Veery Huleatt

The old Christmas carols, by delighting in humble details, capture the paradox of the season: God’s power made incarnate in the womb of a lowly girl. Continue Reading »

Jane Jacobs knew that, without ordinary people, their ordinary loves, and their often-extraordinary faith, the public square is an inhospitable and even dangerous place. Continue Reading »

Every so often, our readers send us pictures of their small but discerning offspring chewing their way through the latest issue of First Things. We proudly display these pictures on a bulletin board dedicated to celebrating the most junior members of the First Things family. Continue Reading »

Two oz. scotch (cheap stuff will do just fine). 1 oz. tawny port. A handful of namkeen. These were the key ingredients of my grandfather’s 3 a.m. ritual. And, to accompany them in the undisturbed quiet of the early morning, First Things. Continue Reading »

France is forcing its Muslim citizens to make this choice: To be French, or to be Muslim. In accordance with the French policy of laïcité, French Muslims are told that, in order to be good citizens, they must keep their religion out of the public square. The way I dress seems to invite people to think in these terms, and to assert the principle that the spiritual life should not be lived in public. Continue Reading »

I thought it would be little more than a pleasure read, a short break before I got into the serious stuff, but soon I found that my expectations, and my reading habits, were being re-written. Continue Reading »