The originator of “Godwin’s Law” weighs in! Here is Mike Godwin’s piece at The Washington Post: My very minor status as an authority on Adolf Hitler comparisons stems from having coined “Godwin’s Law” about three decades ago. I originally framed this “law” […]
Way of Improvement
Are the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission really that different?
I just read Zine Magubane’s review of Kenan Malik’s Not So Black and White: A History of Race from White Supremacy at Catalyst. Malik argues that both the 1619 Project and Donald Trump’s “1776 Commission” fail to recognize the importance […]
Evangelical roundup for December 21, 2023
What is happening in Evangelical land? Are evangelicals who appear in a Rob Reiner film “selling out?” The Holy Post gang discusses the Rob Reiner film and my piece completely miss the spirit of it. Phil Vischer and Skye Jethani […]
Commentary. Reflection. Judgment.
2024 is going to be a doozy. Donald Trump will be running for president while he is on trial for multiple felonies. What will the Supreme Court say, if anything, about whether the Fourteenth Amendment prohibits the former president from […]
“The most interesting Jesuit in the world”
Yesterday I came across James T. Keane’s piece in America magazine on Clement James McNaspy, S.J., a former associate editor (1960 to 1970) at the magazine. Keane writes that McNaspy, who taught music at Loyola University in New Orleans, “was […]
Santa Claus and America grew up together
Here is a taste of Ben Railton‘s piece at The Saturday Evening Post: “How Santa Claus and America Evolved Together Across the 19th Century”: While Santa Claus did not originate in the U.S., his story and image significantly evolved across […]
A liberal arts education is good for your mental health
Rosario Ceballo is a psychologist, expert on adolescent development, and dean of Georgetown University’s College of Arts & Sciences. Here is a taste of her piece at Inside Higher Ed: I began my role as dean of the College of […]
Donald Trump’s gut and the fate of American democracy
What will happen to truth if Donald Trump is our next president? Here is Megan Garber at The Atlantic: “I have a gut,” Donald Trump announced in 2018, “and my gut tells me more sometimes than anybody else’s brain can ever […]
Will any GOP presidential candidate take advantage of the recent Colorado Supreme Court decision?
The Colorado Supreme Court says that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist and is thus disqualified from holding the presidency in 2024. This story is not over. Trump will appeal. Some commentators are saying the Supreme Court may have to decide […]
Retired conservative judge J. Michael Luttig says the Colorado Supreme Court is correct in keeping Trump off the ballot in 2024
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled yesterday that Donald Trump will not appear on the ballot in 2024 because he is an insurrectionist and the 14th Amendment does not permit insurrectionists to hold federal office. Some of you may recall our […]
Colorado Supreme Court: Donald Trump is an insurrectionist and must be removed from the 2024 ballot
Early today we linked to a piece asking “when, if ever, can a democracy exclude anti-democratic politicians and parties from democratic elections?” Read it here. Well, it appears that the Colorado Supreme Court has its own ideas on the matter. […]
Elizabeth Stice: “We have been blessed by state university presses”
Over at The Front Porch Republic, Current contributor Elizabeth Stice pays tribute to small university presses. Here is a taste: It has become commonplace to bemoan the loss of smaller presses. The remaining large publishing houses seem intent upon as […]
J.G.A. Pocock: “the ultimate outsider-insider”
Last week we called your attention to the death of historian J.G.A. Pocock with a roundup of tweets from historians and other intellectuals reflecting on his legacy. Over at The Critic, Yuan Yi Zhu argues that Pocock’s “Antipodean” (New Zealand) […]
“When, if ever, can a democracy exclude anti-democratic politicians and parties from democratic elections?”
This is a question that Joe Mathews tackles today in the context of an argument for removing Donald Trump from the ballot in 2024. Here is a taste of his piece at Zocalo Public Square I was in favor of […]
Ron Brownstein: If Trump wins in 2024, expect a “war on blue America”
The January/February 2024 issue of The Atlantic is titled “If Trump Wins.” It features The Atlantic writers reflecting on how a Trump victory will affect democracy, international affairs, immigration, women, climate change, journalism, science, the judiciary, extremist groups, abortion, truth, […]
Cleveland’s “urban living room”
Check out The Washington Post‘s piece on the transformation of Cleveland, Ohio: “America’s best example of turning around a dying downtown.” It appears Cleveland is no longer the “mistake by the lake”: A taste: Empty downtown office buildings pose a […]
Shirley Hoogstra will retire as president of the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities
Here is the press release: WASHINGTON, D.C., December 18, 2023—The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (“CCCU”), the leading national voice of Christian higher education, today announced that Shirley Hoogstra is retiring as the president, effective on or before December […]
Evangelical roundup for December 18, 2023
What is happening in Evangelical land? Iowa Kingmaker Bob Vander Plaats on why so many Iowa evangelicals are sticking with Donald Trump. Trump’s 25-year-old director of faith outreach in Iowa. An evangelical pastor is trying to stop political polarization in […]
Sunday night odds and ends
A few things online that caught my attention this week: Illiberalism at The New York Times. Peter Gordon reviews Christina Morina’s The Invention of Marxism. Why are Lefists turning to the Right? And here. Tech titans are “bending a mysterious […]
The Christian nationalist agenda in four minutes and 11 points
Last night CSPAN aired my conversation with Tim Alberta, author of The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory. If you don’t have time to watch the entire interview, or read Alberta’s book (I hope you do both, but it’s the […]