First Things’ January issue has been sent out to subscribers, and is now available online. It is, if we might say so, brimming with intellectual variety.
The issue opens with James Nuechterlein’s “Public Square” column, in which he analyzes the roots of discomfort with patriotism, and how those who value religious orthodoxy can be patriots without being idolaters. Then Gabriel Said Reynold’s essay, “Evangelizing Islam,” examines the religious roulette surrounding the question of conversion away from Islam. Also of international flavor is Susie Poppick’s “The Last of the Saffron Monks,” chronicling the lives of exiled Burmese Buhddist monks as they seek refuge and enlightenment in America.
Moving on to the essays, first up is Elbridge A. Colby, who offers a nuanced and carefully pragmatic view of the Catholic teaching on nuclear deterrence, in “Keeping the Peace.” David Novak then offers First Things readers a treat in a historical review of New York’s legendary Lubavitcher Rebbe and his messianic following. In “The Ruins of Discontinuity,” this month’s first free article, Reinhard Hütter explores the future of Catholic theology, which, he argues, “can be maintained only if we explicitly conceive of it as an ecclesial intellectual practice of the Church, arising from the Church’s nature and mission.“ Bridging today’s troublesome gap between scientists and philosophers, University of St. Andrews philosopher John Haldane critiques Stephen Hawking in “Philosophy Lives,” the issue’s final essay, arguing that philosophy is far from being dead and is, in fact, reinvigorated by the (unwitting) philosophic claims made by prominent scientists. Haldane’s essay is also available for free, online.
The issue also includes reviews of Roger Scruton’s newest title The Uses of Pessimism (reviewed by R.R. Reno), the Brazos Theological Commentary on 1 Samuel (reviewed by Gary A. Anderson), as well as Yoel Finkelman’s take on The 188th Crybaby Brigade, a narrative about life in the Israeli army. Also in our pages is Gilbert Meilander’s review of Cosmos, Life, and Liturgy in a Greek Orthodox Village and Mary Rose Somarriba’s review of Sarah Dubow’s new book, Ourselves Unborn: A History of the Fetus in Modern America.
To round things out, there are incisive Letters to the Editor, an architecture column (on Le Corbusier’s Church of Staint-Pierre de Firminy), First Things’ “Sunday Best” feature, poetry, and the roadmap of religion and culture news and irony in this month’s “While We’re At It” section.
Comments:
FT is one classy journal now. The glossy pages add some pizzazz to it while at the
same time being intelligent and challenging reads. The College evaluation issue was
superb...a gold mine of information for parents and educators. You have the dearest pictures for Sunday Best and your poems are beautiful for those who take time to savor them And I must say this:whoever composes your Crossword puzzles has one wry sense of humor expecting this poor Bostonian to have in her head a quotation like this last one from Blessed John Henry Neuman. I will echo DP above by saying "Pretty please" but only only that far: Please don't revert to the old format. You have struck gold with this one.
Church of the East member: I've been asking these guys what happened to Bottum but they're all keeping mum. Sort of like how on Married With Children, they introduced a new kid named Seven into the series one season, he proved unpopular, and then did the next season without him pretending he never happened.
Anyway, I thought Bottum was better as a contributing writer than editor. He seemed out of his element in the While We're At It section. Like one reader said some months back, "I used to love First Things. Now I like First Things." Time was, I used to devour every issue as soon as it arrived in the mail, now I might read less than half of it over the course of a month. Eventually had to face facts and let my subscription lapse. And the thing about making First Things t-shirts - I still groan over that one.
One last bit of negativity and then I'll stop. Did anyone else get the feeling that First Things was going from a witty, urbane magazine to one that was, for lack of a better term, kind of nerdy? I can't think of anything nerdier than walking around in a FT t-shirt, unless it's walking around in a Shakespeare t-shirt.
http://blog.beliefnet.com/religionandpubliclife/2010/11/catholic-intellectual-scuttlebutt.html
http://www.insidecatholic.com/myblog/jody-bottum-no-longer-editor-at-first-things.html
Rumor has it he quit FT to write a book for DoubleDay?
I actually really like Goldman's Spengler column. It's mordant, caustic and enjoyably abrasive. But that style is an ill-fit with the traditional First Things tone.
The Catholic Church is an international organization, headed by a German, in Italy. It is spread over hundreds of different countries, and includes one billion members. Of who whom only 6% live in America.
While indeed, Jesus was said to come to unite "all nations," all peoples.
So that any attachment to country is, I submit, provincial, idol-worshing, and anti-Catholic.
These are cosmetic changes that have nothing to do with the quality of the content.
The new covers scream COLLEGE LITERARY MAGAZINE. They used to just quietly state "journal of ideas"
the back cover photo is a waste of (ultra-glossy) paper
'Like one reader said some months back, "I used to love First Things. Now I like First Things." Time was, I used to devour every issue as soon as it arrived in the mail, now I might read less than half of it over the course of a month.'
though I decided to give FT one more year. After that it will lapse. I now skip all the articles on the glossy paper (have to agree with Andrew Lyttle on that). Though I love the crossword.. but that is not a deal buster.
Since I have no kids college bound, the College Issue could have been web reference with a summary .. best/worst or something that allowed a FT magazine that month.
As a Catholic who loves his country, the USA, I see no conflict in being a Catholic Patriot. The question need not be one of either - or, but one of prudent priority setting. We have a pretty good starting point for prudence of that sort from a Usually Reliable Source, who said, "Render unto Caesar..."
We also have a pretty good guide for applying that "First Thing" in contemporary America from Archbishop Chaput, in his recent book by the same name. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the intersection of religion and the public square.
My major concern is what seems like a lack of focus on the original mission: advocating a religiously grounded public philosophy. Articles on architecture and Saffron Monks, in my view, do not advance that mission. The chic poetry reminds me of the billiards champion a generation ago who performed amazing trick shots on TV and then announced, "I'm just showin'off."
As a Protestant I accept the fact that FT is thoroughly RC, yet found it somewhat troubling to see how Newman's total intellectual surrender to a human tradition was trumpeted, instead of one's consecration to the Lord Jesus Christ himself.
I'll keep watching with good will toward all in charge.
