An invitation to look at what’s familiar from an unfamiliar angle

To consider how we consider things and how to do it better.

 

The Series

 

The Freedom Trap



So went the 20th-century war cry that set the background music for much of modern life. We’ve built our nations on it. We’ve built our lives on it. We’ve built our happiness on it — the idea that people can and must be free.



But now, there’s more on the menu: free from inconvenience, free from offence, free from limits. Free from anything that stands in the way of what I want.



Whether it’s choosing jam at the supermarket, choosing what to livestream on TV, or choosing a career, our modern battle cry is one of liberation and limitlessness. 

As the ancient Greek military general Thucydides declared, “The secret to happiness is freedom!”



Was he right? Or is there more to the story?

Could a life without limits limit us? 



What if freedom is a trap? And if it is, what do we do about it?

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The End of Men?

What makes a good man? 

 Models of masculinity may be less constricting than they used to be – but boys and men are confused about what’s expected of them, and it shows. In education, in mental health, in relationships, they’re struggling. And we’re all struggling to have a constructive conversation about the challenges they face. 

 In this grounded, forthright and hopeful book, Simon Smart reconsiders the modern male dilemma. Drawing on his own experiences of schooling and fatherhood, the best contemporary research, interviews with those on the front lines of a growing crisis, as well as ancient wisdom, he asks the question: how can we help boys become their best selves, and a gift to those around them?

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Achievement Addiction



Are you an achievement addict?



It’s hard not to be one given our collective obsession with success.



Students fear that the ATAR will sum up not just their schooling career, but also their individual worth. Australians aren’t just mad for sporting victory – skyrocketing house prices show we’re equally hooked on owning property. Then there are the furious work habits of Silicon Valley CEOs, violin prodigies, and tiger mums.



Why do we constantly strive for our significance – and could you quit the habit if you tried?

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The End of Thinking?

We all feel entitled to our opinion. Whether it be our take on politics, vaccines, parenting, or the value of religion, everybody wants to have their say - and everybody loves to be right.

But do we know what it means to think well?

Covering ‘idiot brain’, lobotomies, the difference between certainty and confidence, the nature of facts, and the virtue of intellectual hospitality, Mark Stephens invites you to consider not just what you think but how and why you think.

Do we think only for ourselves, or also for the good of others?

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The Pleasures of Pessimism

Pandemic, supervolcano, late capitalism, transhumanism, populism, cancel culture post-antibiotic age, the gig economy, the surveillance state, the cascading effects of climate change...

Whatever the specifics, do you feel like things have gone off the rails - or are just about to?

If you've read the news, watched a zombie movie, or gotten into an argument on Twitter lately, the answer is probably yes.

And you're not alone.
What makes us such apocaholics?
What's so appealing about Armageddon? What are the pleasures - and also the perils - of our pessimism?

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The Cost Of Compassion

Who's in favour of compassion?

Pretty much everybody, actually. Left or right, religious or not, nobody seems to have a bad word to say about compassion.

So why do we have so much trouble addressing the conflict, inequality, and suffering in our world?

Ranging from the streets of St Kilda to the slums of Delhi, from Plato to Nietzsche, the Dalai Lama to Peter Singer, and from Seinfeld to the Good Samaritan, Tim Costello appeals to our common humanity - and takes an unflinching look at how costly compassion can be.

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Make it stand out

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Testimonies

The End of Men?
by Simon Smart

Simon Smart writes personally and vulnerably about his own journey to deeper and wider possibilities about what it means to be a male. The impasse of toxic masculinity is not fixed nor the final word. Change is occurring with boys and men and Simon Smart charts that progress and gives us hope for our future.

— Tim Costello

The End of Men?
by Simon Smart

Balanced, realistic and hopeful — it is refreshing to have a concise book which doesn’t get bogged in an overwhelm of advice for those wanting to be a positive influence on boys. The End of Men? sympathetically surveys the tumultuous landscape that young men are traversing and offers clear, enduring and, dare I say, noble principles for those seeking to help them wisely navigate their complex world."

— Dr Leisa Aitken
Clinical Psychologist

The End of Men?
by Simon Smart

"This book, “The End of Men?,” is a gem, beginning with Simon‘s own stories of toxic masculinity at the school which he attended. He clearly defines the challenges facing men, ranging from violence to mental health. Importantly, Simon doesn’t just define the problems but identifies potential solutions to these challenges, from the creation of structure, propagation of values, allowance of risk, rites of passage, increased and informed roles for fathers and, beautifully, developing love and vulnerability as men. I love this book."

— Professor Bruce Robinson
Founder of the Fathering Project

Achievement Addiction
by Justine Toh

Love it! A devastatingly accurate analysis of Australian society and individuals that hit me personally. Justine's social location also provides an empathetic, well-informed and insightful approach in tackling the meritocratic myth for ALL of us. As she frames so cleverly, 'everyone is kind of Asian now’.

— Grace Lung
Asians Between Cultures

Achievement Addiction
by Justine Toh

Achievement Addiction exposes the restlessness of the modern soul in its endless and elusive quest for success. Has our hunger to achieve made us happy and fulfilled? And what is it doing to our children? Justine Toh has managed to write a book that is as entertaining as it is confronting. It's definitely worth making time in your busy schedule to read it!

— Michael Jensen
Author of “My God, My God: Is it possible to believe anymore?”

The End Of Thinking?
by Mark Stephens

"Do I think well? I think so! Hang on – not so fast! Mark Stephens, in his interesting and racy little book, gets us to think about thinking, or, to be more specific; to think about the fact that most of us don’t think – not much anyway, as it is too difficult, and too confronting. Instead, we look for threads which will confirm our prejudices, we are led by intuition, not reason. Additionally, we confuse correlation with causation, we overestimate our own competence, we allow experts in one field to bracket-creep their judgements into areas beyond their competence. Does it matter? Well yes, just as conviction needs to be based on reasonable evidence, epistemic humility is preferable towards those whose opinions differ. Is this book worth the trouble of thinking about? I think so!"

— John Collier
Dr John Collier is Head of St. Andrew’s Cathedral School, Sydney and is transitioning into the role of Dean of Education at Morling College.

The End Of Thinking?
by Mark Stephens

"This clear, humorous and insightful book will help clear up your thinking, or at least help clear up the 'you' in your thinking. Mark writes about the hard questions of contemporary discourse with learning, courage and grace - a wonderful antidote to the vitriol of the culture wars awaits you!"

— Gordon Menzies
Author of Western Fundamentalism & Associate Professor of Economics, UTS, Sydney.

The Pleasures of Pessimism
by Natasha Moore

“At once gentle and unflinching, disturbing and soothing, realistic and hopeful, and entertaining to boot, this timely little book is a tonic for jaded hearts.”

— Brian S. Rosner
Principal, Ridley College

The Pleasures of Pessimism
by Natasha Moore

“Do societies have personality traits? Natasha’s book is a thoughtful exploration that pessimism may well be ours … reading this, glimmers of real hope shine through the rather fascinating and compelling gloom.”

— Leisa Aitken
Clinical Psychologist

The Pleasures of Pessimism
by Natasha Moore

“With wit and daring, Dr Moore dances across some very thin ice - to a place of profound hope and meaning.”

— Meredith Lake
Author and Broadcaster

The Cost Of Compassion
by Tim Costello

“Timely, challenging, full of humility and wisdom. I believe most would agree that compassion is essential, and this book goes a long way to outlining how we can turn that into a reality.”

— Hugh Jackman

The Cost Of Compassion
by Tim Costello


“I hope Tim’s writing inspires you as it always does me. I hope after reading it you consider how you can be a small part of assisting change. That caring and compassion works both ways. As Tim points out, ‘there are very few people you cannot love once you hear their story.’”

— Andrew Knight
TV writer and film producer (Rake, Jack Irish, Hacksaw Ridge)

 

About The Authors

 

Simon Smart

Simon Smart is Executive Director of the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). A former English and History teacher, Simon has a Masters in Christian Studies from Regent College, Vancouver. He was co-presenter and co-writer of the historical documentary For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined and is the host of the Life & Faith podcast. Simon’s writing has appeared in such places as The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, The ABC, The Australian, and The Guardian. He lives on Sydney’s northern beaches and is an inept but enthusiastic surfer.

Justine Toh

Dr Justine Toh is Senior Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity, where she speaks and writes about the Christian faith in publications like The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times, The Spectator, and ABC Religion & Ethics. She occasionally guest hosts ABC Radio National’s God Forbid, a panel program exploring contemporary religion, and has co-presented the documentary For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined. Justine has a PhD in Cultural Studies from Macquarie University in Sydney and tweets, erratically, at @justinetoh. And yes, she is a recovering achievement addict.

Mark Stephens

Dr Mark Stephens is a New Testament Lecturer at Sydney Missionary and Bible College. Prior to SMBC, Mark spent over a decade lecturing in theology and integrative studies at Excelsia College, before a two-year stint serving as a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity. Mark is currently researching and writing on spiritual formation and the book of Revelation, representations of Jesus in contemporary culture, and the place of humility and hospitality in Christian thinking. Contrary to rational thinking, Mark is a lifelong supporter of the Paramatta Eels rugby league team.

 
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Natasha Moore

Dr Natasha Moore is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Public Christianity (CPX). She has a PhD in English Literature from the University of Cambridge and is the author of Victorian Poetry and Modern Life: The Unpoetical Age and editor of 10 Tips for Atheists and other conversations in faith and culture. Her book For the Love of God: How the church is better and worse than you ever imagined was the 2020 Australian Christian Book of the Year. She has worked for CPX since 2014 and written on topics that include books, movies, politics, food, domestic violence, Scripture in schools, war, Thanksgiving, and freedom of speech. She recently discovered she is an optimist.

Priyan Max Jeganathan

Priyan Max Jeganathan is a Senior Research Fellow at CPX. A former lawyer and political & policy adviser, Max was educated at the Australian National University and the University of Oxford and is undertaking a PhD in Law. Max has spoken in universities, political institutions and businesses including Samsung, Lego, Goldman Sachs and Amazon. His writing has appeared in The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times and ABC’s Religion & Ethics Report. He enjoys movies, good wine with his wife Fiona and making his kids laugh.

Priyan Max Jeganathan

Tim Costello is one of Australia's leading voices on social justice and global poverty, and has been instrumental in ensuring these issues are placed on the national and international agenda. He travelled the world for work in poverty alleviation and emergency relief as he led World Vision Australia for thirteen years.

Tim is an ordained Baptist minister and currently a Senior Fellow with the Centre for Public Christianity as well as Executive Director of Micah Australia. He was named in the Australian of the Year awards in 2006 and was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005.

His bestselling books include Hope, Faith, Tips from a Travelling Soul Searcher and his memoir A Lot with a little.

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