It’s a great honor to serve as editor of First Things. The magazine was a lifeline to me when I was a young college professor trying to figure out what it meant to be a faithful citizen in an increasingly secular America. That continues to be a puzzling, difficult endeavor, all the more so as our political culture changes in unexpected ways.
During those early years of First Things, I was also uplifted. The magazine isn’t pious, though it doesn’t shy away from piety. What I responded to back then was the seriousness—timelessness—of many of the discussions, debates, and reflections that appeared on our pages. Yes, ideas have consequences, and of course we should be outspoken and active in the public square. But ideas are also vehicles of truth, which is intrinsically worth pursuing. We need to reflect, ponder, and contemplate. First Things helped me to do that, for which I remain grateful.
Religion, culture, and public life. We still need a magazine founded on the belief that talking about God often encourages (and sometimes entails) talking about a great deal more. Every year, my wife and I provide support to ensure that the work of First Things continues. Please join us.
R. R. Reno is editor of First Things.
Dear Reader,
Can I be direct with you?
War abroad. Socialists on the rise. AI upending human life. Endless uproar online. The modern attention economy doesn’t want readers — it wants users enslaved to the tyranny of the present.
First Things is the antidote: literary excellence, timeless truths, and a fixed point of reference in a culture that has lost its bearings.
But we can’t do it without readers like you.
Our goal: Raise $150,000 by November 1 to sustain First Things in the year ahead.
Your gift anchors readers in the permanent things.
Make your Fall Campaign gift now using the button below.
If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Giovanni Del Piero, Director of the Editor’s Circle, at gdelpiero@firstthings.com or 212-627-1985.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
The Church in the Age of Therapy
In 1966, Philip Rieff wrote in The Triumph of the Therapeutic that “Religious man was born to…
Canada’s Deadliest Blind Spot
On September 20, the Daily Mail ran a story with the provocative headline, “Our 83-year-old Christian grandmother…
The Faithful Joy of Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen
Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen seem to have had little in common. She favored rhinestones; he wore…
