The Soul of a Nation

Culture, Morality, Law, Education, Faith

By (author) Bernard J. Coughlin

Publication date:

27 September 2012

Length of book:

232 pages

Publisher

Hamilton Books

ISBN-13: 9780761858935

Since World War II, there have been many changes in our nation due to shifts in our philosophy of man and moral law. The Soul of a Nation is a series of essays on these critical transformations in our society. This book will be of interest to citizens and scholars who question our society’s political drift in recent years. The Soul of a Nation was written not only for scholars and students, but for their parents and elders as well.

Preface

I.Culture

Roots of the Culture
On Multiculturalism
On High and Low Cultures
On Sophocles and Culture
On Open and Closed Minds
On Freedom and Equality
On Art and Artists
Who, Then, Will Teach Them?
Move Over, Monkey
Dangerous to Your Health!
Sometimes Far Less Than Angels
Death for Sale

II.Morality

The Moral Crisis
On Freedom and Truth
The Moral Anarchy We Want
On “Values Clarification”
Or, No Moral Rules At All
Why Teach Ethics?
Sifted Like Wheat
An Angel of Light
On Public Morality
On Luxor and the Gods

III.Law

A Gift of God
On Our First Amendment
“We Hold These Truths”
What Truths We Hold
On “Intellectual and Moral Illiterates”
On Contract and Covenant
If You Live by the Sword
On Laws and Logic
“Yes, Abortion Kills Babies, But…”
“The Sound of Your Brother’s Blood”

IV.Education

The Melting Pot
Architecture of Souls
Do Public Schools Still Serve the Public Good?
What’s Wrong with the Schools?
Humanities Under Attack
Rendering God’s Things to Caesar
On Bullhorns and Baseball Bats
The Cultivation of Moral Morons
“…It Stinks…”
Vouchers, Anyone!
On Homework and Restless Feet
On Egalitarianism
It’s a Socialist System
Hurrah for Adele Jones!
“On Caring and the Professor’s Job”

V.Faith

The Two Standards
Oh, I’m Nobody
I’m Somebody
On Flags and Other Symbols
Eucharist
Who Abides in Love?
Mary
On Ducklings
Thoughts from St. Emilion
“I Wish you to Serve us”
Follow the Conductor
On Saying “Goodbye” and “Hello”
On Autumn…and Then Spring

Bibliography
Index

[This] is a book filled with wisdom — and hope; a book not only for scholars and students, but for citizens who want to understand how our deeply wounded culture fell into the condition it is in and how we can . . . restore intellectual and moral standards.