Chasing the Spirit
It's all grace
Opinion > Faith
Valedictory to Pope Benedict XVI
What made me weep, as I watched television coverage of Pope Benedict’s visit, was the simple act of the pope giving communion to people. The news media relayed many over-the-top comments about what the pope’s visit meant: “It’s like Jesus coming to America.” I wrote a panegyric myself about Benedict’s gifts. But Pope Benedict’s… READ MORE >
Opinion > Faith
Reflections on the Pope as he is about to speak at the United Nations
When I first heard that Cardinal Ratzinger had been elected to the papacy, my reaction was, “Good. We’re going to stick it to the liberals!” There had been so much discussion following John Paul II’s death about whether the Church would now accommodate herself to the secular city via women’s ordination, etc., that I could… READ MORE >
Magazine > Life
Visiting with Jesus in Prison
The InnerChange Freedom Initiative descends into unhappy and often hellish places in obedience to the Christ who was himself obedient to the point of death. READ MORE >
Opinion > Spirituality
Well-Springs of Belief: An undiscovered contemporary classic
As Holy Week began and I reviewed my slack observance of Lent—that is, as I reflected on “things done and left undone”—I found I had wasted my soul more than anything through needless distraction. Pascal pointed out how kings have their minstrels and courtiers and fools to ward off the possibility of self-reflection, as he diagnoses… READ MORE >
Opinion > Politics
God, Government and Freedom—A Response to ‘None of the Above’
When we discuss the role of government in protecting the common good, especially the poor and the weak, Catholics can and do have differences, as evidenced by Angelo Matera’s recent article and its comments. I’d like to lay out a few principles in order to take a somewhat different tack. There’s no doubt that capitalism is the… READ MORE >
Opinion > Life
Get Married! The Case for Tying the Knot Early
I enjoyed reading Lori Gottlieb’s funny and insightful “Marry Him! The case for settling for Mr. Good Enough, in the March issue of The Atlantic. At 40 years of age, Ms. Gottlieb finds herself an attractive, intelligent, successful woman whose marriage prospects are plummeting like a skydiver without a parachute. She made the seemingly… READ MORE >
Opinion > Issues
Church & State & Sharia Law
The leader of the Anglican communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr. Rowan Williams, is advocating that the UK accommodate the sharia law of Islam. While counseling that sharia law must never be allowed to trump basic human rights, the Archbishop believes that in “some cultural and religious settings” Muslims should be allowed to resolve… READ MORE >
Opinion > Faith
Being Human
I grew up in Los Angeles in two opposed worlds. I was the son of an evangelical minister who led a mega-church of 12,000 members. I was also the child of my time and place, the counter-culture of the late 1960s. The drive from our church in the San Fernando Valley to Sunset Boulevard and rock clubs like the Troubadour and the Whiskey crossed… READ MORE >
Magazine > Politics
Why I Love Obama
(...But I Won't Vote for Him.) READ MORE >
Opinion > Politics
Why Huckabee makes evangelicals nervous
Before Mike Huckabee became a serious challenger for the Republican presidential nomination, I was asked by a powerful businessman, someone well-connected in Republican politics, why Huckabee wasn’t being endorsed by prominent evangelical leaders. Although I’m a Catholic, I grew up as an evangelical and know that world, and I had to wonder… READ MORE >
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