Just saw this over at the Volokh Conspiracy: Dear XXX, Congratulations on earning a place in Stanford University’s Class of 2028! This is a moment to celebrate the hard work and determination that have brought you to this moment, and also to reflect on the next stage of your education. Amid all the challenging and polarizing issues being discussed in the world right now, you may be wondering what kind of intellectual community you would be joining at Stanford. And... Read more
What an honor it is to have my book, Never Doubt Thomas: The Catholic Aquinas as Protestant and Evangelical (Baylor University Press), singled out by the Center for Religion, Culture, and Democracy (CRDC) as a Significant Book in its Reading Wheel Review. The issue devoted to my book consists of A podcast interview of me by First Liberty Institute attorney, Trey Dimsdale. An related essay authored by Elizabeth Rain Kincaid, the Legendre-Soulé Chair in Business Ethics & Director of the... Read more
I’m a regular speaker for the Thomistic Institute, an academic institute of the Pontifical Faculty of the Dominican House of Studies (DHS) in Washington, D.C. According to its website, “The Thomistic Institute exists to promote Catholic truth in our contemporary world by strengthening the intellectual formation of Christians at universities, in the Church, and in the wider public square. The thought of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Universal Doctor of the Church, is our touchstone.” There are nearly 90 TI... Read more
I’m happy to report that I was recently a guest on the Word on Fire’s Evangelization and Culture podcast, hosted by Dr. Tod Worner. About a week ago the interview was released on Youtube. The topic of our discussion was my recent article, “Re-Version,” published in Word on Fire’s journal, Evangelization and Culture. (You can read more about my article here). Read more
In 1999 I published an article entitled, “The `No One Deserves His or Her Talents’ Argument for Affirmative Action: A Critical Analysis.” Appearing in the academic journal, Social Theory and Practice (Vol. 25, No. 1 [Spring 1999], pp. 53-60), it raised the provocative question: On what basis should we award jobs in departments that are tasked to enforce an institution’s affirmative action policies? (Here I am thinking of what I call “Strong Affirmative Action” (SSA), as opposed to “Weak Affirmative... Read more
I am delighted to announce that I have a new article in the latest issue of Evangelization and Culture (vol. 18), published by Word on Fire. Entitled “Re-Version,” it is one of several pieces on coversion and Catholicism that appears in the issue. My article is a brief reflection on my return to the Catholic Church and the factors that drew back to the Barque of Peter. Here’s how it begins: Reverts to the Catholic Church are an unusual breed.... Read more
Today, November 22, 2023, marks the 60th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy (1917-1963). Three years ago, Bob Dylan (1941- ), in the midst of the pandemic, released a haunting 17 minute song about JFK’s murder. Entitled “Murder Most Foul,” Dylan not only vividly describes the assassination and the cast of characters that surrounded it, he takes us on a whirlwind historical tour of American popular culture that followed the president’s death. (You can find the... Read more
As we in the United States approach Thanksgiving, we should cultivate in our souls the virtue of gratitude. To this end, I recommend these words from St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274), excerpted from the Summa Theologiae (II.Q106): Thanksgiving [gratiarum actio] in the recipient corresponds to the favor [gratia] of the giver: so that when there is greater favor on the part of the giver, greater thanks are due on the part of the recipient. Now a favor is something bestowed “gratis”:... Read more
I recently read two important essays critical of Catholic integralist thought. (You may ask, “What is Integralism?” Here’s the answer in three sentences. For a longer more detailed analysis, read Kevin Vallier’s new book, All the Kingdoms of the World (Oxford University Press, 2023)). The first essay is by philosopher of law, Brian Leiter. Entitled, “Politics by Other Means: The Jurisprudence of `Common Good Constitutionalism,‘” it was published in the University of Chicago Law Review. It is a critical review of Common Good... Read more
Of the thirteen songs that appeared on his self-titled and first album, Bob Dylan, the Minnesota native only wrote two of them: “Talkin’ New York” and “Song to Woody.” The latter, which Dylan wrote to honor the great Woody Guthrie, begins with these memorable lines: I’m out here a thousand miles from my homeWalkin’ a road other men have gone down Later in the song, Dylan sings: Hey, Woody Guthrie, but I know that you know All the things that... Read more
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