Since its first issues appeared more than twenty-five years ago, First Things has been hailed as the leading journal of religion and public life in America, one of the leading journals of its kind in the world.
The sophistication and depth of its reflections on culture, politics, theology, and intellectual life are peerless, and its ecumenical—increasingly global—stable of contributors gives it unique breadth.
But another quality has been even more fundamental. Founding editor Richard John Neuhaus was a pastor down to his bone marrow. He took America as his parish and turned First Things into his national pulpit.
Under Rusty Reno’s patient, courageous guidance, the magazine continues to fill that role.
During the carnival funhouse of the 2016 election, Rusty kept his wits and diagnosed America’s political mood more penetratingly than anyone. While some Christians call for a tactical regrouping, he has gone on the offensive with a bold bid to resurrect the idea of a Christian society.
As some believers scramble onto the bandwagon of the sexual revolution, First Things has been steadily orthodox, insisting that progressivism, not traditional morality, oppresses the vulnerable.
America, the Christian church, and Roman Catholicism in particular face a host of challenges. To keep our bearings, we need to stay focused on first things, and to do that we need shepherds like First Things.
Magazines need money to operate, but a gift to First Things is not merely a way to keep the presses rolling. It is a way to show what the apostle Paul called the “double honor” due to those who teach us.
Your donation helps to keep this indispensable public voice alive, and ensures that this national pulpit will keep thundering in the coming decades. Please contribute generously to our fall fundraising campaign.
Peter J. Leithart is president of Theopolis Institute.
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