Various

Desires Right & Wrong: The Ethics of Enoughby Mortimer J. AdlerMacmillan, 200 pages, $22.95 The indefatigable Mortimer Adler returns with vigor to the argument that Aristotle provides the basis for a truly universal and normative ethic. Almost half the book is composed of appendices from earlier . . . . Continue Reading »

Why Christian Mission? While I agree with Richard John Neuhaus that Redemptoris Missio is highly important (“Reviving the Missionary Mandate,” The Public Square, October 1991), I worry that it is not nearly as “profoundly countercultural” as he believes. The six reasons he discerns that the . . . . Continue Reading »

The following declaration was produced by the Ramsey Colloquium of the Institute on Religion and Public Life in New York City. The Colloquium is a group of Jewish and Christian theologians, ethicists, philosophers, and scholars that meets periodically to consider questions of ethics, religion, and . . . . Continue Reading »

The Organizational Revolution: Presbyterians and American Denominationalism edited by Milton J. Coalter, John M. Mulder, and Louis B. Weeks Westminster/John Knox Press, 376 pages, $16.95 As more volumes in the “Presbyterian Presence” series become available, its value as a case study in the . . . . Continue Reading »

“Talmudic”⁠—Properly Understood In his otherwise fine article, “Why the News Makes Us Dumb” (October 1991), John Sommerville writes, “Belief in the first amendment is not to be questioned. In fact, the faithful show their devotion by a hundred Talmudic expansions on that simple . . . . Continue Reading »

The Evils of Capitalism While I agree with some of Peter Berger’s observations in“Capitalism: The Continuing Revolution” (August/September), I disagree profoundly with his model, several key assumptions, and his conclusion. First, the model. One of the reasons that economists tend to disagree . . . . Continue Reading »

On the Third Dayby Piers Paul ReadRandom House, 259 pages, $20 You can’t fault novelist Piers Paul Read for raising some intriguing questions around a fascinating pair of archeological conceits: What would happen if a skeleton bearing the marks of torture and crucifixion associated with . . . . Continue Reading »

Defending Atheists I rubbed my eyes in disbelief as I read Richard John Neuhaus’ contentious article, “Can Atheists Be Good Citizens?” (August/September) I hope that this is not the opening salvo by neoconservatives to deny nonbelievers their legitimate rights as citizens. To maintain that . . . . Continue Reading »

Our Idea of God: An Introduction to Philosophical Theologyby Thomas V. MorrisUniversity of Notre Dame Press, 192 pages, $18.95 Aclear and solid introduction to philosophical theology, which is best described as an attempt to answer the questions children ask: Where is God? What is God like? How do . . . . Continue Reading »

Decter Pro and Con Midge Decter’s “Farewell to the Woman Question” (June-July) was a superb little piece. She cuts through the two decades of self-deception, bullying, and patronizing since the so-called Sexual Revolution established its tyranny over American social life. Decter reveals the . . . . Continue Reading »