R. R. Reno

Cleaving to the truths of revelation, insisted Pope John Paul II in Ex Corde Ecclesia (“From the heart of the Church”), issued twenty years ago Sunday, energizes the inquiring mind, giving us confidence that truth is worth the effort of discovery. The main thrust of the Pope’s vision contradicted the usual assumption the Church and the university represent antithetical traditions: the Church teaching with authority and shutting down debate, the university encouraging free and open inquiry… . Continue Reading »

My posting yesterday about Stanley Fish’s deflationary remarks about plagiarism elicited a number of nuanced, reflective comments from readers, many of whom are teachers who grapple with the problem of plagiarism on a regular basis. The comments induced in me a moment of repentance. In his . . . . Continue Reading »

The recent Economist magazine features a helpful article about Catholicism in contemporary Europe, ” The Fate of Catholic Europe: The Void Within .” The title is misleading, suggesting a spiritual vacuum. The substance of the article is more nuanced, however, drawing attention to the . . . . Continue Reading »

I love Stanley Fish. He’s a circus clown who bounces around and distracts us from the changes between acts. His latest ” Opinionator ” column in the New York Times is a classic performance. Plagiarism is not big deal, he argues, because there is no such thing as originality. Every . . . . Continue Reading »

Fr. Francis Martin has suffered a heart attack, and is presently in intensive care in Copehhagen, Denmark. A long time proponent of biblical interpretation informed by the wisdom of the church’s great tradition of doctrine, Fr. Martin has been an important voice in contempoary . . . . Continue Reading »

Today I wrote about the culture of intimidation in academia , a mentality confident that it should censure and punish traditional views of sexual morality. Although it was not available when I wrote the column, this morning I was fascinated to read Judge Walker’s decision to rule . . . . Continue Reading »

Recently, Kenneth Howell, an adjunct professor who worked for Newman Center at the University of Illinois in Champaign/Urbana, was told by his department chair that he could no longer teach there. His offense: explaining and clarifying the Catholic moral teaching on homosexuality while teaching a class on Catholicism. A couple of students complained to the department chair with the usual charge: his moral reasoning is hate speech that creates a hostile environment for gays and lesbians… . Continue Reading »

Former Senator Bill Armstrong is now president of Colorado Christian College, and he’s been reading the new regulations coming out of the Department of Education. He’s worried that these new regulations, designed to ensure that the federal money flowing into higher education is properly . . . . Continue Reading »

I don’t think of myself as a populist who likes to bash the rich, but this story from the Guardian that a friend sent along offers an irresistible target. Sir Angus Grossart, a wealthy banker, said of Sir Fred Goodwin, another wealthy banker and former head of the Royal Bank of Scotland, that . . . . Continue Reading »

The true Church of Christ teaches the gospel. The Bible is the sacred and canonical witness to the gospel. Therefore, the teachings of the Church accord with the teachings of the Bible. This simple syllogism provides the rationale for theological exegesis. And not just the rationale, but also the . . . . Continue Reading »