Monarchy, Christianity, and Vampires

I hope I got your attention with that subject title.  This is probably one of the more bizarre articles I've found on the web as a result of all the Google searches I do to see what is being said about this blog's favorite topic.  It's probably necessary to be at least somewhat familiar with both True Blood (which I am) and Mad Men (which I am not) to understand all the references.  I certainly don't share this writer's values and assumptions at all.  But it's interesting because coming from a perspective that is clearly hostile to monarchy and traditional pre-egalitarian society (whether Western or Eastern) in general, Sellar sees what so many non-monarchist Christians cannot or will not see: that Christianity, like Asia's traditional Confucian beliefs, is inherently monarchist, and its language remains so today even among Americans who pride themselves on their rejection of Monarchy.

That issue is also addressed, and also from a hostile perspective, here.  Everett's agenda for Christianity, set forth in 1989, still around today though not usually articulated so bluntly, must be fought on all fronts. But he gets credit for seeing the tension between republicanism and Christian tradition clearly; he's just on the other side. On Tuesday, celebrate the birth of the King of Kings (as in Handel's Hallelujah Chorus), not the President of Presidents.

Discovering Korea's imperial past

A Washington Post reporter encounters Korea's imperial past in a meeting with Yi Seok, grandson of Emperor Gunjong. It's a melancholy, even tragic article, though the prince's return is uplifting in a way. I often get the idea that modern Asia is even more indifferent to and disconnected from the past than modern Europe. The prince's observation that "Korean people, they don't care about the royal family. They just care about democracy" is like a knife in my heart--but probably true. I just don't understand Modern People, whether Asian or European. For me of course as with most countries there is no legitimate Korea other than royal Korea--and no, the Kims of North Korea don't count! The Asia that is "modern or fast or covered in dingy concrete" is fake and will eventually crumble, probably much sooner than the ancient monarchies did; it certainly deserves to. The real Asia is monarchical and traditional, like the real Europe--but only a minority today still listen to her spirit.

What next for Gyanendra?

Deposed monarchs of the past have explored a number of options, the BBC helpfully informs us, as King Gyanendra is formally evicted from the palace.