My essay on Michael Wyschogrod, the great Orthodox Jewish theologian whose work has graced the pages of First Things twice this year. It is an honor to honor Michael at any time, but especially during the Yomim Tovim.An extract:Wo es sich christelt, da judelt es sich auch, in Heinrich Heine’s . . . . Continue Reading »
As Pope Benedict prepares for his visit to the United Kingdom, speculation abounds as to what he might say. Perhaps clues can be found in a previous speech he delivered, which has been surprisingly overlooked. In 1988, the-then Cardinal Ratzinger, travelled to England to give the annual . . . . Continue Reading »
Another double-offering in “On the Square” today. First, in her Tuesday column, Elizabeth Scalia reflects on the meeting next week of The Twentieth Century’s Last Great Figures . Benedict XVI and Elizabeth II “know all too well what happens when governments and ideologies . . . . Continue Reading »
This is an attempt to revisit the terms of a contemporary theological cliché. I don’t know who invented the argument that anybody lower than you on the sacramental realism scale is supposed to be called gnostic, but it’s an argument that has caught on. Any defection from high . . . . Continue Reading »
I cannot tell you how weary I am with the mendacity of so many pro embryonic stem cell research supporters, particularly those in government. Senator Arlen—he who will not be missed—Specter is one of the worst, and he is at it again in his swan song as a . . . . Continue Reading »
Theologians for the most part are a placid and contemplative tribe. That is a shame, for practical theology can be exhilirating. No-one allow me into a PhD program in theology, one academic friend warns, much less give me a teaching position at any reputable (or even disreputable) institution of . . . . Continue Reading »
President Obama appeared to violate his oath of office by promising not to enforce federal law with regard to medical marijuana in states where it is legal. Apparently, the Justice Department didn’t get the message. From the story:Despite campaign promises to the contrary, the . . . . Continue Reading »
Outside a church in Indonesia , a Christian was stabbed in the stomach and the minister, who came to the first victim’s aid, was hit in the head with a wooden plank: No one claimed responsibility for the attacks. But suspicion immediately fell on Islamic hard-liners who have repeatedly warned . . . . Continue Reading »
Please join the Tocqueville Forum for a Constitution Day Roundtable: Constitutional Morality? Friday, September 17, 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Inter Cultural Center Auditorium On the campus of Georgetown University Featuring: Dr. Richard Hassing, Professor of Philosophy at The Catholic University of America . . . . Continue Reading »