Various

Against Androgyny It was disconcerting to read in David Blankenhorn’s ten suggestions for thinking about the family (August/ September), no. 4: “Recognize that the American family dilemma is androgynous.” This idea has been one of the strongest causes of the dilemma we’re talking about. As . . . . Continue Reading »

Loving the Torah More than God? Toward a Catholic Appreciation of Judaism by frans jozef van beeck, s. j. loyola university press, 100 pages, $9.95  A series of lectures given by a distinguished Dutch-American Jesuit theologian. The book’s unusual title is borrowed from that of a 1955 radio . . . . Continue Reading »

First Amendment Understandings I was disappointed in Michael W. McConnell’s article (“Taking Religious Freedom Seriously,” May) because of his efforts to link the reason for the First Amendment with recent U.S. Supreme Court decisions. There simply is no such link. For example, McConnell . . . . Continue Reading »

The Presbyterian Predicament: Six Perspectives edited by milton j. coalter, john m. mulder, and louis b. weeks westminster/john knox press, 179 pages, $12.95 Six essays, originally a lecture series at Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, explore contemporary Presbyterianism as . . . . Continue Reading »

Christians and Development Amy Sherman’s article “Christians and Economic Development” (March) contributes no new insights to the ongoing discussion about the Church’s participation in the international development effort. The evaluation and judgments of the so-called “oldline” and . . . . Continue Reading »

Trust and Obedience First Things has done me the favor of asking Professor Gilbert Meilaender to review my book, The Giving and Taking of Life: Essays Ethical (April). May I dialogue briefly with some of his remarks? He attends, in the first place, to my central argument: that the moral import of . . . . Continue Reading »

Liberal Arts and Community: The Feeding of the Larger Body by marion montgomery louisiana state university press, 170 pages, $27.50  Graceful and erudite essays aimed at recovering the liberal arts for the sustaining of community that is formed by an understanding of the good. As for subjects . . . . Continue Reading »

Thinking the Faith: Christian Theology in a North American Context by douglas john jaul augsburg press, 456 pages, $29.95 The intention is admirable, indeed urgent. It is to restate the Christian proposition in a manner critically attuned to American culture and the challenges facing our society. . . . . Continue Reading »

Abortion and Morality If abortion is to be one of your major concerns, as it was in the premier issue, shouldn’t it be discussed as the tragedy it is for those persons, mostly young and unmarried, who have neither a moral nor a legal right to bear children? Why is fornication itself immoral? . . . . Continue Reading »

Jewish-Christian Dialogue I have read with a great deal of interest Russell Hittinger’s thoughtful review of David Novak’s new hook, Jewish-Christian Dialogue: A Jewish Justification (March). At the very outset of the hook, as Hittinger notes, Novak examines three objections to dialogue made by . . . . Continue Reading »