Religion & Liberty Online Archives

General

June 07, 2007

Eurabia or God’s Continent?

One of my favorite historians of religion, who has recently acted more as a contemporary observer of religion than an historian, is Philip Jenkins of Pennsylvania State University. His newest book, God’s Continent, takes on the grimmer views of where Europe is headed. Continue Reading...
May 30, 2007

Speaking of Milton Friedman…

Speaking of Milton Friedman, here’s a link to a paper that looks interesting: “Transcendental Commitments of Economists: Friedman, Knight, and Nef” (HT: Organizations and Markets). Acton president Robert A. Sirico’s reflection on Friedman’s legacy last year noted, “Friedman was a true Enlightenment disciple and feared that truth claims could lead to coercion.” Continue Reading...
April 20, 2007

Follow-up on Couturier on Franciscans

Some time ago I posted an entry on remarks made by Fr. David Couturier that I deemed to be wrongheaded. Recently Fr. Couturier contacted me via e-mail offering a courteous and thorough clarification of his statements. Continue Reading...
April 11, 2007

Population: ultimate problem of all problems

Over at the Huffington Post blog, David Roberts, a staff writer for Grist.org, describes the relationship between activist causes, like women’s reproductive rights and “sustainable development,” and population control. Roberts says he doesn’t directly address the problem of over-population because talking about it as such isn’t very effective. Continue Reading...
March 12, 2007

Orestes Brownson revisited

John Henry Newman called him “by far the greatest thinker America has ever produced,” but I venture to say very few Americans have ever heard of Orestes Brownson. (Acton devotees, of course, are unusually well informed and have seen him featured among our “Liberal Tradition” biographies.) Continue Reading...
February 09, 2007

The role of limited government

Our religious and political rights are uniquely bound up together. Most young Americans, and far too many older native born American citizens, have little or no idea how important this truth really is. Continue Reading...
January 29, 2007

Institute on religion and democracy

Several months ago I was invited to serve on the board of the Institute on Religion and Democracy (IRD). Frankly, I was stunned by this invitation. I will attend my first meeting in Washington, DC, in a few months. Continue Reading...
December 29, 2006

Merry Christmas(*)

I have just returned from a week of holiday rest, and began tackling my 250 lb. email inbox. Flipping through a number of Christmas greetings and Fruitcake (Xmas spam), I came across a quick message from a dear friend, an email of the sort where the message is in the subject line, and the text is left empty (save for common signatures or disclaimers). Continue Reading...
December 18, 2006

Today’s Word from Solzhenitsyn

From the new Solzhenitsyn Reader, which I highly recommend (especially if you are behind on your Christmas shopping): Human society cannot be exempted from the laws and demands which constitute the aim and meaning of individual human lives. Continue Reading...