First Thoughts

The Last Waltz?

Recent events point to problems at the heart of conservative evangelical culture in America. Continue Reading »

First Links — 3.11.16

How Much Should Lent Hurt?
Father Robert McTeigue, SJ, Aleteia

The Renewal of Metaphysics and the Rebirth of Christian Society
Elliot Milco, Paraphasic

Evangelists Adapt to a New Era, Preaching the Gospel to Skeptics
Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times

Who Are Trump's Christians
Ivan Plis, National Interest

Must Theatre Always Sneer at Religion?
Theo Hobson, Spectator

The Redundancy of House of Cards
Jake Meador, Mere Orthodoxy

An Appeal to Our Fellow Catholics
Robert P. George and George Weigel, National Review

The Broderers of St. Paul's Cathedral
The Gentle Author, Spitalfields Life

Attack on Mother Teresa’s Nuns in Yemen

On Friday, March 4, sixteen people were murdered in a terrorist attack at a nursing home in Aden, the main city on the coast of southern Yemen. The dead comprised four nuns, who served in the Missionaries of Charity, the order founded by Blessed Mother Teresa, plus eight elderly residents, their . . . . Continue Reading »

In Memoriam: Hassan al-Turabi and Sudan’s Islamist Pivot

Sudanese Islamist leader Hassan al-Turabi died last Saturday, March 5 at the age of 84. While never head of state or government in Sudan, he held different government positions at different times. But Turabi’s greatest influence stemmed from his intellectual and organizational leadership, most . . . . Continue Reading »

Upcoming Events—3.9.16

From NYC's March for Life to the Elm Institute summer seminars, we've got your covered for events in NYC and beyond.

CPAC’s Pro-Life Panel

On Friday afternoon, the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) hosted a panel on pro-life issues. It was moderated by Julie Hocker of the American Conservative Union Foundation. Panelists included Congressional candidate Lenny McAllister, abortion survivor and pro-life activist Gianna . . . . Continue Reading »

The End of Democracy?

Social media tend to magnify the expansive self, encouraging participants to stake out a virtual identity within the ethereal territory of the world wide web: “This is who I am, like it or not!” “My political beliefs are part of my identity; to call them into question is to call my very identity into question.” Continue Reading »

The Myth of the Evangelical Trump Voters

There has been much handwringing in the evangelical world over the seemingly high levels of support for Donald Trump among self-proclaimed evangelical voters in Republican primaries. Likewise this phenomenon has drawn much attention from the mainstream media, who seem eager to point out the apparent . . . . Continue Reading »

The Age of Outrage

We are living in an age of outreach. The rise of Trump is evidence enough. But Trump and his followers are the symptom of a much deeper problem: a diseased culture facing the death of reasoned discourse and civil disagreement. Continue Reading »

Justice Scalia and Religious Conservatives

Religious conservatives never thought they would need accommodations. The culture was theirs. Continue Reading »