R. R. Reno

Over the years I’ve observed churches succumbing to the temptation to wrap the ordinary duties of life in the shiney foil wrapping paper of high theology. That seems to be the case with the Southern Baptist Convention. The NPR website gleefully reports that a couple of weeks ago the SBC . . . . Continue Reading »

One of our informed readers—and our readers are thankfully not only informed but also forthright—corrected me yesterday. It’s not the case that the Belgian police went around pulling bones out of crypts. No, they drilled a hole to insert a fiber optic cable. Point taken. But this . . . . Continue Reading »

William Faulkner once said, “The past is not dead. It is not even past.” Antietam Ridge, Bloody Lane, Little Round Top, Seminary Ridge: the scenes of carnage are now quiet parks overseen by mounted commanders frozen in bronze, but they remain alive with memory. One can almost hear the final fading echoes of the soldiers’ yells as men marched into battle as canister torn across open fields… . Continue Reading »

Knowing my background, a friend recently sent me a column from the New York Times . Written by Harvard Law professor Noah Feldman, the article provides a short reflection on the decline of WASP dominance—a decline much commented upon in the aftermath of Elena Kagan’s nomination to the . . . . Continue Reading »

Michael Liccione added a link to his comments about the recent police raid on the Catholic Church offices (and episcopal crypts!) in Belgium. His  posting provides helpful background. Moreover, Liccione makes the persuasive observation that the mainstream media has tended to give a . . . . Continue Reading »

Am I the only person astonished by the latest round in the now long simmering sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church in Europe? Belgian police have taken to raiding offices and—I’m not making this up—opening the tombs of former archbishops . Digging up dead clerics? . . . . Continue Reading »

In the current issue of the Biblical Archeological Review , Professor Ronald S. Hendel announces his departure from the venerable scholarly organization that publishes the journal, The Society of Biblical Literature . The reason? Basically, he thinks that the SBL is being taken over by . . . . Continue Reading »

Jonathan Perfetto is a person convicted of possessing child pornography who is on probation. He wants to go to church. Seems like a good idea, a sign of repentance and amendment of life. Problem: Perfetto’s terms of probation prohibit him from having contact with children under the age of 16. . . . . Continue Reading »

An estimable poet in his own right, C.K. Williams has written an accessible, short study of Walt Whitman’s poetry. Part of a writers-on-writers series recently launched by Princeton University Press, On Whitman is a slight book, an appreciative meditation rather than a critical study… . . Continue Reading »

OK, there’s just something about the World Cup that keeps me coming back, even though I’m not a fan.  Check out this teaser story about (alleged!) North Korean soccer fans. Have they been specially recruited?  Is North Korea orchestrating a Potemkin village of . . . . Continue Reading »