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.
Catholic Book Club
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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.
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Why Pope Leo’s new encyclical quotes Gandalf: Literary images of hope and faith in ‘Magnifica Humanitas’
Throughout “Magnifica Humanitas,” the two images used to represent the choice before us are of the Tower of Babel and Nehemiah’s slow reconstruction of Jerusalem. You can guess which one our Augustinian pope prefers—along with folks like J. R. R. Tolkien.
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Bob Dylan at 85: Forever young?
Bob Dylan will be 85 this week. While ‘America’ didn’t always offer him the coverage he deserved, many of our writers have found much to love in his music and other artistic works.
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The poets, priests and politicians of Ireland’s Easter Rising, 110 years later
110 years after the Easter Rising, Ireland’s history and literature of resistance still inspire.