Joseph Bottum

A subscriber writes to ask if I know any good churches in Amsterdam. The answer, unfortunately, is no. Does anyone else have an idea? Beautiful old churches to visit—likely, I imagine, to be Dutch Reformed? And a good church at which to attend a Catholic Mass? Email here if you have a . . . . Continue Reading »

Our friend Thomas Farr—author of a major article on U.S. foreign policy and religious freedom in the next issue of First Things —writes to remind us of a conference at Georgetown University on October 10. The last in a series of conferences commemorating the 10th anniversary of the . . . . Continue Reading »

Among the events for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in New York next week is a dinner with American religious leaders—sponsored by the American Friends Service Committee, the Mennonite Central Committee, the Quaker United Nations Office, and the World Council of Churches, among others. . . . . Continue Reading »

The October issue of First Things has arrived¯a big-tent issue, a three-ring extravaganza of essays, poems, letters, and reviews.Under the big top, for instance, Richard John Neuhaus looks back at the Second Vatican Council. In his essay-length review of two new books¯John W. . . . . Continue Reading »

Over at the law professors’ blog, the Volokh Conspiracy , they’re discussing the question of why political donations from lawyers are running so strongly in favor of Obama. One commentator offers this explanation, “Could it be that most highly educated people agree with Obama, are . . . . Continue Reading »

Sally Quinn—and what made the Washington Post imagine this gossip columnist was an expert on American religion?— points out the hypocrisy of conservative Protestants both promoting male headship and cheering for Sarah Palin. To which Helen Rittelmeyer replies the answer is easy: Sarah . . . . Continue Reading »

Apropos of the charges against Scientology in France , James Taranto noticed the curious headline of the AP story on the topic: “French Court to Try Church of Scientology.” Adds Tatanto , “If It Doesn’t Work, They’ll Go Back to Laïcité.” . . . . Continue Reading »

In the New Republic , Leon Wieseltier writes an essay he titles ” Against Integrity .” It starts with various swipes at Republican hypocrisy, but then moves to this point: the truth is that Sarah Palin is a woman of integrity. I do not say this sardonically. I find nothing phony in her, . . . . Continue Reading »

You gotta love the Times of London. Here’s the lede for their recent article on the hometown of the Republicans’ vice-presidential candidate: At the age of 10, Sarah Palin got her very own bunny rabbit. Which means to say that she crouched down in the grass outside her family home, . . . . Continue Reading »

My friend Manolo the Shoeblogger has, of course, some advice for a woman in need of shoes today: Dear Manolo, I’m a small town girl with big time dreams, who has just been given the job of a lifetime. The next eight weeks will be super demanding and I’ll be in the limelight a lot . . . . . . . Continue Reading »