As I remember, the 1960 movie version of Inherit the Wind ended with Spencer Tracy (as the Clarence Darrow figure) packing together in his briefcase the Bible and a copy of Origin of Species . From the moment H.L. Mencken made himself the star of American journalism—by covering the circus . . . . Continue Reading »
The 16th century Reformation claim was that the doctrine of justification is the article by which the Church stands or falls. The Joint Declaration between the Lutheran World Federation and the Vatican, plus the statement by Evangelicals and Catholics Together (ECT), “The Gift of . . . . Continue Reading »
This is the second day of Christmas, and also the day of St. Stephen, proto-martyr. Never mind that the traditional twelve days of Christmas have been tossed into a cocked hat by our venerable betters in cone hats who decided that Epiphany, January 6, is to be observed on the nearest Sunday. This . . . . Continue Reading »
One often hears it said that modern science has adopted a methodology that takes no account of teleology and final causation. This is taken to be a point against teleology by some and against modern science by others. It is true that Bacon, Descartes, and many others who have philosophized about . . . . Continue Reading »
Somewhere along a career misspent in journalism, I seem to have gotten assigned the Christmas beat. I’ve written about Christmas food, Christmas music, Christmas books, Christmas poetry, Christmas church services, Christmas toys, Christmas . . . Christmas . . . Christmas . . . Most of them . . . . Continue Reading »
While the ACLU and Americans United for a Naked Public Square were holding a press conference that was described as a “victory party,” others were more carefully reading the court decision in the Dover, Pennsylvania, case about Intelligent Design. There is, for instance, this by William . . . . Continue Reading »
One Christmas topic I’ve never written about is Christmas movies—mostly because I just don’t know very much about them. Here, however, are a few films I’ve rented this week and hope to watch between Christmas and New Year’s. I may have made a mistake or two in the . . . . Continue Reading »
Every academic knows how completely in thrall to identity politics and quotas our universities are. I heard a refreshing comment on this recently at a physics research talk. The speaker was a scientist originally from the Soviet Union, now at an American university famous for its liberalism and . . . . Continue Reading »
There is the ameliorative left and then there is the transformative left. The former wants to work for reform that is possible, while the latter will settle for nothing less than everything and therefore ends up with nothing. This is the argument of Joseph Heath and Andrew Potter in Nation of . . . . Continue Reading »
Cal Thomas, whose column runs neck-to-neck with George Will’s as the most widely syndicated in the country, enters a dissent from the current “Christmas wars.” Thomas doesn’t give a fig whether the salesperson in the mall wishes him “Merry Christmas” or . . . . Continue Reading »
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