If Alexis de Tocqueville was right in observing that the American nation insists upon “perpetual adoration of itself,” why have Americans been such devoted readers of Democracy in America for almost two centuries now? Maybe initially Americans mistook the title itself for praise: Surely the . . . . Continue Reading »
This article by Richard John Neuhaus, who passed away January 8, 2009 , was published in the August/September 2008 issue of First Things , and is reprinted below on the one-year anniversary of Pope Benedict’s visit. In saying that one must guard against superlatives in recounting Pope . . . . Continue Reading »
By many accounts the rise to prominence of institutions other than the church or the state marks the transition from the medieval to the modern era. Even so, it is true that many Protestant reformers considered the right balance of the relations between church and state to be of first importance in . . . . Continue Reading »
Im often asked by students, Wheres a good place to study theology?” Its not an easy question to answer. Lots of places have strengths¯and they also have weaknesses. More importantly, the most appropriate school has a lot to do with the student. Interests, . . . . Continue Reading »
As a lawyer and judge, my understanding of the Bible has naturally become colored by my experiences in, and knowledge of, the law and the legal system. Thus, in meditating on the gospel accounts of Christ’s interaction with Pontius Pilate, my focus in recent years has been on Pilate’s role as . . . . Continue Reading »
When the brewing financial crisis erupted into full boil last fall, I was reading Dantes Divine Comedy for the first time. Being a banking law professor, I couldnt help but speculate about which circle of hell Dante would have found most appropriate for the various actors in the . . . . Continue Reading »
Consider the following statements: Neil Armstrong never landed on the moon but was bouncing around in a TV studio on July 20, 1969, with Walter Cronkite in a nearby booth to report on the alleged event. The baby baptized as William Shakespeare on April 26, 1564 in Stratford-on-Avon grew up . . . . Continue Reading »
Sometimes the translation of a tragedy can itself be tragic. A fatal flaw undermines an otherwise promising work, whisking away the greatness it might attain. Such is the case for Anne Carsons An Oresteia .The an is there because this is not a translation of Aeschylus famous trilogy. . . . . Continue Reading »
In his celebrated Christian allegory The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe , C.S. Lewis represents evil’s hold on the world with the image of an enduring winter—Narnia under the power of the White Witch, who makes it “always winter and never Christmas.” According to prophecies, the coming of . . . . Continue Reading »