Animal rights is such a peaceable movement—at least that is what its adherents insist. Yet, personal threats by animal rights fanatics have so unnerved an American Olympian, he is afraid to stay at a hotel. From the story:U.S. figure skater Johnny Weir says he received threats from . . . . Continue Reading »
Did Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski get a job at L Osservatore Romano ? That seems to be the only explanation for the Holy Sees official newspaper including these works on their list of top ten rock and pop albums of all time: The Beatles Revolver Pink . . . . Continue Reading »
For centuries it was believed that the father of modern philosophy died of pneumonia. But a new book claims that Rene Descartes was murdered for having views similar to a Calvinist: According to Theodor Ebert, an academic at the University of Erlangen, Descartes died not through natural causes but . . . . Continue Reading »
Walter Russell Mead has a provocative article on the structural problems of the modern church : The Christian churches in the United States are in trouble for all the usual reasons human sinfulness and selfishness, the temptations of life in an affluent society, doctrinal and moral . . . . Continue Reading »
Hushed tones may befit the library, but as Marcus Westbury argues , quiet isn’t alway necessary to enjoy the visual or performing arts: Art is often discussed in reverent tones , we invest in it, create daunting palaces for it. In the scale of reverence, it sits ever so slightly below death . . . . Continue Reading »
New studies reveal that heartbreak isn’t just a metaphor; although rare, people really can suffer (and die) from broken-heart syndrome : The mysterious malady mimics heart attacks, but appears to have little connection with coronary artery disease. Instead, it is typically triggered by acute . . . . Continue Reading »
Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, asks dialogue partners if an ecumenical catechism might work: A Vatican official has floated the idea of a shared ecumenical catechism as one of the potential fruits of 40 years of dialogue among . . . . Continue Reading »
Last time I left you off with something like this — The problem is what to do about pain. See: the common argument here — which John Loftus plainly used to dismiss God — is that all pain ought to be stopped whenever possible. A universe with suffering in it precludes the Christian . . . . Continue Reading »
Big newsjust heard though the grapevine: Baylor University will announce later today that Kenneth Starr is taking over as the school’s new president. . . . . Continue Reading »
The excerpt below is from the introduction of a book that I highly recommend. Evangel readers will be treated to a concise survey of how beauty declined in modern religious thought and how it is slowly being reclaimed. The authors evaluate the gains and costs associated with contemporary theological . . . . Continue Reading »