Afternoon Links — 12.17.10

“The Dude” urges people to stay married and offers advice in how to do it.

Cambridge classicist Mary Beard describes her visit to St. Peter’s in Rome .

A Reformed theologian reflects on his visit to Rome , and on Catholic superstitions.

And also on how Catholics misunderstand Protestant history .

A Scottish editor explains why Sir Walter Scott is still a writer worth reading .

An movie website lists its selection of the top 25 Christmas movies . (Note: This is not a list or order I would endorse.)

A Russian writer describes Russia’s third wave of de-Stalinization .

A self-described optimist describes a lightbulb that will change the developing world .

A journalist describes a new kind of parochial school .

Robert George and two others like him answer the question What is marriage? and then respond to one of their critics .

And finally, a new site collecting “the best punditry in the Catholic blogosphere”: The Pulp.It .

Update: Wilfred McClay, a member of our editorial board, asks what a Kentucky biblical theme park tells us about Evangelicalism .