Eliot and Liberalism

I‘ve been rereading T.S. Eliot's Idea of a Christian Society. He wrote the book as World War II was beginning. It was a time when many were questioning whether liberal democratic societies had any future. Fascism and Communism seemed the vital new movements that had the upper hand.The gist of . . . . Continue Reading »

​Against the Academic Culture of Privilege

Olivia Legaspi is a Haverford College freshman. After working at McDonalds during the summer to save up enough for her contribution to her financial aid package, she entered into the dream-world of elite higher education where everyone is encouraged to speak up, feel safe, and give priority to their . . . . Continue Reading »

For Those Curious Young Minds

Some of my fellow staff members here at First Things have written reflections on what sets First Things apart for them, and why our magazine is worthy of support—see Matthew Schmitz’s, Alexi Sargeant’s, and Carl Trueman’s here. They’ve covered a lot of ground. I will add this: There is a . . . . Continue Reading »

A Personal Reflection on First Things

I’m grateful to my parents for many reasons. But one thing I’m especially grateful about these days is that they left issues of First Things lying around our house. Even when I was a wee bit younger than the target audience, I loved reading Father Neuhaus’s warm or trenchant reflections in the . . . . Continue Reading »

Letters from Santa

It was the Christmas of 2013, and my 10-year-old twin sons were having a crisis of faith.Their elder brother had already settled into a comfortable skepticism about flying reindeer, toy-making elves, and Santa Claus. To their younger sister, the existence of such things was a matter of uncomplicated . . . . Continue Reading »