May we hope that all faiths can forever put behind them the use of censorship or violence against writers in the defense of religion.
History
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
His Universe Was Infinite
Why was Giordano Bruno burned at the stake?
Posted inArts & Culture, In All Things
John Adams and the Jesuits
As you may have discerned from Matt Malone s posts a few of us at America are besotted with John Adams the second president that is not the composer Last night I watched an advance copy of the final episode of HBO s stupendous series John Adams starring Paul Giamatti and Laura Linne
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Peter Faber: A Jesuit Saint Too Little Known
Peter Faber may best have exemplified what a missionary to the church of the Reformation era needed.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
(Re)Making History
In his 90th year, the indefatigable historian John Hope Franklin has written his life story. More than any other scholar, Franklin has made African-American history an essential part of American history.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
Wait til Next Year!
The other day I asked a friend of mine, an old-timer and a longtime baseball fan, if he remembered the 1955 World Series. He thought a moment, and said: “Oh, yeah, wasn’t that a Dodger-Yankee series?” Yes, it was. But 1955 was special.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Tested by Fire
J Robert Oppenheimer, the physicist whose brilliant blue eyes came to express such engulfing sadness, brought a new kind of fire into the world and was burned by it. Like Hesiod’s Prometheus, Oppenheimer fought on the side of humankind, giving us the tools and weapons to determine our own fate; and fate punished him for it.
Posted inFaith
Excommunicating Politicians: Some cautionary tales from history
How has the church traditionally dealt with political figures who have run afoul of the church, or at least of churchmen?
Posted inFaith
The Style of Vatican II
John W. O’Malley, S.J.: The ‘how’ of the church changed during the council.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
The History Behind Celibacy and the Priesthood
Why and how did the celibate state became a requirement for ordination?