Life of Faith
A selection of recent articles on this topic
The Secrets of the Confessional
It was a bad sign when several jolly-looking priests got into a car and pulled out of…
In Memoriam, 2017
This was a tough year for losing friends. At one point, I got so tired of writing…
Our Top Articles of 2017
As the year draws to a close, here’s a look back at our most popular articles. Our…
Censoring Christmas at the Bus Stop
The Christmas-themed ad proposed by the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., to be placed on public buses…
In a World of “Authentic” “Journeys,” There’s Always First Things
One of the sad things about writing my annual contribution to the First Things end-of-year appeal is…
Your First Things Community
E. B. White begins Here Is New York, his much-celebrated 1949 ode to Manhattan, by remarking upon…
Carols and the Christmas Paradox
Advent is the season of watching and waiting, but it is also, as the days draw nearer…
The Crèche and the Gap
For the past decade or so, I’ve been assembling a mid-sized Judean village of Fontanini crèche figures,…
Missing the Fight on Christmas Day
As my time as an undergraduate drew to a close, I felt an overwhelming need to experience…
The Best of Both Sides
Here in the offices of First Things, we have to admit to an inconsistency. Many tracts against the…
No God but Santa
A few days ago, one of my undergraduate students asked me, “Why do so many people believe…
The Little Eschaton
Different kinds of Christians do Christmas in their different ways, and fights naturally break out among opposing…
Our Witness to Freedom
It’s been a good year, a very good one. Subscriptions are up. We’re closing in on 30,000…
A Meditation on “Maranatha”
Happy (real) new year: the beginning of a new year of grace, which began December 3 with…
