R. R. Reno

Vox temporis, vox Dei: The voice of the times is the voice of God. On issue after issue we’re told the Future has spoken. History has issued its irrevocable decrees, and woe unto him who does not heed them. This atmosphere of inevitability was on my mind as I read Dietrich von Hildebrand’s . . . . Continue Reading »

Are most American Christians heretics? A recent online survey of three thousand Americans conducted by LifeWay Research indicates we’re certainly confused. More than two-thirds of Americans believe there is one true God in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. But ask them if the Holy . . . . Continue Reading »

Dear Reader,One week ago, First Things began a ten-day campaign to help us reach our end of year goal of raising $400,000 from our magazine and online readers. I’m happy to report that we have raised $285,190.04 thus far! That means we have just $114,809.96 left to raise to meet our $400,000 . . . . Continue Reading »

On Monday, First Things took its end of year campaign online for a ten-day push to complete our goal of raising $400,000 from our readers by the end of the year. Will you help us reach this goal by making a gift today?

Dear Reader,Thank you for being a reader of First Things. I’m grateful to have you as part of our conspiracy of truth.You’ll be hearing from us more frequently over the next ten days as we continue our year-end donation campaign. Our goal is to raise $400,000 by the end of the year. With . . . . Continue Reading »

Thawing relations with Cuba was the right thing to do. We’re a long, long way from the early 1960s when Cuba was a Soviet satellite and the prospect of nuclear missiles ninety miles from Miami posed a direct threat to our national security. We’re also a long way from the 1970s when Cuba was trying to export revolution to Angola and elsewhere. Fidel Castro is dying. His Marxist dream has been dying for more than twenty years. There’s nothing about Cuba in 2014 that poses a risk to American interests. Continue Reading »

Yesterday I drew attention to the unfortunate fact that the Biology Department at the University of St. Thomas was directing its students toward pro-abortion activism. Okay, that was a bit too strong. I should have written “listed.” The Biology Department’s website listed NARAL and Planned Parenthood as volunteer opportunities. Continue Reading »

The Biology Department of the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota publicizes volunteer opportunities on their webpage.Good idea. We should all be encouraged to serve the common good as best we can.  Continue Reading »

The New Republic’s death and the university’s decline Continue Reading »

I haven’t followed the details of the UVA sex scandal. Unless one is an administrator with responsibilities for such things, keeping one’s distance from the facts is probably best for one’s moral health. Indeed, we didn’t need this particular news story to know that there’s a problem. We’ve embarked on a de-regulation of sexual relations. In the official ideology of our time, our bodies are machines available to provide us with pleasure. The same holds for the bodies of others, limited only by consent. Today, at places like UVa this is the unquestioned and unquestionable orthodoxy. Continue Reading »