Sotheby’s is facilitating the sale of what it says is an approximately 1,500-year-old tablet, which it describes as “the only complete tablet of the Ten Commandments still extant from this early era.”
History
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Frantz Fanon is having a moment
With his new biography, ‘The Rebel’s Clinic: The Revolutionary Lives of Frantz Fanon,’ Adam Shatz seeks to give us Fanon the person, and not just his most famous soundbites.
Posted inArts & Culture, Books
Review: Eamon Duffy on Peter Ackroyd’s ‘The English Soul’
Peter Ackroyd declares at the outset of ‘The English Soul: Faith of a Nation’ that Christianity has been “the reflection, perhaps the embodiment of the English soul.” But his book is not about Christianity so much as it is about some notable figures in Protestant England.
Posted inFaith, Podcasts
How a 4th-century poem combating heresies became a Christmas carol
Discover how a 4th-century poem by Aurelius Clemens Prudentius to respond to Christian heresies evolved into “Of the Father’s Love Begotten” by the 19th century.
Posted inArts & Culture, Film
In ‘Gladiator II,’ spectacle comes first
The pacing of “Gladiator II” says a lot about what Ridley Scott’s priorities were for this film: spectacle, immersion, pure feeling.
Posted inFaith, Faith in Focus
This Thanksgiving, follow Abraham Lincoln’s lead: thank God—and repent
For Lincoln, Thanksgiving was a day to not only reflect on our blessings but repent for our shortcomings and find ways to seek reconciliation to God and to our neighbors.
Posted inArts & Culture, Catholic Book Club
‘Gladiator II’ reminds us what we already knew: America can’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire
The box office success of “Gladiator II” is a reminder that many Americans are obsessed with the Roman Empire. They’ve been joined over the years by more than a few ‘America’ contributors.
Posted inFaith
Why you should get to know St. Thomas Aquinas, even 800 years after he lived
Aquinas’ embrace of insights from Greek, Muslim and Jewish thinkers stems from his passionate pursuit of the truth about God and creatures—a pursuit that demands an open heart.
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.