Begin with a sobering fact. During the past ten years, some of the sharpest observers of our time have come to believe that the tectonic plates underlying Western civilization have shifted momentously. One result is a deep, creative struggle among the thoughtful for new imagery and fresh analogies . . . . Continue Reading »
On September 11, 2017, between midnight and dawn, a statue of Fr. Junípero Serra—whom generations of California schoolchildren called “the Father of California”—was beheaded at Mission Santa Barbara. Reading about the defiled statue in the paper, I immediately question my father, my . . . . Continue Reading »
Protestants are not known for their familiarity with papal encyclicals. We pride ourselves in doing things our own way, often in order to distance ourselves as far from Rome as possible. There is one teaching in particular that most Protestants readily recognize as Catholic, and it is usually . . . . Continue Reading »
One of the few things liberal and conservative educators agree on these days is that college students are too fragile. Many of them are intellectually and emotionally unable to engage ideas uncongenial to them. Many are incapable of accepting honest assessments of their academic performance. They . . . . Continue Reading »
A Book of American Martyrsby joyce carol oatesecco, 752 pages, $29.99 A Book of American Martyrs, Joyce Carol Oates’s novel about the shooting of an abortionist by a Christian “Soldier of God,” is perfectly unempathetic. Lately we’ve heard a lot about how important it is to feel empathy . . . . Continue Reading »
The Book of Revelation sheds light on the distorted Christian inspiration behind globalism. Continue Reading »
In Britain it is still rather enjoyable to donate a pint of blood. Continue Reading »
When the Catholic Archdiocese of D.C. proposed a Christmas-themed poster for public buses, the city rejected it—the ad was not secular enough. Continue Reading »
Every problem has a genealogy, and helping readers to understand that is a major part of what First Things does. Continue Reading »
Recent advances in human cloning, synthetic biology, and CRISPR technology pose grave ethical questions—yet our president seems uninterested. Continue Reading »
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