Theology and Hate

by James Martin, S.J. October 28, 2015

Calling someone a “heretic” is like calling a journalist a plagiarist. These aren’t funny punchlines to be taken lightly.

In All Things

Five important things the Synod on the Family accomplished.

by James Martin, S.J. October 25, 2015

Pope Francis encouraged all participants to speak freely: “Let no one say, ‘This cannot be said.'” And they did. Conversation was open, lively, and sometimes contentious.

A mother holds her child at the Synod on the family on Oct. 24. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

In All Things

Where were the voting women at the Synod?

by James Martin, S.J. October 24, 2015

The decision to not to include women has to do with the family. Sexism is something that many, if not most, of our mothers, daughters and sisters have to deal with.

Columns

3 myths about the mainstream media and the Catholic Church

by James Martin, S.J. October 14, 2015

Religion reporters may know more about the church than the average Catholic.

Synod on the Family

Group discernment versus Groupthink at the Synod on the Family

by James Martin, S.J. October 9, 2015

The pope’s approach to the Synod can best be understood through his background as a Jesuit.

Faith in Focus

A Writer’s Dream: The story of a novel

by James Martin, S.J. September 29, 2015

For decades, I have admired Ron Hansen, the gifted author of many novels, including one of my favorites, Mariette in Ecstasy, about the religious experiences of a young nun in upstate New York. “Luminous” is how one reviewer described the book, and I think of that adjective every time I

Columns

Is the Shroud Genuine?

by James Martin, S.J. September 2, 2015

Two years ago an Italian scientist published a book entitled The Mystery of the Shroud, an examination of the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, the cloth that many believe to be the burial cloth of Jesus mentioned in the Gospels. This book asserted that contrary to scientific studies from the lat