Ancient ownership of Israel

From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. Once again, questions surrounding Gaza have captured the nation’s attention as pop culture is dragged into the debate. Rapper Macklemore was dropped from Ed Sheeran’s tour after lecturing the audience about what he called as a genocide in Gaza. Then we have comedians, like Bill Maher, who … Continue reading Ancient ownership of Israel →

When the chant isn’t about football anymore

From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. I wanted to weigh in on the controversy that happened Saturday night at the Bringham Young–Colorado State game, when the Colorado State student section chanted, “Fthe Mormons.” This has not been an isolated incident; it began last year and has happened at almost every stadium where BYU … Continue reading When the chant isn’t about football anymore →

Looking back at ‘The Clash of Civilizations’

From the Lawton Constitution By James Finck, Ph.D. May 19, 2026 Last month I wrote an article that looked back at two of the most important foreign relations concepts of the 1990s with the idea of evaluating them in the present to see what, if anything, from those theories proved true. That article mainly focused … Continue reading Looking back at ‘The Clash of Civilizations’ →

Nationalism, Patriotism, and the Politics of Identity

From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.d. February 25, 2026 During our recent political difficulties, it has become increasingly hard to keep up with the lingo—especially the labels. For example, what’s the difference between a colonialist and an imperialist? Are they different? Does it matter? Maybe not, but it’s still nice to know what … Continue reading Nationalism, Patriotism, and the Politics of Identity →

Tyndale’s works shaped the spiritual and cultural foundations of a future nation

From the Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D. Feb 22, 2026 One of the most interesting perspectives when traveling in Europe is the sense of time. Many cities are divided between “old” and “new” sections, and what can be difficult for Americans to grasp is that the “new” parts of these towns often predate the … Continue reading Tyndale’s works shaped the spiritual and cultural foundations of a future nation →

Still a City on a Hill: Celebrating 250 Years Of the American Experiment

From the Southwest Ledger “We must delight in each other; make others’ conditions our own; rejoice together, mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission and community in the work, as members of the same body... We shall find that the God of Israel is among us, when ten of … Continue reading Still a City on a Hill: Celebrating 250 Years Of the American Experiment →

The Story Behind the Stories: Unlocking Western Literature and History

From Southwest Ledger By James Finck, Ph.D.One of my all-time favorite movies, “Hoosiers,” is a perfect example of a David and Goliath movie where a small-town basketball team in Indiana makes it all the way to the 1954 State Championship to take on a big-city team. As the team is getting ready to leave the … Continue reading The Story Behind the Stories: Unlocking Western Literature and History →