Matthew Schmitz

Christmas is conspicuously the only time of year when the word “merry” receives heavy use. The greeting “Merry Christmas” dates back to at least 1565, in which year the author of the Hereford Municipal Manuscript wrote “And thus I comytt you to god, who send you a mery . . . . Continue Reading »

The  New York Times has a nice  review of Beggar’s Feast , the second novel by Randy Boyagoda, frequent contributor to these pages and author of a forthcoming biography of Richard John Neuhaus: Boyagoda is a Canadian academic of Sri Lankan descent, and “Beggar’s . . . . Continue Reading »

A recently unearthed letter from the seven-year-old Joseph Ratzinger to “Baby Jesus” reveals the future pope’s desire to be a priest and his devotion to the Sacred Heart: Dear Baby Jesus, Quickly come down to earth. You will bring joy to children. Also bring me joy. I would . . . . Continue Reading »

Terence Malick’s latest film features an American (Ben Affleck) who falls in love with a French woman and a priest (Javier Bardem) who undergoes a crisis of faith. IndieWire calls it “Malick’s most accessible work in years” while the Hollywood Reporter pans it as . . . . Continue Reading »

Robert H. Bork, lion of a legal minority that thought the judiciary should show due deference to the will of the popular majority, is dead at eighty-five years of age. Bork was a frequent contributor to these pages, never more famously than in ” The End of Democracy: Our Judicial Oligarchy . . . . Continue Reading »

“The best aspect of Christmas is the aspect usually decried by the mystics: the fact that Christmas has been  commercialized . The gift-buying . . . stimulates an enormous outpouring of ingenuity in the creation of products devoted to a single purpose: to give men pleasure. And . . . . Continue Reading »

The Bowles-Simpson reform plan is receiving renewed attention from the left and right, but one aspect of it has received insufficient scrutiny: As part of an effort to “broaden the base” of taxation, Bowles-Simpson removes the tax deduction for charitable gifts and replaces it with a . . . . Continue Reading »

Ireland’s cabinet offered a proposal today that would legalize abortion in cases where the mother’s life is at risk, including from suicide. Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny says they system will not lead to “abortion on demand” : “[Suicide] is an issue that is . . . . Continue Reading »

For one week at least,  First Thoughts  wasn’t the only blog where readers could find a more than occasional and passing defense of what has come to be called “traditional” marriage. That thanks to the editors of  Ricochet , where Ryan T. Anderson devoted a . . . . Continue Reading »

The Jewish Daily Forward reports that British schools will be required to offer at least one of seven foreign languages, excluding Hebrew: LONDON — The British government reportedly is planning to exclude Hebrew from a list of recognized foreign languages in the national education . . . . Continue Reading »