Jason Joseph

Jeremy Lin, the Harvard educated, Asian-American, basketball phenom who makes public proclamations about his Christian faith, is all the rage right now. There are a variety of questions his success raises, yet surely the most unique (or esoteric) analysis must go to David Brooks who takes a . . . . Continue Reading »

There has been a lot of thoughtful commentary on the HHS Mandate the last couple of weeks.  Ross Douthat and Yuval Levin argue that Obama levels the ‘little platoons’ of civil society in favor of expanding the power of the state.  Here is Levin: “In this arena, as in a . . . . Continue Reading »

Clifford Orwin discusses here how liberal democracy is officially neutral towards all ways of life.  Each individual is free to put into practice whatever worldview he subscribes to.  Justice Kennedy confirms this view in Casey v. Planned Parenthood when he says an individual is free to . . . . Continue Reading »

The following musing is the result of rereading a very old speech while listening to current events on the radio: George Washington’s Farewell Address is concerned with national unity: “The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exalt the just pride . . . . Continue Reading »

Universalism, the belief that everyone is going to heaven, is becoming widespread.  Check out the popularity of Rob Bell’s book Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person WhoEver Lived as an example.  A perennial question Universalists love to ask traditional . . . . Continue Reading »

With the Emmy Awards coming up, it might be worth discussing the recent season of Mad Men , which garnered 19 nominations this year.  Throughout the first three seasons, Don has been able to divide up his life into neat professional and private compartments.  In his professional life, he . . . . Continue Reading »

After having read Irving Kristol’s The Neoconservative Persuasion and read/listened to some comments on him here and here , some reoccurring themes in his work came up which might of interest to Pomo Con readers: 1) Culture:  Our own James Poulos describes Kristol as “A secular . . . . Continue Reading »

The film Nine Days That Changed The World is about JPII’s pilgrimage to Poland in 1979 while it was still under the Soviet Union’s control.  It documents the uproar his visit caused and how fragile the Communist hold over that country really was.  His stay sparked the Solidarity . . . . Continue Reading »

John B. Kienker, managing editor of Claremont Review of Books, has a positive review of Peter’s Modern and American Dignity in the June/July issue of First Things.  He concludes the piece with this friendly criticism: Ultimately, however, Lawler finds mere political . . . . Continue Reading »

Ross Douthat’s Op-ed The Future of Gay Marriage discusses Dan Savage’s call for Open Marriage .  Savage’s suggestion  that we legitimate infidelity poses the following question for Sophisticated Americans: If the Judeo-Christian understanding of marriage as heterosexual is . . . . Continue Reading »