Leonard Feeney, writes Avery Dulles, S.J., in this 1978 encomium, should be remembered for more than his actions that led to his excommunication. He was a gifted orator, apologist, writer and counselor.
History
Posted inFaith, Short Take
‘When Irish Eyes Are Smiling’: The history behind the song
The history of “When Irish Eyes Are Smiling” is a colorful one—though shorter than you think.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: It’s good to be king. It’s better to be Caesar.
In ‘Twelve Caesars,’ Mary Beard analyzes the reception and adaptation of ancient Roman imperial portraits in Western European and American art from the 15th century to the present.
Posted inArts & Culture, Vantage Point
From 1972: ‘The Godfather’ is a film ‘close to the soul of modern man’
America’s film editor reviews “The Godfather,” a film he thought too long but otherwise a remarkable movie by a 33-year-old Francis Ford Coppola.
Posted inArts & Culture, Vantage Point
From 1994: A review of John Cheever’s ‘Thirteen Uncollected Stories’
A posthumous collection of some of John Cheever’s early stories shows his development as a writer.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
When we got a new bishop, he didn’t know about our archdiocese’s history of abuse. Then he listened to me and other victims.
When victims and survivors of sexual abuse are blamed, marginalized, stigmatized or silenced, they can be traumatized all over again. The Archdiocese of Regina is trying something new in its work with survivors.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: A rebel nun is an exemplar of feminism in action
The tale of a medieval woman’s decision to join the convent, Marj Charlier’s historical novel, ‘The Rebel Nun,’ resonates with many of the issues faced by the church in modern times.
Posted inArts & Culture, Ideas
We’ve been reading Charles Darwin all wrong
Charles Darwin’s teaching has been misappropriated by generations of intellectually dubious adherents.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
The history of synodality: It’s older than you think.
As the three-year synodal process that will culminate in the 2023 World Synod of Bishops gets underway, John W. O’Malley, S.J., offers some historical context for what synodality is all about.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
Walker Percy, master of prose (and king of snark)
The author of “The Moviegoer” and other distinguished novels was also an occasional book reviewer and commentator for America, and his prose in our pages shone as well.