R.R. Reno is editor of First Things.

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Religion and Soccer Don’t Mix

I ran across a bizarre story today. The poor fellow wanted to change the channel on the TV, and his wife and children attacked him, evidently banging his head against the wall. End result: death. Yes, strange, but what’s stranger is the reason the family reacted so violently. Evidently . . . . Continue Reading »

18 Jun 2010

Pope Benedict Champions the Angelic Doctor

Pope Benedict devoted the talk at yesterday’s general audience to a full throated commendation of the theology of St. Thomas. After detailing the way in which the Angelic Doctor gets the relation of faith and reason just right, the Pope concludes : St. Thomas offers us a wide and enduring . . . . Continue Reading »

17 Jun 2010

Surviving Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne’s genome is being mapped by scientists to find out how he survived decades of substance abuse. Forget the substance abuse, I want my genome mapped so that I can figure out how I survived Ozzy’s music during the dolorous 1970s. . . . . Continue Reading »

16 Jun 2010

When Reality is Unspoofable

Take a look at this version of the program for the recent Catholic Theological Society of America meeting. Preliminary Program 2010 It’s very funny because so very believable, and sad too, for the same reason. . . . . Continue Reading »

14 Jun 2010

Slapstick Academic Satire

For a delightful romp through the academic groves, see a satirical effusion from Jason Peters over at The Front Porch Republic:  The Way to Bliss. Part David Lodge, part Jonathan Swift, part John Kennedy Toole, this collegiate reverie has some wickedly funny moments: feminist archeologists who . . . . Continue Reading »

11 Jun 2010

More on the Politics of Humanitarianism

Yesterday I encouraged readers to take a look at a column by David Rieff over on The New Republic website.  Today’s Wall Street Journal reports some changes in the Obama administration’s efforts to support dissidents in Iran. The details are interesting, and readers will . . . . Continue Reading »

11 Jun 2010

Politics and Humanitarianism

In an important and insightful essay over at The New Republic , David Rieff makes some particularly astute observations about larger implications of the diplomatic crisis that erupted in the wake of the Israeli confrontation at sea with the Free Gaza flotilla. There is little doubt that, as a . . . . Continue Reading »

10 Jun 2010

Unintelligent Response to Intelligent Design

The folks at  lifesitenews.com report that David Coppedge is litigating against NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab for harassment and threats of termination.  His offense: talking to co-workers about Intelligent Design.  I’m not a big fan of the ID arguments, and it seems that Mr. . . . . Continue Reading »

9 Jun 2010

Mortification of the Flesh

I’ve been reading John Cassian’s Conferences lately, a work that along with his Institutes were written at the beginning of the fifth century. Cassian’s goal is to convey to his Latin-speaking readers the spiritual wisdom of early Egyptian monasticism, and he lived with the monks . . . . Continue Reading »

8 Jun 2010

The Failures of the Church

I’m like most. The latest wave of revelations about clerical sexual abuse demoralizes me. I’m not wavering in my conviction that the one true and apostolic communion of the saints subsists in the Catholic Church. I think of what St Paul says: “We have this treasure in earthen . . . . Continue Reading »

30 Apr 2010