Reviews

November 14, 2024

Living in Wonder Enchants the Heart but Leaves the Mind Confused

It’s commonly noted that the Western world is showing signs of decline. With historically high rates of depression and anxiety, low trust in institutions, and rapid population decline, many fear the consequences if nothing changes. Continue Reading...

November 12, 2024

The Islamic Secular and the Seeds of Freedom

Once in a while a new book in religious studies comes out with a bold thesis, challenging old assumptions and raising some eyebrows. The Islamic Secular, a thick, dense, and elaborate monograph by Sherman A. Continue Reading...

November 07, 2024

China: Greatest Threat or Paper Tiger?

With the Russo-Ukraine War and Israel’s battles with Hamas and Hezbollah comprising most of corporate media commentary on U.S. foreign policy for more than a year, it’s easy to overlook that many wonks label China our nation’s top security threat. Continue Reading...

October 24, 2024

Conclave’s Art Is Great, but Its Doubt Is Dubious

The intersection of religion and politics has always fascinated Hollywood filmmakers, from Becket and A Man for All Seasons to The West Wing. And no wonder. Both religion and politics are two of the biggest commanders of loyalty in their followers, and therefore they wield an enormous amount of power. Continue Reading...

October 22, 2024

The Life-Giving Suffering of Things

Alfred Lord Tennyson’s dramatic monologue “Ulysses” has for nearly two centuries served as the great cri de coeur of all young men whose lives of mediocrity and utility leave them restless and unsatisfied. Continue Reading...

October 18, 2024

Does Reagan the Movie Do Justice to Reagan the President?

There’s never been a major Reagan movie until 2024. Yet there’s a need for such storytelling. The most important president of the 20th century after FDR is in danger of being forgotten with the change of generations, of political conflicts, and even of technology. Continue Reading...

October 17, 2024

Get Your Religion Junk Drawer in Order

I don’t know a ton about guns. I know more than Democrats running for office in red states who tell you they’re avid hunters, but I know less than actual avid hunters. Continue Reading...

October 16, 2024

A Conductor on the Underground Railroad

The Conductor by Caleb Franz conveys the fascinating story of the Reverend John Rankin of Ripley, Ohio, a highly influential figure in the abolitionist cause of the 19th century. Rankin’s story is largely unknown, overshadowed by the more celebrated figures of the antebellum period and the Civil War. Continue Reading...

October 09, 2024

Lionel Shriver and the Resistance to Satire

Of all the literary genres, satire is the most vexatious. Like Lionel Shriver herself, it is deliberately provocative. Likewise, it is adept at making enemies: Those with sensitive hides seem to resent having them flayed. Continue Reading...

September 27, 2024

The Better Angels of Bad Monkey

I started watching Bad Monkey, the latest Apple TV+ series, one of the funnier things on offer this year, for two reasons. First, I like Vince Vaughn a lot. He was clever in his 2000s persona in comedies with Will Ferrell and Owen Wilson: Old School (2003), Dodgeball (2004), Wedding Crashers (2005). Continue Reading...

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