At the Crossroads” was ostensibly a conservative gathering in Austin to discuss energy and “so-called global warming” as Senator Ted Cruz put it, but at its core was a celebration of cornucopianism. That progressive philosophy sees an ever improving world flowing from the mind of man and the . . . . Continue Reading »
In this issue, David Hart commends Pope Francis as a critic of global capitalism. I’m less enthusiastic. Yes, there’s a great deal about the global economic system to criticize, but the Holy Father tends to use a rhetorical machete rather than an analytical scalpel. He bloodies topics like . . . . Continue Reading »
Far be it from me—not being a Roman Catholic—to tell Catholics what they should think of their pontiff. But, just as a brief amicus curiae (so to speak), I want to note that I feel a wholly unqualified admiration for Francis; and nothing he has done, said, or written since assuming office has . . . . Continue Reading »
MFA OR NOT?When I met Randy Boyagoda, I told him that I was pursuing an MFA in fiction and he genially disapproved: “No! Why?” I forget what I answered. But most MFAs, when surveyed, will say, “I want time to write.” Any MFA program worth getting into will give you a reasonable stipend for . . . . Continue Reading »
It was a modest speech, one generous to the American experience but lacking in the sharpness this pontiff is sometimes capable of. The repeated use of the term “dialogue” was irritating. It's a buzzword among today's technocrats. They use it as a softening word, one that signals that . . . . Continue Reading »
I‘m writing in late June. The Supreme Court has yet to release its decision about same-sex marriage. I’ll admit I’m not sanguine. A radical redefinition of marriage is what a majority, or near majority, of Americans seems to want. A temporary insanity seems to have taken hold, clearly evident . . . . Continue Reading »
Over the last fifteen years or so I have seen (and been moved by) many of the aspirational/inspirational billboards sponsored by The Foundation for a Better Life, an organization that promotes common-ground character virtues while trying at the same time to avoid being a partisan in our contemporary . . . . Continue Reading »
At the end of his Apostolic Visit to South America, Pope Francis instructed a crowd of young people to “make a ruckus.” He qualified, “Make . . . a ruckus that brings a free heart, a ruckus that brings solidarity, a ruckus that brings us hope, a ruckus that comes from knowing Jesus and knowing . . . . Continue Reading »
We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves” (Laudato Si, 34).We have now had a couple weeks to breathe, and to begin to accustom ourselves to what can only be called a brand new reality. Never has a pope spoken . . . . Continue Reading »
It was a special privilege for me to attend the formal publication of the green encyclical by Pope Francis on June 18, 2015. Laudato Si: On Care for our Common Home was jointly released in the new synod hall of the Vatican by His Eminence Peter Cardinal Turkson of the Pontifical Council for Justice . . . . Continue Reading »
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