Peter Ackroyd declares at the outset of ‘The English Soul: Faith of a Nation’ that Christianity has been “the reflection, perhaps the embodiment of the English soul.” But his book is not about Christianity so much as it is about some notable figures in Protestant England.
Arts & Culture
Posted inArts & Culture, Your Take
Your Take: Is ‘Conclave’ worth seeing for Catholics?
Readers react to a papal election on the big screen.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
Bishop John Cummins and the Catholic history of Oakland
Bishop John Cummins had a significant and lasting impact on the Catholic Church in his own diocese and elsewhere through his quiet leadership and ministry. He was a reminder to many of what Pope Francis meant when he called for bishops who are “pastors, not princes.”
Posted inArt, Arts & Culture
At the Metropolitan Museum, art communes with the saints in ‘Siena: The Rise of Painting’
A once in a lifetime exhibit of Italian paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York reminds us of the foundations of our faith.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
Review: ‘Mary’ on Netflix presents the Virgin mother with an edge
“You may think you know my story,” says Mary, having galloped into the movie on horseback. “Trust me. You don’t.”
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
John Banville: notorious literary esthete—and crime novelist
John Banville is surely the only crime novelist in recent memory who has won the Booker Prize and is regularly rumored to be in the running for the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Posted inArts & Culture, Explainer
‘Conclave’ explainer: Could that twist ending really happen?
How realistic is “Conclave”? A canon lawyer weighs in.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
In ‘Gladiator II,’ spectacle comes first
The pacing of “Gladiator II” says a lot about what Ridley Scott’s priorities were for this film: spectacle, immersion, pure feeling.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Movie Club
‘The Wizard of Oz’ reminds us to be grateful for what’s right in front of us
Dorothy and her friends’ journey is one of discovery and gratitude, an external quest that reveals internal riches.
Posted inArts & Culture, Theater
‘Maybe Happy Ending’ is a musical about robots—but it’ll make you feel alive
With ‘Maybe Happy Ending,’ two first-time Broadway writers take a big swing—and hit a home run.