American Politics
A selection of recent articles on this topic
Newman in the Modern Classroom
I really think learning should be optional, ma’am.” This statement comes from one of my ninth graders…
Debating the Separation of Religion and Politics / The Bishops’ Conscience Clause
Last Saturday, the British magazine The Economist , sponsored a debate on this resolution: “Religion and politics…
Protecting Children and Imagining the Worst
Eight years ago in our urban Catholic parish in Connecticut, a teenager I’ll call Elizabeth started a…
Why Conservatives Should Care About Cities
It is not only conservatives but Americans in general who have had a hard time reconciling what…
The December Issue Is Here!
The December issue of First Things has just appeared, the first of the Yuletide deliveries to arrive…
Faithful Catholics and Faithful Americans
For the early Christians, living in societies that were at best indifferent to Christianity and frequently hostile,…
Stephen Colbert and the Value of Truthiness
In the November issue of First Things, Joseph Bottum wrote, “The weakest set of candidates in living…
The Bell Tolls for School Vouchers? The U.S. Senate and Religion Fraud, and A Brilliant Appointment
This week, the school-voucher referendum went down to a crushing defeat in Utah. It was a very…
The World and the Holy Grail
For some time now, I’ve been reading Bill Bryson’s terrific 2003 book, A Short History of Nearly…
The Catholic Novel Is Alive and Well in England
Some people believe that the Catholic novel is either dead or terminally ill. In 1982, one critic…
Cooking the Books in Germany
A story in the New York Times explains that, in Germany, the government fixes the prices at…
Religion and Politics Debate
On Saturday, November 10, at Gotham Hall in New York City, The Economist magazine will sponsor a…
Drive On
The Medal of Honor is the nation’s highest decoration for bravery during combat operations. The president presents…
Defending Zion
Jews and Power by ruth r. wisse schocken, 256 pages, $19.95 Ruth Wisse is a distinguished scholar:…
Conscience and Authority
Nothing is more common in life than a seeming tension between the freedom of individuals and the…
