Donna Tartt’s ‘The Secret History’ is an engrossing read. But is it also a powerful expression of our human efforts to understand eternal truths?
Catholic Book Club
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‘Very casually Catholic’ White Sox owner Bill Veeck would have loved ‘pope hat’ night
Known for his quixotic ballpark gimmicks and unique promotions, Bill Veeck was also an advocate for racial integration and a generous Catholic philanthropist.
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Lessons from the Berlin Wall for Trump’s America: You can’t keep people in (or out) forever.
65 years ago, the Berlin Wall divided that city in two and became an enduring symbol of the Cold War. But do walls really ever work?
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James T. Farrell was condemned by the church—and paved the way for American Catholic writers
James T. Farrell’s Studs Lonigan trilogy in the 1930s set him up as an enemy of a church that was aghast at his portrayal of human nature and, frankly, of the Catholic Church itself.
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Caryll Houselander: Britain’s ‘rocking-horse Catholic’ and bohemian disciple
The writings of Caryll Houselander, a mid-century British artist, poet and spiritual writer, remain for many a treasure trove of honest reflections on faith.
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‘America’ magazine’s most compelling Fourth of July musings over the years
As we all prepare for the 4th of July, going through some of America’s past commentaries provides some curious glimpses of the preoccupations and hopes of other generations.
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The moral witness of doctor and writer Robert Coles
Robert Coles—a psychiatrist, sociologist, historian and storyteller—was in many ways the moral conscience of his generation.
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New and familiar faces—and emerging voices—in American Catholic theology
Both the Catholic Theological Society of America and the College Theology Society held conventions in the past few weeks—a chance to evaluate the discipline of theology and honor outstanding scholars.
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Orwell, Asimov and predicting the future of A.I.
Writers like George Orwell and Isaac Asimov—and Pope Leo—remind us that we should never let technology take away our human dignity.
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Gordon Zahn’s influence on Catholic just war teaching
Gordon Zahn’s influence on Catholic views toward state-sponsored violence, conscientious objection, pacifism and discipleship reached far beyond American shores in his long career of activism.