Monday, May 7

Wilson-Hitchens Debate

Hear ye! Hear ye! Two of the wittiest and most controversial wordsmiths working today will conduct an online debate later this week hosted by Christianity Today magazine.

CT's recipe for excitement is simple: "Put two contrarians together and shake well." Douglas Wilson is the author of a new book, Letter from a Christian Citizen. He is best known as one of the fathers of the modern Classical Schools movement. He serves as senior fellow of theology at New Saint Andrews College and minister at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. He is also the editor of Credenda/Agenda magazine and has written a raft of provocative books.

Christopher Hitchens has also just released a book, God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. Hitchens is a contributing editor to Vanity Fair and a visiting professor of liberal studies at the New School. He is the author of numerous other books--all of which have caused a stir of one sort or another.

Wilson has been called a "modern day Chesterton." Hitchens has been called a "modern day Mencken." The former is invariably jolly, but with a jagged, serated edge. The latter is invariably grumpy, but with a twinkle, a wink, and a nod. Both are brilliant, hilarious, and wickedly adept with those proverbial pens mightier than swords.

This should be more than a little fun. For more information visit the Christianity Today blog.

2 comments:

Jake O. said...

Wow! This should be good!

Jason Parolini said...

Outstanding!! For anyone interested, Doug Wilson is currently examining Hitchens' book chapter by chapter over at his blog, "Blog & Mablog". At this blog Wilson is consistently hilarious AND persuasive. He did this with Harris' book which I believe was the beginning of his reply in book form. It is of interest to note that Wilson praises Hitchens for his rhetorical skills while revealing the absence of his foundation for such a thing. jason p