Graduation Excitation
The first time I fully realized the moral stakes at a commencement was over 10 years ago. For a brief moment I was to share the stage with none other than George Bush the Elder. It was after the triumph of the first Persian Gulf war, an exercise I found myself opposing along with a…
The Future of Sexual Abuse Litigation
Since early 2002, the legal world has become much more dangerous for the church than it was previously. The future looks bleak because of three major developments in the sexual abuse crisis. The first major development is that more sexual abuse cases will be filed against the churchthat is, the numb
Is Anybody Listening?
After some three years living at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Jerusalem and many conversations with Israelis and Palestinians, I find it difficult to avoid a pessimistic response to their question, “Is anybody listening?” Simply put, nobody is listening, at least nobody who has p
Correction, Si; Defection, No
It scarcely needs repeating that the future of Catholicism in the United States will be shaped by Hispanics, who at 34 million are already the most numerous minority in the country and constitute a majority of Catholics in many dioceses. The religious affiliation of these Hispanics will largely dete
Just Policing, Not War
Virtually every Christian tradition is trying to have it both ways on war. Twenty years ago the U.S. bishops published The Challenge of Peace, which explicitly paired just war and pacifism as legitimate Christian responses to war. Three years later, Methodist bishops in the United States made a simi
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
Walking down a dark street in the Bronx is not something most Manhattanites do without a good reason, but I had one. I was on my way to visit POTS—the acronym stands for Part of the Solution. In embryo form, POTS began some three decades ago to serve low-income residents in that section of New
Letters
Letters
War Theory
This letter is in reference to Unjust War, Good Outcomes (5/19), by John F. Kavanaugh, S.J. The recondite philosophical analysis of just war theory in the case of Iraq ranks close behind the angels dancing on the pin issue. Why not ask how many Iraqis need to be raped and have their tongues cut…
Editorials
Noble Lies?
Generations of college freshmen have puzzled over the ancient notion of the “noble lie.” “If anyone at all is to have the privilege of lying,” Socrates suggests in Plato’s Republic, “the rulers of the state should be the persons; and they, in their dealings either
Books
Getting Past Orthodox Doctrine
There are Ph D dissertations yet to be written on religion according to Bill Moyers and the liberal intellectuals of Public Television When they are Professor Elaine Pagels of Princeton University will figure prominently as one of their well-known talking heads Her earlier books The Gnostic Gos
School of the Holy Ghost
In the winter of 1951-52 Caroline Gordon had a vision of the triumph of Catholic writing in the United States Flannery O rsquo Connor rsquo s novel Wise Blood which Gordon had recently read in proof was about to be published A manuscript novel sent to her by a Louisiana convert seemed even more
Faith Matters
The title of this collection of 11 essays offers the hope that some consensus has developed on the way religion should coordinate with government Alas the question is too complex There is not even consensus on the meaning of the ldquo public square rdquo But these essays written by experts of
Film
All of the Above: Bruce Almighty
God is a multiple choice quiz. Which God will we choose? One turns nosy old women into pillars of salt, slips serpents down the togas of Egyptians and sets Satan loose on his best friend just to see how he will stand up under the boils and windy advice of neighbors. Another rains down Wonder…
The Word
Who? Me?
Today’s readings reveal once again that God chooses ordinary people and confers on them extraordinary responsibility.
To Whom Should We Turn?
There are so many people searching today, people hungering for instruction, good people who are looking for direction.
Faith
Who? Me?
Today’s readings reveal once again that God chooses ordinary people and confers on them extraordinary responsibility.
To Whom Should We Turn?
There are so many people searching today, people hungering for instruction, good people who are looking for direction.
News
Signs of the Times
U.S. Bishops Discuss Church Problems, Two Major TextsThe U.S. Catholic bishops discussed serious problems facing the U.S. church and voted on new directories for catechetics and deacon formation at their June 19-21 spring meeting in St. Louis. Three of their five half-day sessions were closed to the
Politics
Faith
Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts