One more word on that long searched-for Chesterton quote. And since Dale Ahlquist is, after all, the president of the American Chesterton Society, perhaps this can be the last word. Unless, of course, somebody comes up with a find that has eluded so many others. Mr. Ahlquist writes: Dear Fr. . . . . Continue Reading »
Jeffrey Hart of Dartmouth, assuming the mantle of Edmund Burke, had an essay in the Wall Street Journal opining on the meaning of conservatism today. Along the way, he declared that the unlimited abortion license established by Roe accords with the social “actuality” of modern life and . . . . Continue Reading »
At the 7:45am Mass this morning (the fifth day of Christmas, by the way), a parishioner said she was resigned to spending most of the day at Macy’s trying to return a sweater three sizes too small. Such is the madding crowd. In the course of discussing the recent “Christmas war” . . . . Continue Reading »
Can I register a complaint here about the increasing use of “theocon” to describe all politically conservative religious people? Andrew Sullivan has been pushing the word for some while now: Richard John Neuhaus is officially the ” theocon-in-chief ,” which I reckon trumps . . . . Continue Reading »
The third day of Christmas and my true love sent to me . . . As it happens, I didn’t get anything. Except the posting below by Michael Novak, which I commend to your attention. This is also the day of Saint John, Apostle and Evangelist. My parish in Brooklyn was St. John the Evangelist, which . . . . Continue Reading »
As I remember, the 1960 movie version of Inherit the Wind ended with Spencer Tracy (as the Clarence Darrow figure) packing together in his briefcase the Bible and a copy of Origin of Species . From the moment H.L. Mencken made himself the star of American journalism—by covering the circus . . . . Continue Reading »
The 16th century Reformation claim was that the doctrine of justification is the article by which the Church stands or falls. The Joint Declaration between the Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican, plus the statement by Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), “The Gift of . . . . Continue Reading »
This is the second day of Christmas, and also the day of St. Stephen, proto-martyr. Never mind that the traditional twelve days of Christmas have been tossed into a cocked hat by our venerable betters in cone hats who decided that Epiphany, January 6, is to be observed on the nearest Sunday. This . . . . Continue Reading »
One often hears it said that modern science has adopted a methodology that takes no account of teleology and final causation. This is taken to be a point against teleology by some and against modern science by others. It is true that Bacon, Descartes, and many others who have philosophized about . . . . Continue Reading »
Somewhere along a career misspent in journalism, I seem to have gotten assigned the Christmas beat. I’ve written about Christmas food, Christmas music, Christmas books, Christmas poetry, Christmas church services, Christmas toys, Christmas . . . Christmas . . . Christmas . . . Most of them . . . . Continue Reading »
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