R.R. Reno is editor of First Things.

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Secularists of the World Unite!

A particularly amusing book came across my desk recently. It’s Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans by David Niose, a “secular activist” in Washington. This is not a book to turn to for nuance. Here’s a sample: Anti-intellectualism, the disappearing middle . . . . Continue Reading »

23 Aug 2012

Attention All Thomists

Enthusiasts of St. Thomas should know about the ambitious publication project being undertaken by the Aquinas Institute at Wyoming Catholic College. It’s very good indeed to see that the Institute is launching Latin and English editions of the works of the Angelic Doctor. . . . . Continue Reading »

17 Aug 2012

Martha the Commissar

Well, well, there’s tolerance, and then there’s tolerance. A recent interview of Martha Nussbaum in the Boston Review shows what at least one pillar of our liberal establishment has in mind when it comes to Catholicism. The interview by Boston Review Web Editor David V. Johnson was . . . . Continue Reading »

17 Aug 2012

T. S. Eliot, Again

I’ve been on a T. S. Eliot kick of late. Last week I reread The Idea of a Christian Society , and for the first time read through Eliot’s elusive  After Strange Gods , a volume he never allowed to be reprinted (but which is of course available on Google books ). I have always . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Aug 2012

Taxing “Unhealthy” Choices

The Wall Street Journal recently reported on the spreading efforts to combat obesity by reducing the consumption of sugary drinks. The Richmond, California City Council put a measure on the November ballot that taxes businesses on the basis of how much Coke and Pepsi they sell. Although the . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Aug 2012

T.S. Eliot and Anti-Semitism

I recently had a very interesting conversation with Wheaton art historian and First Things writer Mathew Milliner. Matt has been trying to think about how to understand artistic creativity in relation to cultural authority. T.S. Eliot is an obvious place to start. His famous essay, “Tradition . . . . Continue Reading »

9 Aug 2012

Against Modernism

Mark Anthony Signorelli and Nikos Salingaros are nothing if not clear and forceful: artistic modernism is a anti-tradition of anti-art oriented toward domination rather than beauty. Here is a particularly trenchant set of observations about architectural modernism from ” The Tyranny of . . . . Continue Reading »

6 Aug 2012

Catholics and Religious Liberty

The ever useful Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life has released a new survey . The focus falls on attitudes toward the recent push by the Catholic Bishops to highlight the threats posed to religious liberty. Results aren’t too surprising. If you’re a Catholic and have heard about the . . . . Continue Reading »

1 Aug 2012

Roger Kimball on the Present Age

The Catholic World Report has posted a wide-ranging interview with New Criterion editor Roger Kimball. Kimball’s new book, The Fortunes of Permanence , collects his recent essays of literary, artistic, and cultural criticism. This interview reflects quite well what I’d call . . . . Continue Reading »

30 Jul 2012

Robert P. George on Marriage Politics

Professor Robert George at Princeton has been one of the most articulate spokesmen for the view of marriage as a union of one man and one woman. He has demonstrated the absurdity of liberal claims that there is no rational basis for objecting to same-sex marriage. Today on Public Discourse he has . . . . Continue Reading »

19 Jul 2012