Nearly a decade ago, I had the privilege of attending a lecture by Pope Benedict, “The Roots of European Culture.” He developed his theme through a discussion of medieval monasticism. The elite of the Parisian intelligentsia was in attendance, and their bewilderment was obvious. What was the . . . . Continue Reading »
The Star Wars prequels irreverently secularized the Force, making it a controllable entity, measurable and understandable, infinitely use-able. In Rogue One, the Force becomes spiritual once again. Continue Reading »
Beautifully filmed and acted, Silence is as powerful as it is ambitious. Continue Reading »
Just seventy years ago, a Fortune poll reported that 62 percent of Americans listened to classical music, 40 percent could identify Arturo Toscanini as an orchestral conductor, and nine million listeners (11 percent of American households) tuned in to weekly Metropolitan Opera broadcasts from New . . . . Continue Reading »
Children are not exposed to enough violence. Yes, I know the grim statistics, how a child who enters middle school has already witnessed 8,000 murders and 100,000 other violent acts on TV. As he and his friends enter adolescence, they take up first-person shooter video games. In college, he becomes . . . . Continue Reading »
Communication between different ideological worlds has never been more necessary and never seemed more impossible. This is the premise of the most philosophical blockbuster of 2016, Arrival, a movie that belongs on any best-of-the-year list. Continue Reading »
Shūsaku Endō’s Silence is now widely regarded as a modern classic. The initial reaction of Japanese Catholics, however, was largely hostile. Continue Reading »
Silence questions whether Christianity can take root in the swamp of Japan—echoing medieval tales of bringing the Gospel to hostile territory. Continue Reading »
Mostly, I grew up a Jew among other Jews. So how had Jesus entered my imagination? How had he come to occupy its core? It took an effort of memory, but I reached back to the first time I had truly noticed him. It had happened on a Christmas Eve. Continue Reading »
For me, First Things was more than a political journal. It was a field guide to the ideological chaos that I encountered every day on campus. Continue Reading »
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