B. D. McClay

“How are we supposed to reconcile the Apostle Paul’s rather low opinion of himself with the high esteem others had for him?” asks Stephen H. Webb. The answer, provided in today’s On the Square , is stage fright: If Paul suffered from stage fright, then the incongruities . . . . Continue Reading »

What some call “irrational contrarianism,” James R. Rogers points out, might also be “the true belief that the government perhaps ought be smaller.” From today’s On the Square : Mann and Ornstein, as well as other GOP critics in the media, miss the deep frustration . . . . Continue Reading »

In today’s On the Square , Steven Smith reviews Verbum , a study software aimed primarily at Catholics: The commitment of Logos to continue to develop more Catholic resources is, also, quite impressive. Virtually all papal encyclicals are now available (or will soon be), as well as the . . . . Continue Reading »

Kick off your lunch break with some musical accompaniment, provided by William Doino in today’s On the Square : [Warren] Zevon was not just a man of sardonic wit. His songs could be tender and introspective. “Accidentally like a Martyr” speaks to anyone who has ever been . . . . Continue Reading »

When you say “God damn you” and “goddamn you,” Richard Whitekettle hopes you know you’re saying two very different things. He lays out why in today’s On the Square : While the way a psalmist addressed God is an important thing to ponder, there is something else . . . . Continue Reading »

Today’s On the Square selections are all about what we hear. Here’s Peter J. Leithart considering the way people in the past related to Scripture: They were as saturated in Scripture as we are in entertainment and advertisements. They read the Bible, of course, but because they studied . . . . Continue Reading »

In today’s On the Square , Douglas Farrow wants to talk about Quebec: The Hon. Bernard Drainville, Minister responsible for Democratic Institutions and Active Citizenship, has finally announced the government’s intention to produce a Charter of Quebec Values, with attendant alterations . . . . Continue Reading »

In today’s On the Square , Russell E. Saltzman remembers Jenifer Estess, the actress who lost her career and her life to A.L.S.: I never met her, not really, though thirteen years ago we once spent a long morning in same U.S. Senate hearing room. We were on opposing sides of a debate on . . . . Continue Reading »

In today’s On the Square , George Weigel discusses the greatness of Chesterton: Fr. Ker reminds his readers just why that’s the case, which has to do with both the depth of Chesterton’s insight and the breadth of his literary accomplishment. Catholics who know GKC primarily as one . . . . Continue Reading »

In today’s On the Square , J. David Nolan considers the way the regrettable Colin McGinn has revealed some real problems in philosophy, ones that reach a bit deeper than sexism. Professional philosophy has become, for many, an exercise in egoism: To be sure, there are real perversions of . . . . Continue Reading »