Joseph Bottum

Is the Catholicism—indeed, any religiosity—in the current generation of young adults rediscovered by the young rather than a gift from the old? I was thinking again this morning about Bob Miola’s beautiful essay (subscription required) about the entrance of first one and then a . . . . Continue Reading »

I see there’s a new edition of Robert Heinlein’s Farmer in the Sky . Finding a couple boxes of science-fiction as we unpacked here in the Black Hills, my wife and I just reread Heinlein’s juveniles—the sweet, fun run of books he wrote in the 1950s. Double Star is still my . . . . Continue Reading »

News has reached us that the great anti-Marxist philosopher and intellectual Leszek Kolakowski has died , in England at the age of eighty-one. A First Things contributor, he will be missed by all us. His essays in First Things include: • Visions of Eternity , and • What Is Left of . . . . Continue Reading »

“The failure of Caritas in Veritate to blend the many hands and voices evident in its composition has probably diminished its impact and encouraged selective reading . . . . Pope Benedict simply tried to do too much . . . . [In one view], what the encyclical gains in potential for further . . . . Continue Reading »

This is what passes for news these days? The top feature of CNN around noon was headlined “For Some, Moon Landings Were All a Lie.” . . . . Continue Reading »

You have taken First Things ’ survey on religion at America’s colleges and universities , haven’t you? Do it. Do it now. And then tell your friends to tell their friends. And them to tell their friends. . . . . Continue Reading »

Georgetown or Christendom? Baylor or Houston Baptist? Calvin College or Wheaton? Princeton or Yale? What do you think of your school’s attitude toward religion? Toward its religious students? Toward theology? Toward its mother church? Now’s you chance to say, by taking the First Things . . . . Continue Reading »

“‘It was not our intent to interfere or cast dispersions on the tea party,’ said City Manager Don Cooper.” I bet they always say that when they break up a party down in Florida. . . . . Continue Reading »

On memoirs , one more time: “In the end, every sentence with the word I in it is a lie: self-justifying, self-righteous, self-conscious, self-sick.” . . . . Continue Reading »

In a puff piece about how wonderful Attorney General Eric Holder is, the Washington Post noted his plans to begin investigations into the behavior of officials in the Bush administration: Then came a bombshell three days ago that has sent Washington political circles reeling: Holder’s . . . . Continue Reading »