This evening, writer and editor David Mills will present a talk entitled “Cultural Apologetics” at 7 p.m. in Lane 124.
Mills, who has served as editor of Touchstone magazine and executive editor of First Things magazine, comes to Hillsdale at the invitation of the editorial staff of the Hillsdale Forum, co-sponsoring his talk with the Catholic Society. He will also be speaking to the Forum staff on writing well.
“Mr. Mills is very experienced as a writer and editor and the opportunity to have him come and speak with our staff about his experience with writing, as well as speak to campus about Christianity in the public square, was a great one,” the Forum Editor-In-Chief Chris McCaffery said.
Mills explained in an email that cultural apologetics bridges the gap between explaining Christianity and being heard and understood by those outside the Faith.
“A Christian has to know and accurately read the culture to make any kind of reasonable case for the counter intuitive claims of Christianity,” Mills said. “Otherwise, much that you want to say sounds like the arbitrary rules of a private club or a game. They may be interesting, or not, but they don’t make any claim to being public truths.”
Mills described the importance of writing well with similar weight.
“As Orwell said, in an age of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act,” he said. “But (this is me) we’ve got to tell it well enough to be heard over the lies.”
Moreover, Mills said, “bad ideas are usually presented in very good prose.”
Mills, who will be accompanied by his wife, has never visited Hillsdale. He is from outside Pittsburgh, and his current impression of Hillsdale is that it is “the Midwestern Grove City.”
McCaffery said visiting speakers are usually impressed with the intellectual engagement of students on campus, and said he hopes Mills will have a comparably positive interaction with the Hillsdale community and town.
