The contrarian rule I have long tried to observe with respect to New Year’s Eve—get to bed by 10 p.m.—was confirmed by its breach on the night of Dec. 31, 1981. Perhaps the inspiration came from watching too many episodes of The Duchess of Duke Street, … Continue Reading »
Christmas has, in too many ways, become the equivalent of an overdone theme-park vacation. By its end, one is knock-kneed with exhaustion and desperately in need of a genuine opportunity to rest. A Christmas snow, like the one we’ve just had, does wonders to cull the silence… . Continue Reading »
Not, I admit, exactly a column, or at least not an original column. But curious to see what we’d said about Christmas in “On the Square,” I found some quotes I liked and wanted to pass on. Three are by Father Neuhaus, the fourth by a Lutheran pastor, Paul Gregory Alms. The sources of the full articles appear at the end … Continue Reading »
It’s easy to step back and denounce the excesses of the Christmas season: the orgy of spending, too much food, too much drink, too many parties, and expensive ski vacations that bring aching credit card hangovers. Easy, but mistaken. Continue Reading »
Advent is the season of hope and reflection. It is a time of prayerful expectation for Christians who await the Second Coming of the Lord, just as they celebrate his birth at Christmas. Many, however, do not really appreciate its significance, or see Advent as a dramatic call upon their lives… . Continue Reading »
During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln was purportedly asked if God was on his side. “Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side,” said the President, “my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Although Lincoln is often praised for this remark by those who oppose the mixing of religion and politics, it contains three of the most controversial ideas in American politics … Continue Reading »
Dwayne Carter Jr.’s release from Rikers Prison in New York may have slipped past many news readers last month. After all, the story didn’t make major headlines but was primarily relegated to entertainment substories or headlines on pop culture website. Dwayne Carter, more popularly known as Lil’ Wayne, finished serving 8 months in federal prison for charges of attempted weapons possession back in 2007… . Continue Reading »
My friend James Martin, a Jesuit priest, each year gives over a portion of Advent to rightly despairing of the over-commercialization (and increasingly too-early) start to the “seasonal” music and shopping of Christmas. In his pleasant but pointed snark, he warns that soon we will be seeing Santa’s image in July, along with the first “pre-Christmas” bargains… Continue Reading »
’Tis the season when major transatlantic publications, such as the New York Times,Washington Post, Atlantic, Economist, Guardian, and Times Literary Supplement, feature their holiday guides and notable books of the year. Seldom pleased with the selections, I’ve put together my own list of best reads… . Continue Reading »
First Things’ January issue has been sent out to subscribers, and is now available online. It is, if we might say so, brimming with intellectual variety. The issue opens with James Nuechterlein’s Public Square column, where he analyzes the roots of discomfort with patriotism, and how those who value religious orthodoxy can be patriots without being idolaters… . Continue Reading »
Subscribe
Latest Issue
Support First Things
