Obama the Sweet-Smelling Flower

Our Forfare Davis has written about the disappointment of some who expected President Obama and his team to keep their distance from the lobbying and influence peddling culture of Washington. I’m not sure why anyone expected different or better. Obama accommodated himself to . . . . Continue Reading »

The Stubborn Myth of the “Warfare” between Science and Religion

Have science and religion historically been at war with each other? This idea is pervasive, deeply ingrained, and often goes unquestioned. But no serious historian of science accepts it today. It was largely the creation of two 19th century authors, who confected it for personal and political reasons. And yet, the myth remains powerful and is endlessly repeated. 

Join Lawrence Principe, professor of the history of science and technology at Johns Hopkins University, for a talk exploring the foundations of this myth and how it rose to the realm of “common knowledge.” Sponsored by the the Society of Catholic Scholars of Delaware, the public lecture will begin at 7:30 tomorrow at the University of Delaware. Visit UD’s event page for more details.

Analogia Resurrectionis

Although the resurrection of Christ is unique and unrepeatable, there are analogies for it in the lives of Christians. Jesus says as much when he makes his raising of Lazarus to be an icon of the greater resurrection that’s to come. Continue Reading »

Could You Not Watch One Hour with Me?

Tonight I’ll partake in the Maundy Thursday custom of making a mini-pilgrimage to nearby churches in order to pray before repositories of the Blessed Sacrament—to “watch one hour” with our Lord during his agony in Gethsemane. My friends and I will travel down Manhattan’s East Side, starting after the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Church of St. Vincent Ferrer, going to St. Catherine of Sienna, Our Lady of Peace, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, St. Agnes, Our Savior. Continue Reading »

Upcoming Events Roundup — 4.17.14

St. Francis of Assisi and the Western Tradition Friday–Saturday, April 25–26 New York, New York Another great April event from the Thomistic Institute: A series of lectures with Archbishop Charles J. Chaput, Francesca Murphy, Roger Scruton, R. R. Reno, Carol Zaleski, and Philip Zaleski. . . . . Continue Reading »

The Eighth Day

There is a realism about history and historical progress that a Christian vision of life brings. This realism stems from what Christopher Lasch referred to as an awareness “that the contingent, provisional, and finite quality of temporal things finds its most vivid demonstration not just in the death of individuals but in the rise and fall of nations.” Such an awareness does not deny a telos to the history of life, but it does remove its fulfillment from the realm of mere human activity, whether economic, political, or otherwise. Continue Reading »