First Thoughts

First Links—4.14.15

The Quest for Community in the Age of Obama
Ross Douthat, The Imaginative Conservative

‘They,' the Singular Pronoun, Gets Popular
Ben Zimmer, The Wall Street Journal

Going for the Hard Sell as Interest in English Major Declines
Nick Anderson, The Washington Post

Letters to a Young Catholic Writer
Daniel McInerny, The Catholic Thing

Pope Francis on the Armenian Genocide

Drawing attention to the Armenian Genocide may be a way to mobilize the world to save suffering Christians now—before it is too late. Continue Reading »

First Links—4.13.15

Civil Courage and Transcendent Truth
Jordan Ballor, Public Discourse

How to Navigate the Art World
William O'Connor, The Daily Beast

Pluralism Doesn't Mean Relativism
John Inazu, Christianity Today

The Assistant Economy
Francesca Mari, Dissent Magazine

First Links—4.9.15

The Active and Contemplative Life
Randall Smith, The Catholic Thing

What Would a World Without Language Barriers Look Like?
Joe Pinsker, The Atlantic

Do We Really Understand Boko Haram?
Matt Hadro, The Catholic News Agency

Can Matthew Crawford Deliver Us From Distraction?
Michael S. Roth, The Chronicle of Higher Education

First Links—4.10.15

Interview with a Christian
Ross Douthat, The New York Times

Realism and Russia's Fate
Jack Hanson, Open Letters Monthly

Equipment for Living
Michael Robins, The Poetry Foundation

Our Push for “Passion” and Why It Harms Kids
Lisa Heffernan, The New York Times

Religious Liberty Is a Rearguard Position

In Public Discourse this week is a forthright statement of religious liberty signed by five distinguished figures. It’s a point that needs to be made again and again.Religious liberty is the first freedom. It is one of the “moral roots” of our “constitutional system.” It is every American’s “birthright.” Without it, “civic harmony” is endangered. Continue Reading »

First Links—4.8.15

Exultet!
Pope Zosimus, The Catholic Thing

Joyful Dissonance
Michael Prodger, Standpoint

Pound's Metro
William Logan, The New Criterion

PBS's “Wolf Hall” Trashes St. Thomas More
Eamon Duffy, Aleteia

Princeton Votes for Academic Freedom

A locomotive for academic freedom. Continue Reading »

First Links—4.6.15

Resurrection Joy
Br. John Sica, O.P., Dominicana

Photos of the Day
Darrin Zammit Reuters, The Wall Street Journal

The Truth is Hard: An Interview with Roger Scruton
Douglas Murray, The Spectator

Petition
Traci Brimhall, Poetry Magazine

Indiana and Social Conservatives

Given what happened in Indiana last week, what steps might we take? Here are some suggestions: Continue Reading »