R. R. Reno

Final Campaign Report

We are coming to the end of First Things’ two-week digital fundraising campaign. When we started this campaign, we weren’t sure how much support we could expect from our online readers, and we set a goal of $20,000. I’m thrilled to report that, thanks to the generosity of folks like you, we have raised nearly $30,000 thus far! Continue Reading »

First Things Campaign Report

First Things is now in the second week of a two-week digital campaign to raise $20,000. And I’m pleased to report we have raised $5,305 thus far! Continue Reading »

Watching Liberals Give Way to Technocrats

Good for William Bowen. The former president of Princeton spoke at my alma mater Haverford College’s commencement on Sunday and has sharp words for the students who successfully campaigned against another commencement speaker, Robert J. Birgineau, former Chancellor of Cal Berkeley. They accused him of violating a sacred principle—thou shalt not require progressive protestors to obey the law—and issued a list of nine things he needed to do in order to properly repent and receive absolution. Continue Reading »

The Rise of Nationalism

It’s a global phenomenon. Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi won in India. Shinzo Abe in Japan hits nationalist notes. Svoboda, an ultra-nationalist party in Ukraine, has become an important player. The Golden Dawn in Greece is another ultra-nationalist party. Great Britain’s anti-EU party is on the rise, as are nationalists in France and the Netherlands. Continue Reading »

Piketty and the New Economy

Larry Summers has a fine review in Democracy of the hot new book by Thomas Piketty, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. He points out that the publication of this book in English corresponds with a political/cultural moment in which we’re anxious, concerned, and to some degree confused by a growing economic inequality. Continue Reading »

Spring Web Campaign

Friends and readers, yesterday we launched a campaign to raise money from you, our web readers. Every spring and Christmastide we send out letters to our subscribers, asking them for support. The changes in publishing mean that you’re now an important part of the First Things community. And we need your support too. 

Putting out a first rate magazine and running a vital website with fresh content every day requires significant resources. We have $2.3 million budget. Less than half comes from subscriptions. The rest comes from donations.

First Things is an important institution. We’re a forceful voice for moral sanity, cultural depth, and religious orthodoxy. That’s unique, and I hope worthy of your support. Please donate today.

A Sacred Guide to Coffee

Theology is the Queen of the Sciences. Sometimes that’s not obvious. But a recent posting by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick demonstrates that when it comes to coffee, theology provides profound metaphysical insights into that most necessary of refreshments.Brilliant exposition of the inner meaning . . . . Continue Reading »

Do Christians Threaten Religious Liberty?

Jews ought to back away from any alliance with Christians when it comes to the contraceptive mandate, argues Yishai Schwartz in Tablet. His main reason: Catholics and Evangelicals and legal advocates like the Becket Fund are undermining religious liberty, not promoting it. “Although . . . . Continue Reading »

Goodbye, Friend

Fr. Ed Oakes died this morning.  Diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last spring, his friends knew that they’d have to face this day. Still, it’s hard. Death always is. Ed is best known for his work on Hans Urs von Balthasar. He wrote one of the first comprehensive studies published . . . . Continue Reading »

Elite Politics

Christopher Lasch, where are we when we need you? Today’s Wall Street Journal has a good column by William Galston that lays out in clear terms what we all feel in our bones: The great middle-class consensus that once dominated our society is dissolving. The middle class is eroding down . . . . Continue Reading »