Joe Carter

Should the government try to undermine conspiracy theories involving the government ? In 2009 an article by Cass Sunstein and Adrian Vermeule appeared in the Journal of Political Philosophy (Volume 17, 2, pp. 202-227). Among other things, the authors argued that governments should engage in . . . . Continue Reading »

“Religious conservatives and social conservatives in the Republican Party are like the driver’s education instructor,” said political scientist Dennis Goldford back in 2007. “He has a brake, but he doesn’t have a steering wheel or an accelerator.” Slamming on the . . . . Continue Reading »

What were the religious beliefs of the founding fathers? That question is at the heart of many of the most contentious debates about the role of religion in the American public square. Countless arguments are centered on claims that the founders were either God-fearing Christians or Deistically-inclined secularists. But while historical documents are often mined for justifying quotes, few people bother to muster historical evidence to shore up their claims with the necessary academic rigor… . Continue Reading »

Roger Scruton examines Cardinal John Henry Newman’s conception of what a university does : For Newman a university does not exist simply to convey information or expertise. The university is a society in which the student absorbs the graces and accomplishments of a higher form of life. In the . . . . Continue Reading »

Not everyone who showed up to protest Pope Benedict’s visit to the UK were secularists. At least one Eastern Orthodox gentleman joined in to send the pontiff a message : It wasn’t really a poster; it more like Magic Marker theology on a pizza box. And a young man named Toby Guise was . . . . Continue Reading »

At The Weekly Standard , Jonathan V. Last examines the culture of childless adults . Last mentions a Washington Post story about “altercations between parents, who bring their children, and childless adults, who bring their dogs, to play in the [Capitol Hill’s Lincoln Park].” Here . . . . Continue Reading »

“Some questions we ask today would simply baffle our ancestors,” notes theologian Albert Mohler. Once such question is whether Christians should practice yoga : When Christians ask whether believers should practice yoga, they are asking a question that betrays the strangeness of our . . . . Continue Reading »

Good news, everybody: The recession ended over a year ago! (Now get back to work, you unemployed slackers.) The Great Recession ended in June 2009, according to the body charged with dating when economic downturns begin and end. [ . . . ] The National Bureau of Economic Research, an independent . . . . Continue Reading »

If I could read Hebrew, I’d be considering a career change : A Forward survey of the way churches and synagogues raise and spend funds found this pattern across the country: Rabbis are generally paid far more than their non-Jewish counterparts, for reasons having to do with congregation size . . . . Continue Reading »

A new national survey Pew Research Center finds that Americans say faith drives their stances on social and political issues— but only sometimes : Despite the fact that many religious leaders have been outspoken advocates for immigration reform, just 7% of adults who take a position on . . . . Continue Reading »