pg. 347 of Jean Twenge’s excellent book Generations)

One Last Thing

• I (Glenn) have read some good books lately. Here’s a few recommendations:

  • The Burnout Society by Bung-Chul Han - Han explains why modernity zaps our mental and emotional energy.

  • The 5 Temptations of a CEO by Patrick Lencioni - a leadership book without fluff. Praise God.

  • A Web of Our Own Making:The Nature of Digital Formation by Antón Barba-Kay - a densely packed book that enlightens with every page.