administered through what was known as the Hays Office. The goal of Will H. Hays, the administrator (and as it happened a Presbyterian elder), was to enforce such moral standards as would render moot any criticism from outside Hollywood. Although the code i

administered death to those who ask for it has steadily expanded—from the terminally ill, to more seriously chronically ill, to people with serious disabilities, to those suffering from existential anguish or mental illness. Euthanizing the profoundly depresse

administrators of the Rockefeller Foundation, however, had no intention of subsidizing quixotic expeditions into China’s asperous hinterlands, or investigations in the new and recondite field of paleoanthropology, and so did everything they could to discourage

administration must . . . provide for the welfare and comfort of the working classes”; or that so recent an encyclical as Centesimus Annus pronounced that “the mass of the poor [who] have no resources of their own to fall back on . . . must chiefly depend on t

administration released the proposed regulations allowing that actual churches and organizations directly under the control of churches are properly religious employers. They can opt out of the morally controversial coverage. But religious colleges and chariti

administering painkillers in a way that sent a downcast lad safely on his way, thinking he could face the world again. Because we knew they cared for our welfare, we grew to love these hospital staff. It never crossed our minds that they would intentionally

administration of fun,” which meant, in Max’s summary, “no more irony and distance, commitment not spectation (a favorite word of his), involvement. And even, where possible, the hope of redemption.” As he told Larry McCaffery in a famous interview in the Revi

administrator. The lay vocation, as understood by Evangelical Catholicism, is primarily one of evangelism: of the family, the workplace, and the neighborhood, and thus of culture, economics, and politics, bringing the gospel into all of those parts of the w

administrative state, and powerful interests, a relationship that enhances the power of each. Skidelsky points to developing concentrations of economic power over the last forty years in the United Kingdom and the United States as evidence against markets. But

Administrators mobilized to investigate. His crime? He had questioned LGBT orthodoxies. There are two observations to make about the protests in France. First, American intellectuals pride themselves for being brave free-thinkers, but for the most part they

administration, freed from the constraints imposed by the necessity of running for re-election, have created a crisis for the Catholic Church in the United States. In the thought-world and vocabulary of the Bible, “crisis” has two meanings: the conventional se

administration’s demolition of civil society through the HHS mandate on contraceptives and abortifacients: What is the nature of American democracy and the fundamental freedoms government is created to protect? Who are the true patriots: the men and women who

administer public policy. Rieff points to economist Jeffrey Sachs. The title of his 2005 book says it all: The End of Poverty. In the past we suffered limitations. Food was scarce and commerce restricted. Moreover, in our backward state we suffered from pol

administration to the most open-ended abortion license possible. And it drew a line in the sand that those committed to the biblical view of the sanctity of human life cannot ignore—and must challenge. Planned Parenthood is a multimillion-dollar industry, f

Administration just made the morning-after pill available on store shelves for girls age fifteen and up. Not too long ago, Americans mostly believed in “live and let live.” The ironic motto for the current day: “You do it my way.” That’s not paradoxical. Th

administer the last sacraments to the dying, was killed as the building collapsed. People instinctively recognize that at life-and-death moments like this, a clergyman ought to be there. There are no atheists in foxholes. The April 26 Wall Street Journal ca

administers with a light hand, wary of political intrigue, but with directness and strength. Essential to leadership in the Church, according to Bishop Jorge Eduardo Lozano, a former auxiliary to Archbishop Bergoglio, is “purity of heart.” Conformity to Chr

Administration at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, where he also serves as Professor of Christian Theology and Ethics. Become a fan of First Things on Facebook, subscribe to First Things via RSS, and follow First Things on Twitter.

administrators to promote “values.” The 360-degree view includes an immensity of detail, and the details often mean more when seen together than when taken one by one. One thing that becomes clear from this perspective is the enduring influence of the colle

administrative offices—the Government of Vatican City State, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See—are automatically cardinals: a reform that would also speak to Pope Francis’s strictu

President Obama tells NBC he hopes his trip to Cairo and the Middle East will create "constructive" discussions with Muslims. (Via: RealClearPolitics)

From the Washington Post: A diverse coalition of more than 100 clergy gathered in a Southeast Washington church yesterday to show their support for same-sex marriages in the District. "We declare that our faith calls us to affirm marriage equality for loving

From the Baptist Press: Oklahoma Democratic Gov. Brad Henry has signed into law bills banning sex-selection abortions and human cloning. The sex-selection prohibition also requires doctors to report to the state the reasons women choose abortion and complicat

From Christianity Today: As churches and religious groups eye President Obama's Supreme Court pick, U.S. Circuit Judge Sonia Sotomayor, they will likely take keen interest in her religious freedom cases. During her career, Sotomayor has written several deci

From the AP: A Hispanic Roman Catholic theologian who was an adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign will be nominated to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the Vatican, the White House announced Wednesday. Miguel H. Diaz, 45, an associate professo

From LifeNew.com: The Caritas Catholic health care system faces continued criticism over a health insurance bid that will result in it making abortion referrals. Massachusetts state officials awarded the bid, which has Caritas Christi Health Care joining with

administration to discard lawsuits that involve "state secrets," promising that a new policy is in the works that will quell criticism by civil libertarians. But hours after Obama's speech laid out a "delicate balance" on national security, his Justice Departm

From the L.A. Times: Reporting from Washington -- President Obama will nominate federal judge Sonia Sotomayor of New York to the U.S. Supreme Court today, according to White House sources, positioning the longtime federal jurist to become the first Latino memb