R. R. Reno

With the announcement of his resignation, Pope Benedict signals the end of the heroic generation. No longer will the Catholic Church be run by a man who was a participant at the Second Vatican Council, the three years in the life of the Church that have defined so much of the last fifty… . Continue Reading »

Today’s New York Times features an op ed by former executive editor Bill Keller. He weighs in on the religious liberty debate, especially the question of whether owners of for-profit companies can claim rights of religious liberty. It’s not the most clear-minded piece, but it raises the . . . . Continue Reading »

Big Labor was once a pillar of the Democratic party. Today it’s giving way to a new liberalism, one largely concerned with consolidating the cultural changes of the last half-century. Penny Pritzker’s name has been floated as the nominee for Commerce Secretary. Her family is fabulously wealthy and has a reputation for sharp business dealings… . Continue Reading »

“Strong, oddly cautious, a bit common (how cd he not be with those parents?) but unemotional, terre à terre, tough, quick, independent, ruthless, soulless, gifted, serious, anxious to pick up whatever he can.” So wrote Isaiah Berlin to his wife after meeting John Kennedy. The letter . . . . Continue Reading »

Boy Scout national headquarters in Philadelphia. It was an ugly scene in Irving, Texas, when the Boy Scout decided on Wednesday to delay a vote on whether to end the policy of prohibiting openly gay leaders. From today’s Wall Street Journal : “In a Web conference with Scouts leaders on . . . . Continue Reading »

I plan to write up a summary of where we stand on the recently released rules, or more accurately proposed partial rules, for the contraceptive mandate for the next issue of the magazine. In the meantime, I’ve found myself reflecting on the larger trends. Here is my general view. . . . . Continue Reading »

Conservatism needs to recover its ability to speak to our deep and perennial need for solidarity. The economic freedom that encourages individuals to be productive and independent certainly needs to be promoted. We need more robust economic growth, and there’s an inherent dignity in earning a . . . . Continue Reading »

David Blankenhorn thinks the gay marriage debate has reached a dead end. He wants it to go in a new direction. Thus “ A Call for a New Conversation on Marriage ,” a manifesto of sorts from the Institute for American Values. Blankenhorn wants to form a coalition of the willing to renew the . . . . Continue Reading »

A friend wrote recently. He was responding to my observations about the role of public spaces in sustaining a robust sense of solidarity. Good architecture is a public good, he writes, and “bad architecture is regressive. There will always be bad buildings because there will always be budget . . . . Continue Reading »

I’m a Christian intellectual. (I hope that’s true, on both counts). I have a PhD in theology. That’s what I know best. I participate in the Christian form of life, or at least I try to. It provides me with my most basic intellectual tools. This Christian way of thinking is not . . . . Continue Reading »