R.R. Reno is editor of First Things.

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The Importance of Spiritual Discipline

In the history of the church, one of the most famous conflicts was between St. Bernard (d.1153), the charismatic abbot of Clairvaux, and Peter Abelard (d.1143), the brilliant medieval logician and theologian. St. Bernard thought that Abelard’s new approach to theology, an approach that . . . . Continue Reading »

15 Oct 2010

Council of Europe Does the Right Thing

As C-FAM reports , representatives in the Council of Europe, the European legislative body that meets in Strasbourg, France, reversed an effort by abortion proponents. A resolution came before the Council that was designed to make it difficult for medical professionals to refuse to perform or . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Oct 2010

Who Says Logic Can’t Be Fun?

On his blog, Ed Feser offers some amusing versions of the informal fallacies , in this case very informal ones. They’re all worth quoting, so I will. Post doc, ergo propter doc : The delusion that a Ph.D. confers wisdom, or even basic competence. Example: “Of course  the medievals . . . . Continue Reading »

13 Oct 2010

Elites and Judicial Supremacy

Over at Public Discourse, Robert Lowry Clinton weighs in on the ascendancy of the Supreme Court as the Supreme Legislature that dictates national affairs. Clinton argues that the emergence of an activist judiciary stems from an elite attempt to retain power over and against a democratic majority. . . . . Continue Reading »

8 Oct 2010

The Antinomian Gospel

In a recent posting, Tony Campolo effuses about the inclusive ministry of Jesus . Jesus, he writes, “was always reaching out to the marginalized.” Therefore, he concludes, evangelicals need to affirm homosexuals and support the political effort to secure for gays and lesbians “all . . . . Continue Reading »

7 Oct 2010

The Importance of Religious Freedom

The Sunday edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer features an op-ed arguing for the importance of religious freedom, not just in the United States, but abroad as well. The authors, Christian Sahner and Bennett Graham observe that religious freedom plays a fundamental role in the development of a . . . . Continue Reading »

27 Sep 2010

New York’s Third World Airport

I was enjoying the sharp and angular writing at Taki’s Magazine, an online journal that offers delicious little appetizers, or as the website puts it “Cocktails, Countesses & Mental Caviar”. Yes, caviar—tasty and salty. In a fun, rambling piece about . . . well, about lots . . . . Continue Reading »

23 Sep 2010

Islamic Leaders in America

A helpful discussion on the role of Islam in America by Thomas F. Farr—posted on The Public Discourse —points out the ways in which the recent controversy about an Islamic Center near Ground Zero threatens to side-track the positive contributions that Muslims can make in America. At the . . . . Continue Reading »

23 Sep 2010

How Do You Put the Catholic Into Catholic Higher Education?

In a commentary published by The Chronicle of Higher Education , David House looks back and assesses the influence of Pope John Paul II’s apostolic constitution on Catholic higher education, Ex Corde Ecclesiae . House takes an optimistic view, reading the last couple of decades as a muted, but . . . . Continue Reading »

17 Sep 2010

D’Souza Unconvincing

Third World anti-colonialism as the key to the policies and decisions of the Obama administration? After reading the Forbes cover story by Dinesh D’Souza, “ How Obama Thinks ,” I found myself scratching my head. In D’Souza’s account, the interpretive key to the Obama . . . . Continue Reading »

15 Sep 2010