I’m no expert when it comes to analysis of political trends, party politics, or electoral strategy. But Tuesday’s election seems noteworthy on a couple of points. And as we’ll see, certain Catholic bishops may have played a central role.First, this election was decidedly not an . . . . Continue Reading »
In his post on the midterm elections and their discontents, Jody Bottum argues that conservatives haven’t made support for the Iraq War a defining test of one’s conservatism, in the way that opposition to the war¯and indeed, war of almost any kind¯has become an abortion-style . . . . Continue Reading »
Since September 11, 2001¯or at least since the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, and probably since the invasion of Afghanistan¯there has been a fundamental imbalance in the way the left and the right have perceived the use of the American military in the war against the Jihadists.Of course, . . . . Continue Reading »
I was in Denver for about a hundred minutes this weekend. I hadn’t planned it, but when I arrived at the airport Friday morning to begin my journey to Calgary, I was surprised to see that’s where I would change planes. The story about Ted Haggard had hit the news the night before, and I . . . . Continue Reading »
You will not be surprised to learn that I am solidly on Ross Douthat’s side in his exchanges with Damon Linker at the New Republic Online (registration required) and the American Experience . My personal interest aside¯or as much as I am capable of putting it aside¯this is one of the . . . . Continue Reading »
The truth about the technical challenges and scientific hurdles for embryonic stem-cell (ESC) therapies is finally getting out. The truth, of course, is that there are no human embryonic stem-cell therapies even in clinical trial, let alone ready for therapy, and there have been no major treatment . . . . Continue Reading »
One of the encouraging developments following Pope Benedict’s lecture at Regensburg University on September 12 is the number of thinkers in the United States and Europe who, while making a point of their not being Catholics or Christians, said that Benedict had rendered a great service by . . . . Continue Reading »
Is it just my imagination or has Robertson Davies faded considerably over the past decade? I was sick in bed the middle of last week and, in my convalescence, pulled down a couple of his early novels to read¯only to be struck by how rarely one hears his name anymore. Before he died in 1995 at . . . . Continue Reading »
The International Theological Commission is pondering the fate of children who die unbaptized, with a document expected to be released by year’s end. The traditional problem about such children in Catholic theology is that attaining the beatific vision of God in heaven exceeds the capacity of . . . . Continue Reading »
Seeing as how I am a new Episcopalian and still learning about my church, I attended a public address given a couple weeks back by Bishop Gene Robinson at General Theological Seminary , in the Chelsea district of Manhattan. There was a pleasant reception before his remarks, supplied nicely with wine . . . . Continue Reading »
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