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Winter 2013 |Volume 31, Issue 3

Patronage: Why We All Need to Invest in Culture

All of us are patrons. We are patrons, even if we might be poor grad students or young married couples barely eking out an existence. We are patrons, not just in our "charitable" giving, but in our day-to-day lives.

By our decisions, we are saying "yes" to some version of the good life.

I hope this issue of Comment will prompt you to ask questions you haven't considered before, so that you might see your daily life anew.

—James K.A. Smith

12 Articles In this Issue
01
Keats's Phrase byAlbert Goldbarth

02
Let's Talk About Your Investment Strategy byJames K.A. Smith

We are all patrons, even if we don't mean to be.

06
Letters  

Continuing the conversation.

08
World View byJames K.A. Smith

An annotated reading of your world, including poetry, sledgehammers, and the Religious Right.

14
Culture Care: Called to be Patrons byMakoto Fujimura

Let's lay down our weapons of culture war and become patrons of beauty, tending our culture with care.

21
Institutional Faithfulness and the Christian School byPaul Brink

Who are the patrons of the Christian school, and what does that role mean?

28
Welcoming Kickstarter into the Clubhouse byLukas Naugle

While it can and should never replace the deep patronage necessary for shalom, online crowdfunding can have a valuable place in positive culture-building.

36
Philanthropy as Culture-Making byDon Flow

All of life is a gift lived under grace and the only appropriate response is gratitude expressed through generosity.

44
The End of Patronage? byRoberta Green Ahmanson

An art historian with an insatiable curiosity discusses what it meant to be a patron of the arts—and what it means today.

53
Why Philanthropy Matters byFred Smith

Despite tunnel vision, Acs's book raises important questions about philanthropy's impact on culture.

59
iDevotion byChristy Tennant Krispin

Just how much do you love your iPhone?

64
Learning to Care byDeani Van Pelt

For parents, education is about growing in our children the capacity to care, regardless of the education system we choose for them.



Contributors to this Issue