In his latest On the Square column , Peter J. Leithart discusses the influence of German philosopher Johann Georg Hamann:
In the current climate, it seems high time to rehabilitate Johann Georg Hamann. With his opaque style, his irony and obscure jokiness (which appealed to Kierkegaard), his obsession with language, his skepticism about Enlightened reason, Hamann would fit right in. He speaks their language. Plus, unlike today’s radicals who merely play with Paul, Hamann was a Christian through and through.
Also today, Melinda Selmys reflects on the need for a pastoral response to homosexuality :
While it seems obvious to me that we can’t simply throw out the moral teaching on homosexuality without completely unraveling the fabric of Christian sexual teaching, it seems equally obvious that we can no longer justify the persecution and castration homosexuals have experienced for much of history. In other words, it is necessary to distinguish between the visceral, emotional reactions which ancient writers—including St. Paul—had towards homosexuality, and the theological doctrine which developed out of a holistic Scriptural vision of sex.
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…
