Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, has proposed creating a two-tiered Anglican Communion¯one tier of "covenant" churches in communion with Canterbury and another tier of churches only in "association." The former would be those in agreement on the role of the Bible . . . . Continue Reading »
I know I reveal my old-fogeyism when I say that I’m only vaguely aware of who Britney Spears is. I’m told that she falls somewhat short as an exemplar of virtuous living. That may well be, but it does not excuse the ruckus over a sculpture being exhibited at the Capla Kesting Fine Art . . . . Continue Reading »
OK, so this weekend my wife and I indulged a guilty pleasure and rented The Shoes of the Fisherman to watch. You remember the 1968 film? The indefatigable Anthony Quinn¯Hollywood’s favorite generic ethnic actor in those days¯plays an Eastern European priest elected pope. Laurence . . . . Continue Reading »
I have great respect for Marc Stern, who has long been the religious-liberty point man for the American Jewish Congress. He describes himself as being "firmly opposed to same-sex marriage on religious grounds." He agrees with the conclusions of a recent conference sponsored by the Becket . . . . Continue Reading »
Just out from Viking is Basilica: The Splendor and the Scandal of Building St. Peter’s by R.A. Scotti. It is a lovely book, filled with historical detail and lively depictions of the main players, beginning with the unstoppable Pope Julius II, who in 1505 decided to demolish the basilica . . . . Continue Reading »
A friend emails thoughts on the recent firing of a transportation commissioner in Maryland for remarks about homosexuality: Back in 2004, Rocco Buttiglione was nominated to be the commissioner of justice on the newly formed European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union. A . . . . Continue Reading »
The election of Katharine Jefferts Schori as the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church (ECUSA) is an occasion of great sadness for all who care about the unity of Christians. Those who have always been skeptical of the ecumenical effort may well say, “I told you so,” and indulge in a . . . . Continue Reading »
Cynthia Gorney takes to the pages of the New Yorker to report on abortion in South Dakota. The article itself is not available online, but the New Yorker is promoting the article by posting on its website an interview with the author¯and, in its way, the interview is more revealing than the . . . . Continue Reading »
Somebody thought The Passion needed a sequel, and not merely in the theological sense. What’s more, somebody thought that Tim LaHaye, coauthor of those uber-bestselling successful Left Behind comic books, was the man to produce it. And so he shall. The movie is tentatively entitled, you . . . . Continue Reading »
The distinction between pro-Palestine and anti-Israel is often hard to discern, and that between anti-Israel and anti-Semitic is sometimes exceedingly fine. Father Drew Christiansen, editor of America , the Jesuit magazine, is unhappy that some anti-Semites agree with him, but he nonetheless agrees . . . . Continue Reading »