Philip Rieff has died at age 83, in Philadelphia. We never met, but he would write from time to time, usually a brief note on something or the other that appeared in First Things . I forget what it was that I had written some years ago, but he responded, if memory serves, "I almost wish I . . . . Continue Reading »
"We liberals, er, I mean progressives, are patriots, too." That is the gist of E.J. Dionne’s touchingly defensive Fourth of July column in the Washington Post . He deeply resents the fact that it is widely assumed that patriotism is the default position of conservatives, while it is . . . . Continue Reading »
More people should know about University Faculty for Life. The proceedings of the fifteenth annual conference is now out, and it is packed with some of the sharpest thinking about the theory, practice, and prospects of the pro-life cause. There are articles on abortion and international law, on why . . . . Continue Reading »
The Los Angeles Times this week published its latest poll on 2008 presidential candidates , and the results looked bad for Mitt Romney: "Thirty-seven percent of those questioned said they would not vote for a Mormon presidential candidate." Except, perhaps, that the connection between . . . . Continue Reading »
"Under God"¯Mystic Chords The phrase "this nation, under God" has rung in the American ear and haunted the American imagination for now 230 years, ever since July 2, 1776. It was ringing in the ear of Abraham Lincoln fourscore and seven years after 1776, on the bloody field . . . . Continue Reading »
For some authors, it’s always personal¯history and the human condition combining to be about, mostly, them. James Carroll, for instance. Perhaps it’s a kind of paranoia: In Constantine’s Sword , Carroll seemed to think that the whole history of Christianity was a conspiracy . . . . Continue Reading »
Where did the storm over immigration come from? In conversations with folks who are in the thick of the battle, I am struck that everybody seems rather taken by surprise. A year ago, they say, they knew the issue was there, along with many other issues, but nobody anticipated that it would become . . . . Continue Reading »
Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, has proposed creating a two-tiered Anglican Communion¯one tier of "covenant" churches in communion with Canterbury and another tier of churches only in "association." The former would be those in agreement on the role of the Bible . . . . Continue Reading »
I know I reveal my old-fogeyism when I say that I’m only vaguely aware of who Britney Spears is. I’m told that she falls somewhat short as an exemplar of virtuous living. That may well be, but it does not excuse the ruckus over a sculpture being exhibited at the Capla Kesting Fine Art . . . . Continue Reading »
OK, so this weekend my wife and I indulged a guilty pleasure and rented The Shoes of the Fisherman to watch. You remember the 1968 film? The indefatigable Anthony Quinn¯Hollywood’s favorite generic ethnic actor in those days¯plays an Eastern European priest elected pope. Laurence . . . . Continue Reading »
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