Various

I was very gripped by Kerri ­Christopher’s essay, “Three Christmas Dinners” (February 2023). I’ve not suffered such a thing myself, but just reading about the fractured family affairs of this essay induced in me a sense of emotional vertigo. I was cheered to read Micah ­Mattix’s essay, . . . . Continue Reading »

Every few years, a book comes along that claims to have finally resolved the question of who discovered the individual—for Harold Bloom, it is Shakespeare; for Alain Badiou, it is Paul. In the prologue to her new book, Andrea Wulf attributes the discovery of the individual to the . . . . Continue Reading »

First Things asked several experts in higher education to reflect on the Florida experiment and offer suggestions for maximizing the impact of the reforms. Read their responses here. Continue Reading »

I read with interest the article by Joshua Katz in the January 2023 edition titled “Grace and Serendipity.” In response I offer the following: I had just been named pastor of a parish (Diocese of Oakland, California) and was assigned a mentor, one of the senior priests. In our first meeting, I . . . . Continue Reading »

No Apologies: Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men is the latest in a string of brilliant offerings from Anthony Esolen: Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, ­Nostalgia: Going Home in a Homeless World, and Sex and the Unreal City. Utilizing his . . . . Continue Reading »

Catholic Colleges I greatly enjoyed Veronica Clarke’s “Why I Went to a Catholic College” and her clear reasoning for the superiority of choosing such a path (December 2022). Although I am a graduate of three universities (two private, one public), I can no longer bring myself to give them . . . . Continue Reading »

Christopher Knight has produced an approachable volume that addresses challenges faced by Christians, particularly Orthodox Christians attempting to reconcile the scientific consensus with the biblical narrative. He also sketches the beginnings of a new theory of God’s action in nature. This book . . . . Continue Reading »

We asked some of our writers to contribute a paragraph about the most memorable books they read this year. Continue Reading »

We asked some of our writers to contribute a paragraph about the most memorable films and TV shows they watched this year. Continue Reading »

Bill Gates and Work Sam Kriss’s takedown of Bill Gates, and of money generally, is a provocative and thoughtful piece (“The Truth About Bill Gates,” November 2022), but more than once while reading it I felt sorry for Kriss. His understanding of work has a depressing every-man-for-himself . . . . Continue Reading »