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The May Issue of First Things is Here!

The May issue of First Things is now on the newsstands. And what an issue it is. You want serious? We can do serious. Here’s Avery Cardinal Dulles speaking magisterially in “ The Freedom of Theology ”: Although the functions of the magisterium and of the theologians are distinct, each . . . . Continue Reading »

Sensible Jane

The fire dances with hypnotic frenzy, shedding blaze and shadow across the room. Fevered palms fumble, shoulders tremble, and hearts heave. “Do you truly love me?”¯“Trust me.” “But when will you come back?”¯“Soon, very soon.” It is a steamy scene, a . . . . Continue Reading »

Who Will Save Catholic Schools?

Every generation lives off the cultural inheritance of its predecessors. Among that inheritance for today’s American Catholics is a network of parochial schools built by their immigrant forebears, which served both to teach the faith and ground the community.But today, many of those Catholic . . . . Continue Reading »

Listening to Benedict

That’s the main thing¯to listen to what he says. I expect the texts for the public events will be posted promptly on numerous sites. Raymond Arroyo and I will be cohosting the live coverage of all the events on EWTN (check your cable listings). And I hope that, between events, I’ll . . . . Continue Reading »

Safire’s Devious Dictionary

A couple days ago, a signed copy of Safire’s Political Dictionary , the fifth edition of the popular tome by the linguistic and political columnist William Safire, arrived on my desk. I’d seen it in a catalogue and, thinking it would follow in the footsteps of Dr. Johnson’s . . . . Continue Reading »

When Higher Education Isn’t

Law professors are the last intellectuals. While most academics grind away in their disciplines, the folks in the law schools seem to have the confidence and freedom to think and write about things far removed from the technical world of law. Stephen Carter at Yale writes novels. Alan Dershowitz at . . . . Continue Reading »

Pro-Life Doctors: A New Oxymoron?

In November 2007, the Committee on Ethics of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) published Committee Opinion # 385 entitled, “The Limits of Conscientious Refusal in Reproductive Medicine.” The committee opinion sought to “maximize accommodation of an . . . . Continue Reading »

Rule of Thump

The naked public square has been hung with paraments, and those who preferred it unadorned have not quite known what to make of it. Even before controversy erupted over Rev. Jeremiah Wright’s jeremiads, 2008’s presidential candidates had kicked up the level of God-talk notches previously . . . . Continue Reading »

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