Joe Carter

Last month I linked to Andrew Ferguson’s takedown of Bob Dylan and confessed that I never understood the singer’s appeal . Not surprisingly, the Dylan defenders in the comments section thrashed Ferguson and me for failing to appreciate the crooner’s genius. Being an open-minded . . . . Continue Reading »

The reading of books offers a variety of pleasures; the publishing of books, not so much. A friend of mine recently landed a book contract and asked me what he could expect. I was excited for him—and excited to read his book—so I didn’t tell him the whole truth: It’s one of the . . . . Continue Reading »

[Note: Every Friday on First Thoughts we host heated, half-serious, half-cocked arguments about some aspect of pop culture. Today’s theme is the best television shows of the past ten years. Have a suggestion for a topic? Send them to me at jcarter@firstthings.com ] Over the past ten years . . . . Continue Reading »

First Things senior editor David Goldman recently appeared on CNBC’s Larry Kudlow show to talk about the dollar, gold, interest rates, and unemployment. Part I (Goldman’s segment begins at the 8:09 mark.) Part II . . . . Continue Reading »

First Things editor Joseph Bottum appeared PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer to discuss President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize speech. As Joseph says, the speech was “incoherent” yet “a very American speech.” Watch the video or read the transcript on the PBS website. . . . . Continue Reading »

First Things editor Joseph Bottum is scheduled to appear on PBS Newshour with Jim Lehrer. He will be joining historian Michael Beschloss and Rev. James Forbes of Riverside Church in New York. For times and channel check your local listing here . Update: For a limited time, you can watch it here . . . . . Continue Reading »

Within the past ten days Barack Obama has given two major speeches, one outlining his plan for the war in Afghanistan and today’s acceptance of his Nobel Peace Prize. The reviews are still coming in for this latest disquisition but the first effort was not well-received. As liberal pundit . . . . Continue Reading »

PhilPapers recently surveyed professional philosophers and philosophy graduate students on their philosophical views. The results have caused me to lower my high estimation of academic philosophers. When the majority of the field rejects theism, virtue ethics, non-physicalism, and objective . . . . Continue Reading »

Since it’s debut in 2005, NBC’s The Office has been one of the smartest, funniest shows on television. Although it’s easy to dismiss as a frivolous series about low-level corporate drones, the show has managed over six seasons to provide an unusually astute study of modern life. At . . . . Continue Reading »

Megan McArdle expresses a sentiment many people share when it comes to weighing the importance of Climategate to the larger questions about climate change: I am thoroughly unimpressed with the belief that global warming scientists have been engaging in some kind of massive conspiracy to conceal the . . . . Continue Reading »