Repo Man is perhaps the least justifiable entry on my list of pop music films . While punk rockers feature in only so many of its scenes, it nonetheless captures the spirit of early 80s So-Cal punk, a spirit of cheerful nihilism . Besides, its plot is almost incidental. Sure, there’s some yarn . . . . Continue Reading »
I wrote today about how the court ruling banning circumcision in Germany violates freedom of religion. I also predicted earlier that the ruling would not stand. My predictions are usually right. German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants the ruling reversed by the German Parliament. From . . . . Continue Reading »
I’d like to thank Mark Chapman of Ripon College Cuddesdon for noticing that my Ascension Theology (T&T Clark 2011) “even includes coloured pictures” in its “ambitious . . . survey of scripture and tradition.” We went to a lot of trouble, not to mention expense, with . . . . Continue Reading »
First an Indian “gestational carrier” died in childbirth. Now, we learn that a 17-year-old Indian girl is dead after predators in the IVF industry allowed her to be hyper-ovulated for money three times in 18 months, and she was apparently convinced or coerced by her employer to . . . . Continue Reading »
1. Rineke Dijkstra at the Guggenheim Museum , through October 8 The Dutch photographer’s portraits of adolescents and young people uncover the awkwardness of still-growing bodies in her signature beach photos from the ‘90s and by the later ‘00s capture a new generation at home in . . . . Continue Reading »
Today’s Slate carries a retrospective on Judith Wallerstein , who died last month, by her professional collaborator Sandra Blakeslee. Wallerstein was one of the first social scientists to study the impact of divorce on children. Blakeslee opens with a fascinating vignette on how Wallerstein . . . . Continue Reading »
Wesley J. Smith on freedom of worship’s assault on freedom of religion : What’s the difference? Under freedom of worship, the Catholic and Orthodox churches both remain perfectly free to teach that the Eucharistic bread and wine transform into the body and blood of Christ. Muslims can . . . . Continue Reading »
I remember watching Obama in 2008. He was asked about an issue on which he had changed his mind. Obama answered that he had opposed the 1996 welfare reform law (with its time limits and work requirements) because he though it would hurt families, but the actual experience of dropping . . . . Continue Reading »
In the most recent issue of Dappled Things , Damian J. Ference provides an engaging assessment of the similarities between the works of Pope Benedict XVI and Flannery O’Connor. In his article, “No Vague Believer: The Specificity of the Person of Christ According to Flannery . . . . Continue Reading »
Subscribe
Latest Issue
Support First Things
