As James observes, it’s good to be back in business. And while he appropriately thanks Jody and Joe for bringing us aboard the First Things mothership, I want to thank him for doing what I am far to lazy to do: set up and maintain a blog. It was a pleasure to contribute to PoMoCo at Culture11. It will be a pleasure to continue here.
But enough pleasantries. I’d like to kick-off by answering the call of my old friend Spencer Ackerman for a roll-call of conservatives who were appalled by the latest round of torture memos. I rather doubt that proposal is serious. If it were, however, I would be honored to be counted in.
These documents contained few revelations. For my part, I have nothing substantive to add to what I wrote a few months ago . And I have no expectation of changing anyone’s mind. But intellectual probity demands that both opponents and defenders of torture be willing to name and be named, unlike the “former top official in the administration of George W. Bush” quoted in t his piece . Stand up and be counted. Comments are now open.
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.
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…