The Rev. David Tracy, who died on April 29, was a monumental figure in American Catholicism, renowned as a teacher, scholar, writer and mentor to thousands of theologians.
Theology
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
As a ‘son of Augustine,’ Leo XIV does not demand certainty, but instead encounter and dialogue
By following the tradition of Augustine, the new pope can promote stability that is not rooted in hierarchical dominance or exclusion, but in communal support, service and humility.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
What the role of bishop means to Pope Leo (and to St. Augustine)
Pope Leo’s quotation of Augustine after his election contains within it an important theological point about the nature of the episcopacy. The quotation signals Leo XIV’s approach to his role as bishop of Rome.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Why the Ten Commandments should not be posted in public school classrooms
The Bible itself contains the most powerful argument against making the Ten Commandments a moral guide for all citizens.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Pope Leo XIV’s name choice and facing the world of artificial intelligence
A.I. assistants are advertised as helping us speak more clearly and easily. But are they accomplishing the opposite?
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
What to expect from an Augustinian pope
I listened to Pope Leo’s first messages with Augustinian ears. In his first words from the balcony, and then in his homily at his first Mass, I heard abiding themes from the Doctor of Grace.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
What’s in a name? Why the pope picked ‘Leo XIV’
Pope Leo XIV picked one of the most common names in history for a pope. But it is a name with great resonance in modern church history, and one whose selection suggests quite a bit about what the reign of the new pontiff might be like.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Pope Francis and the future of Catholic moral theology
As we prepare for a new papacy, an important question faces the church: What foundations do we inherit from Pope Francis’ bold reimagining of Catholic moral theology? How will the church carry forward the vision he nurtured—a vision both thoroughly traditional and courageously new?
Posted inFaith, Features
Pope Francis wanted the church to be a field hospital. Will this legacy endure?
Pope Francis centered the poor and elevated joy in the mission of the church. These characteristics help us understand what a field hospital church is about. As a field hospital, the church’s structures and actions should always be in service of its mission.
Posted inFaith, Faith and Reason
Why the Council of Nicaea still matters—1,700 years later
What happened at Nicaea in A.D. 325? And why is that still so important for Christian churches today?