A Life in Theology: 39th McGinley Lecture
It is a matter of surprise that I have occupied the Laurence J. McGinley Chair in Religion and Society for 20 years. When I reached the statutory retirement age at The Catholic University of America in 1988, I received several academic offers. As a Jesuit, I consulted my provincial superior as to wh
Becoming Kosovo: The economic struggles of an emerging nation
Perhaps the most telling symbol of the fragility of Kosovo is the family home. Upon arriving in Kosovo, one’s immediate impression is that the entire region appears to be under construction. Cranes dot the skyline and construction materials line the sidewalks and streets. The vast majority of
Healing Torture’s Wounds: One doctor’s fight for the survivors
There’s no way to undo what survivors of torture have suffered, but we can help them to get on with their lives,” Allen Keller, M.D., told me during an interview in his office at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital, the oldest public hospital in the nation. Dr. Keller is director of
America’s Century: Celebrating our centennial: 1909-2009
With its April 14, 2008 issue, America began its 100th year of publication. Throughout our centennial year, we have been featuring articles and online features highlighting the magazines’ past, while also looking to the future. We invite you to browse through our selection of centennial features below, and visit us again as we continue to…
Benedict in America
A slideshow of images from the pope's visit to the United States
Of Many Things
Of Many Things
Exploring new forms of pastoral leadership
Letters
Letters
National Heresy As I read Of Many Things on March 31, by James T. Keane, S.J., and his reflections on Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the nation’s capital, I was jarred by his unnecessary putdown of the Washington Nationals’ lineup as one that would not “ever be worth rememberin
Editorials
Zimbabwe’s Anguish
The outcome of Zimbabwe’s presidential election on March 29 has remained uncertain for two weeks, amid signs of manipulation by President Robert Mugabe’s ruling ZANU-PF party. Underscoring these signs was the arrest of several foreign journalists on April 4 on the trumped-up charge of pr
Faith in Focus
A Prisoners Story: 37 years behind bars, one year of freedom
No one cares that Al died—not his family, not the folks at the halfway house where he lived, not even those of us who had served time with him. Only old man Bob on the third floor of B-Building mourned Al’s passing. Al used to clean Bob’s cell and wash his laundry. But Bob is…
Books
God in the Public Square
Writing in The Washington Post 15 years ago the reporter Michael Weiskopf famously characterized evangelical Christians as ldquo poor uneducated and easy to command rdquo No doubt there are some evangelicals who fit that description as there are some people like that in every segment of Americ
In Pursuit of Participation
ldquo There is rdquo writes Robert McClory ldquo a democratic dynamic in the church rsquo s self-awareness rdquo No dogma is not subject to a vote Yes the church must assert its teachings popular or not Yes a certain hierarchical structure is part of the church rsquo s unity At the sam
Reason, Not Revealed Truths
Christopher Hitchens an atheist and best-selling author has provided a political sequel to his popular a-theological work God Is Not Great Gadflies such as Hitchens often try to attach themselves to past luminaries to bolster their causes In this case the author has fastened onto Thomas Paine
The Word
Love and the Holy Spirit
Keeping alive the memory of Jesus and continuing the movement he began are two activities incumbent on every Christian The readings for the Sixth Sunday of Easter describe ways in which we as individuals and as a church can carry out this noble and important task Today rsquo s excerpt from Jesus r
Catholic Book Club
April Selection
The author of over 800 articles and more than a score of books Cardinal Avery Dulles S J is one of the church rsquo s pre-eminent theologians whose work is both faithful to tradition and engages the issues of society with clarity and intellectual rigor For the past 20 years he has been the Lau
Columns
Sorry Business: We can learn from the Australian experience.
The importance of Australia's national apology to the Aborigine people
Current Comment
Current Comment
Benedict in America What will Pope Benedict XVI say during his visits to Washington, D.C., and New York City? Will he hew to a simple proclamation of the Gospel? Or will he tackle hot-button issues like same-sex marriage, abortion and the Iraq war? Likewise, will he take aim at neuralgic issues in t
News
Signs of the Times
Bishops Urge Bill to Protect Farm Workers Expressing “deep concern for the men and women” who labor in the fields of southwestern Arizona and northern Mexico, the bishops of Tucson, Ariz., and Mexicali, Mexico, have issued a joint statement calling for legislation to end “exploitat
Politics
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Culture
Vatican
Scripture
Podcasts