“St. Thomas Aquinas says that all of the works of God recorded in the Old Testament and everything that pertains to Christ in the New Testament are contained in the Psalter in the form of praise,” wrote the theologian Lawrence S. Cunningham in this 1997 article on praying with the Psalms.
Vantage Point
Posted inFaith, Vantage Point
From 1984: How are bishops selected?
In 1984, then-associate editor Thomas J. Reese, S.J., explained in depth how bishops are selected—from the initial vetting process to final confirmation by the pope and the bishop himself.
Posted inArts & Culture, Vantage Point
Doris Grumbach on the art of the book review
In 1960, novelist and literary critic Doris Grumbach reflected on the art—and science—of book reviewing, including Catholic books.
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What authority do bishops’ conferences have on faith and morals?
The Synod on Synodality has raised the question of the role and authority of bishops’ conferences. In 1998, another moment when the question gained prominence, a leading authority on ecclesiology weighed in.
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Writing advice from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Paul Horgan
When novelist/historian Paul Horgan was honored with America Media’s Campion Award in 1957, he reflected on the process of creative writing—something the two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize knew a thing or two about.
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The historical Jesus is worth our study—but don’t expect it to solve all our theological questions
In this 1971 article, the late theologian Gerald O’Collins, S.J., treats the search for the “historical Jesus”—and its potential shortcomings and pitfalls.
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The religious significance of vegetarianism
Should one become a vegetarian? The choice to become a vegetarian can be a prudent and religious one, founded in values not alien to our tradition.
Posted inPolitics & Society, Vantage Point
What a Jesuit saw at the 1968 Democratic National Convention
Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. reports on the paradoxical brotherhood of polished Democrats and barefoot “hippies” in Chicago, 1968.
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Walter Ong: Do we live in a post-Christian age?
From 1996: “Catholics and other Christians need to take into more explicit account in their sense of existence in a universe of which they form a more and more operational part.”
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The late Protestant theologian Jürgen Moltmann asked: How can we find a human God in a dehumanized world?
In 1975, Leo O’Donovan, S.J., a theologian and former student of Karl Rahner, reviewed the renowned German theologian Jürgen Moltmann’s ‘The Crucified God.’ Jürgen Moltmann died on June 3, 2024, at the age of 98.