Francis's Improv Theology

by R. R. Reno

Francis reminds us that the Eucharist is not “a prize for the perfect.” But marriage, apparently, is. Continue Reading »

17 Jun 2016 0

Can Only Theologians Get Married?

by Matthew Schmitz

If the sincere exchange of vows doesn’t make their marriage valid, what does? Must all sacramentally valid marriages resemble my friends', beginning only after a few years of theological study, during a Mass set to music by Mozart? Continue Reading »

17 Jun 2016 0

The Pan-Orthodox Council: Where Things Stand

by Gabriel Sanchez

Eastern Orthodoxy's first ecumenical council in over a millennium is at risk of being derailed at the last minute. Catholics may find some of the issues rather familiar. Continue Reading »

17 Jun 2016 0

What You May Not Know about First Things

by Bianca Czaderna

You may have read Randy Boyagoda’s fine biography of Richard John Neuhaus, our fearless founder. You may know that First Things was begun in 1990 to explore questions of religion and society in the English-speaking world, and that the print journal comes out ten times a year. You might even have . . . . Continue Reading »

16 Jun 2016 0

The Eyes of Wendell Berry

by John Murdock

The Seer opens with a blur of urban lights and longings: the faster freeway, the taller building, the machines that become the objects of our affections. Over this, the film’s subject, in his distinctive timbre, laments the pursuit of “the objective.” These opening three minutes culminate in . . . . Continue Reading »

16 Jun 2016 0

A Sanctuary After Orlando

by Matthew Schmitz

There are two groups of people who say that religious people are obliged to hate and kill gays: salafists and secular liberals. Neither recognizes the possibility of a faith premised on the love of sinners. Continue Reading »

15 Jun 2016 0

A Necessary, Neglected Conversation

by Jordan Zajac

“It is undeniable that religion informs public life, and we need to regain a sense of the ways in which this dynamic operates.” I scribbled these words in my Moleskine. Continue Reading »

15 Jun 2016 0

Left or Right, No One Is Happy

by R. R. Reno

An earthquake is coming. Continue Reading »

14 Jun 2016 0

Theater of the Word

by Alexi Sargeant

Last week I had the honor and pleasure of seeing my production of The Jeweler's Shop by Karol Wojtyla performed at the First Things office. Continue Reading »

14 Jun 2016 0

A Crucial Bulwark

by R. R. Reno

Together, we can become an even stronger voice for religious commitment and moral truth in the public square. Continue Reading »

13 Jun 2016 0