On this episode of the First Things Podcast:
1:25 Editor Rusty Reno comments on the Vatican’s new guidelines for cremation. Why has the Catholic Church traditionally favored intact burial? And why are people, including Catholics, increasingly opting for cremation?
18:30 Assistant editor Alexi Sargeant reflects on the life and legacy of Jack Chick, the evangelical comic book artist who died last week. The “Chick Tracts” sought to scare people to Jesus—and away from Catholicism, Halloween, Dungeons & Dragons, and a few other things. What should we make of this earnest and inventive evangelist, who was also rather feverish and offensive?
30:55 Senior editor Mark Bauerlein observes the one-year anniversary of the Halloween horror show at Yale, when students lost their minds over culturally insensitive costumes. This year, college administrators across America are designing programs to prevent offense from being given or taken. In an op-ed for the New York Times, Mark argues that rather than micromanaging students’ social interactions, administrators should be offering positive moral guidance.
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