A few years ago, in the middle of the journey of life—in modern terms, having a midlife crisis—I read St. Augustine’s Confessions for the first time since I was eighteen. I’d loved the work when I was young, but in what was hardly an original discovery, I found that I . . . . Continue Reading »
Mark Bauerlein’s account of the English department’s decline in “Truth, Reading, Decadence” (June/July) makes for good reading. It is true to my experience in the field of literary study and helps give the tragedy our discipline has undergone intelligible structure. For those unfamiliar with . . . . Continue Reading »
Let me offer a prediction, free of any face-saving hedge: Next year, the Supreme Court will hold that there is no constitutional right to elective abortions. In Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, a case pending before the court, it will return the issue to the states for the . . . . Continue Reading »
The modern food system is essentially its own religious system, using a network of symbols and phrases to make moral claims and create its own sacred-profane distinction. Continue Reading »
The small mysteries of time and memory point beyond themselves, suggesting that more lies ahead of us in a reality that exceeds our grasp but which we will someday know firsthand. Continue Reading »
The Canadian electoral system handicaps parties based on principle, rewards regional parties to the detriment of national unity, discourages voter turnout, and entrenches two historic parties despite their lack of majority support. Continue Reading »
In light of faith, what’s ancient isn’t banal, but tracks God’s constant devotion to his creatures. What’s fleeting or random isn’t futile, but an imitation of God’s free grace. Continue Reading »
The battle over pronouns on social media and in public spaces, as trivial as it seems, is actually of great importance. Continue Reading »
Columnist Ross Douthat joins R. R. Reno to discuss his recent article, “Catholic Ideas and Catholic Realities.” Continue Reading »
The 400th anniversary of the death of Robert Bellarmine invites a look back at this fascinating figure of the Catholic Reformation, engaged as he was with issues newly relevant today: the relationship of faith and science and of ecclesial and temporal power. Continue Reading »
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