R.R. Reno is editor of First Things.

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St. Thérèse: The Little Flower

I first read Thérèse of Lisieux when on retreat half a dozen years ago. The effect on me was significant. I thought of it today, the memorial of St. Thérèse. Continue Reading »

1 Oct 2014

?Pope Francis and Weddings

The New York Times titled its article, “In Weddings, Pope Looks Past Tradition.” The Wall Street Journal announced that the pope’s presiding over twenty weddings at St. Peter’s on Sunday indicates his desire for a more “open and inclusive church.” CBS News called the mass ceremony “progressive.” 
Continue Reading »

21 Sep 2014

Resurrection and Sanctification

Yesterday Mark Regnerus reported on American beliefs about the resurrection of the dead. It’s not a universal belief among regular churchgoing Christians. That might be because it’s not a well understood Christian doctrine. Continue Reading »

12 Sep 2014

A Company That Won’t Hire Men

The New York Times reports the founding of a new company here in New York. It’s called SheTaxis—SheRides. Here’s how the Times describes it: “The new livery service starting Sept. 16 in New York City, Westchester County and Long Island will offer female drivers exclusively, for female riders.” Continue Reading »

11 Sep 2014

Richard Posner’s Delusions

The Seventh Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals put out its ruling on same-sex marriage yesterday. A unanimous three-judge panel declared that Wisconsin and Indiana’s refusal to recognize same-sex marriage (misdescribed by the press as a “ban”) is unconstitutional. Continue Reading »

5 Sep 2014

Liberalism’s Parochialism

I remain struck by the character of the many responses I’ve read to my postings on women and politics (as well as those on race and violence). There’s been a strong tone of horror and denunciation. Of course, when it comes to social media and blogging, there’s a bias in favor of shrillness and extremism. But what I’ve been reading accords with my experiences in higher education where certain thoughts trigger an almost primitive response from liberal intellectuals. Continue Reading »

2 Sep 2014

Women, Voting, and Social Conservatism

Over at Slate, Amanda Hess takes issue with my analysis of the “gender gap” in American politics. She accuses me, in effect, of a male arrogance for imagining I know better than women what they really think and want. Continue Reading »

29 Aug 2014

The Dilemma Facing Social Conservatives

A GOP poll confirms recent trends. Single women don’t like the conservative message. The poll takers and those running the focus groups asked about various policies about equal pay, education, jobs, and so forth, which is natural. That’s typically what we debate in politics. But I think the gap has a deeper explanation that brings the challenge we face into focus. Continue Reading »

28 Aug 2014

Crime, Race, and Racism

I want to come back to accusations that my column discussing Ferguson, Missouri is animated by racism. I observed that young black males attract the “special attention” of law enforcement, and that any population focused on by people with guns—even law enforcers—will suffer a disproportionate amount of police violence. I also made the observation that this sad truth is hard to avoid, because young black males are often rightly the focus of police attention. Continue Reading »

27 Aug 2014

Our Tired Scripts

Yesterday I made observations about the sad way events in Ferguson followed a familiar script. Some readers responded in a fashion that was also very much on script. In various ways they accused me of racism. Continue Reading »

26 Aug 2014