Matthew Schmitz

Noted philosopher of the mind Colin McGinn is resigning from the University of Miami : Mr. McGinn . . . denies allegations that he behaved improperly. Those allegations were lodged by a female graduate student who has said that the professor sent her a series of sexually explicit e-mail and text . . . . Continue Reading »

Andrew Cuomo’s abortion bill may lead to forced abortions, warns New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan in a June 4 press release issued jointly with the bishops of New York state: We are profoundly distressed by the introduction of a bill in New York State today that would ease restrictions . . . . Continue Reading »

Even as Chris Christie announced that he would fill Frank Lautenberg’s senate seat with an August 13 special election , conservatives banded together under the hashtag #appointRPG to call for the interim appointment of one of their most articulate leaders: Princeton professor Robert P. . . . . Continue Reading »

A new app called “Texas Bible” replaces “you” with “y’all” in English bible translations wherever the original language used a second-person plural. John Dyer, its creator, explains : Just about any time I teach from the Scriptures I have to point out . . . . Continue Reading »

Today the British House of Lords began debate on a bill that would create a right to gay marriage. Speaking before the body, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby panned it : The result is confusion. Marriage is abolished, redefined and recreated – being different and unequal for different . . . . Continue Reading »

In a baccalaureate address at Princeton University, Ben Bernanke reminded his high-achieving audience that the meritocracy is not synonymous with justice : The concept of success leads me to consider so-called meritocracies and their implications. We have been taught that meritocratic institutions . . . . Continue Reading »

Timothy George, the distinguished theologian and leader of Evangelical-Catholic dialogue, is the newest fortnightly web columnist for First Things . His first piece , which contrasts the spiritual outlooks of Pope Francis and Katharine Jefferts Schori, calls on Christians to take seriously . . . . Continue Reading »

The universe is “built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design,” says Stephen King in an interview with NPR : If you say, “Well, OK, I don’t believe in God. There’s no evidence of God,” then you’re missing the stars in the sky and you’re . . . . Continue Reading »

The woman who confronted two men who beheaded a British soldier in London this week credits her Catholic faith with giving her courage : A mother of two who calmly confronted the Woolwich attackers on Wednesday has attributed her courage to her Catholic faith. Ingrid Loyau-Kennet, a practising . . . . Continue Reading »

Trevin Wax subscribes to complementarianism—-the belief that men and women have distinct but complementary roles in society and church—-but thinks its culture prone to certain excesses : a reticence or hesitance to affirm and celebrate women’s contributions in local church . . . . Continue Reading »