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Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, has recently written a book about Fyodor Dostoevsky, author of Crime and Punishment and The Brothers Karamazov. The book—Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction—has drawn some controversy, not so much for its content, but for the question of whether it should have been written in the first place. Some object to Williams taking time off his duties as Archbishop (when the Church of England faces difficulties on its home turf) to pen... READ MORE >
In the New York Review of Books, Daniel Mendelsohn demonstrates a supple understanding of Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Revisited—its themes and ambitions. Many have criticized the latest film version of the classic Catholic novel for playing fast-and-loose with the source material, but Mendelsohn is the only critic to analyze with depth and clarity (and with reference to the novel’s deep-seated Catholicism) exactly why the new film fails. The reason has less to do with faithfulness... READ MORE >
I almost never agree with First Things on economic policy, but Robert T. Miller was right last week when he warned that “those on the political right need to make sure that the Republicans in Congress do not through ignorance or stupidity misunderstand conservative economic principles and so lead us into economic disaster.” Unfortunately, that’s exactly what Republicans in the House did today when they tanked the President’s $700 billion financial bail-out bill and sent... READ MORE >
A new Gallup study, “What Americans Really Believe,” suggests that if anti-religious crusaders Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins want a more rational, less superstitious world, they should encourage people to go to church. A recent Wall Street Journal article reported that, according to the study…
“…traditional Christian religion greatly decreases belief in everything from the efficacy of palm readers to the usefulness of astrology. It also shows that the... READ MORE >
Tom Stoppard, the witty British playwright most famous for his mind-bending twist on Hamlet, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead, is the feature of an Observer article on human rights. Stoppard’s plays are like Samuel Beckett by way of Oscar Wilde, with detours to Bardland—postmodern riffs on Big Themes like love and death and liberty, but with Wilde-worthy one-liners.
This might make him a curious choice for a conversation about human rights, except for the fact that Stoppard’s... READ MORE >
You connect the dots: A California couple refuses to submit to the state’s new “gender-neutral” marriage license that replaces bride and groom with “Party A” and “Party B.” Buried within a Scientific American article on storytelling and the brain (cited by John Murphy below) is a fascinating discovery made by “literary Darwinists” about the universality of romance and sex roles:
“The idea of romantic love has not been traditionally considered to be a cultural... READ MORE >
Having just read a collection of masterful short-stories by Tobias Wolff, the issue of what makes storytelling such an intrinsic, necessary part of the human condition has been at the forefront of my mind. An article in the most recent issue of Scientific American approaches this age-old question from a left-brained perspective:
“Popular tales do far more than entertain. Psychologists and neuroscientists have recently become fascinated by the human predilection for storytelling.... READ MORE >
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So here we are, facing a global economic collapse and an election where both candidates represent the lesser of another evil. It’s time to turn to Kurt Vonnegut, whose unique blend of bleak humor, genuine outrage, and dark surreality seems more relevant than ever, and more cogent than a cadre of political and economic analysts.
Armageddon in Retrospect is an odds-and-ends collection of short stories... READ MORE >
Reprise is a movie about young Norwegian writers that feels made by young French filmmakers: stylish, self-conscious, angsty, funny, a little sloppy, and unapologetically pretentious. Erik and Philip are two aspiring writers and lifelong friends who simultaneously slide their manuscripts (as precious to them as bundled babies) into a mail chute in the opening scene of the film. Phillip achieves instant... READ MORE >
I suspect that the title of this little dual biography was intended to produce in the potential reader (i.e., anyone even a little familiar with Waugh and Orwell) precisely the reaction it produced in me upon hearing it: I exclaimed something to the effect of, “Say what?” and promptly plunked down twenty-six bucks (minus my local indie bookstore’s “faithful customer” discount) to purchase... READ MORE >
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GOSPEL MEDITATION
The Gospel for Sunday, September 28, 2008
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Matthew: 21:28-32
Conversion to God always consists in discovering his mercy. Those who come to know God in this way can live only in a state of being continually converted to him. This marks the most profound element of the pilgrimage of every man and woman on earth.
— Pope John Paul II | READ MORE >
A trillion for the Iraq War, almost as much to rescue Wall Street, but basic health care for all is too expensive? Why aren't Christian leaders in the U.S. saying as much? In England it's a different story: "[T]he Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, warned in a magazine article that modern devotion to the free market is a form of idolatry and that Karl Marx was morally right in his analysis of the power of 'unbridled capitalism.' He believes... READ MORE >
The Vatican continues to take every opportunity to discourage preemptive war: "The use of violence to resolve disagreements is always a failure of vision and a failure of humanity. The responsibility to protect should not be viewed merely in terms of military intervention but primarily as the need for the international community to come together in the face of crises to find means for fair and open negotiations, support the moral force of law and... READ MORE >
A fascinating peek at how a small unit that "flourished in a climate of opulent pay, lax oversight and blind faith in financial risk models" brought down AIG, the world's largest insurance company. "Although America’s housing collapse is often cited as having caused the crisis, the system was vulnerable because of intricate financial contracts known as credit derivatives, which insure debt holders against default. They are fashioned privately and... READ MORE >
You don't often find Commonweal hunting heretics. In the latest issue, Daniel Finn takes aim at Fr. Robert Sirico of the Acton Institute and other Catholics who force fit Catholic social teaching into free market ideology. Sirico, he says, "uses his tendentious view of law and morality to conclude that raising taxes to help others is unchristian, since citizens have no choice but to pay the tax... One wonders if this conviction hasn’t been engendered... READ MORE >
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Latest Comments
robertsdavid50 writes "I have finally decided to vote straight Constitution Party ticket this November 4th. :D "
RickCross writes "DEBRA MURPHY: My problem with the Ben Steins of today is not about their desire to do something, (obviously something must be done) it is in the misdirected focus of lopping bankers …"
Santiago writes "Since Lander is still updating the site, you should call your entry the “zeroth” thing that White People like, a la Asimov’s zeroth law of robotics. "
dsconi writes "A few quick comments since I need to play with my kids right now instead of arguing with grown-ups: The motivation for crafting the USCCB document “Forming Consciences for Faithful …"
Debra Murphy writes "Thanks, CHASSUP, for clarifying your position that you aren’t interested in the kind of debate that avoids spurious forms of argument. That noted, I’ll take a pass in future on commenting …"
chassup writes "DEBRA MURPHY: “my objection to your method of argument stands” I get it, you want to have that kind of debate, “apologetics and rhetoric,” and avoid spurious forms of argument. I …"
RickCross writes "Debra Murphy: I like Ben Stein. An all-around good guy, and a tremendous pro-lifer. However, at this moment when he and his closest friends have taken a terrible beating in the market, …"
Debra Murphy writes "Rick Cross: Facts are good, facts can be discussed and debated. I’m no expert on the financial meltdown, but like many Americans have been trying to educate myself. From what I am …"
robertsdavid50 writes "When even an atheist, such as Hitchens, thinks it’s motivated by “malice” how can we disagree? "
chassup writes "The social welfare state has created a multi-generational slave class, has effectively convinced the black citizens of this country to kill a generation’s worth of their own children, …"
eric writes "Please, heresy? For far too long the socialists have posited that their perverted interpretation of catholic social teaching is the only proper understanding. The holier-than-thou …"
chassup writes "AK, I’ll avoid debate on the first two thirds of your last post, we can agree to disagree, because we are talking past one another. For the record, I am not a Republican. As for you …"