Various

My deep thanks to Brad East for his piece on doing theology in a divided church (“Theology in Division,” April 2023). The topic is centrally important and rarely taken seriously, as if its obviousness renders the challenge uninteresting. East’s larger points about aiming at a catholic theology . . . . Continue Reading »

Dana Gioia has had an unusual and distinguished career as a poet, an executive with General Foods, and Chairman of the National Endowments for the Arts. In Studying with Miss Bishop: Memoirs from a Young Writer’s Life, he describes mainly his early years as a prospective writer. The emphasis, . . . . Continue Reading »

Dilemmas Matthew Schmitz presents many admirable points in his article, “Benedict Lives” (March 2023). Always respectful of opponents and careful to offer their viewpoints accurately before giving his own, Pope Benedict constituted a model of responsible theological dialogue.  Although . . . . Continue Reading »

In this modern play on Plutarch, Aaron Sachs’s attempt to construct the “parallel lives” of his two subjects meets mixed ­results. In his portrayal of Melville, he pays special attention to the novelist’s role as a social critic. By giving prolonged treatment to Melville’s early South . . . . Continue Reading »

I was very gripped by Kerri ­Christopher’s essay, “Three Christmas Dinners” (February 2023). I’ve not suffered such a thing myself, but just reading about the fractured family affairs of this essay induced in me a sense of emotional vertigo. I was cheered to read Micah ­Mattix’s essay, . . . . Continue Reading »

Every few years, a book comes along that claims to have finally resolved the question of who discovered the individual—for Harold Bloom, it is Shakespeare; for Alain Badiou, it is Paul. In the prologue to her new book, Andrea Wulf attributes the discovery of the individual to the . . . . Continue Reading »

First Things asked several experts in higher education to reflect on the Florida experiment and offer suggestions for maximizing the impact of the reforms. Read their responses here. Continue Reading »

I read with interest the article by Joshua Katz in the January 2023 edition titled “Grace and Serendipity.” In response I offer the following: I had just been named pastor of a parish (Diocese of Oakland, California) and was assigned a mentor, one of the senior priests. In our first meeting, I . . . . Continue Reading »

No Apologies: Why Civilization Depends on the Strength of Men is the latest in a string of brilliant offerings from Anthony Esolen: Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, ­Nostalgia: Going Home in a Homeless World, and Sex and the Unreal City. Utilizing his . . . . Continue Reading »

Catholic Colleges I greatly enjoyed Veronica Clarke’s “Why I Went to a Catholic College” and her clear reasoning for the superiority of choosing such a path (December 2022). Although I am a graduate of three universities (two private, one public), I can no longer bring myself to give them . . . . Continue Reading »