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One of the brightest lights in the academic firmament is the annual fall conference hosted by the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame.

"John Finnis on the Gospel(s)" by Matthew J. Franck

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Many have, quite naturally, taken this time to laud his merits. But his larger history calls for a more critical assessment.

"Fr. McBrien's Legacy" by William Doino, Jr.

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Reading John, he said, was like listening to beautiful music. 

"Engaging John Together" by Timothy George

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As America lurches toward a fully same-sex-affirming public square, it is increasingly urged along by that most curious of cheerleaders: the “affirming pastor.”

"Many Heroes, So Little Heroism" by Owen Strachan

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Most people in the West do not believe that they have been prosecuting a continuous Crusade against Islam since the Middle Ages. But most do believe that the Crusades started the problems that plague and endanger us today.

"Inventing the Crusades" by Thomas F. Madden

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The bilateral diplomacy of the Holy See is unique in world affairs, in that it has little or nothing to do with the things with which diplomats typically occupy their time: trade issues, security matters, visas.

"Evangelical Challenges for Vatican Diplomacy" by George Weigel

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Political correctness is gelding liberalism.

"A Politics of Denunciation" by R. R. Reno

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So much hype about a game of catch.

"The (Non) Religion of Sport" by Carl R. Trueman

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Five years ago the Catholic Church had a Year of the Priest, and now Pope Francis has declared a Year of Consecrated Life.

"Pope Francis and the Hidden Path to Holiness" by Daniel J. Heisey

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When Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected pope in March 2013 many wrote about the significance of the choice of his papal name, Francis.

"A Fourth Francis" by Ulrich L. Lehner

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Many parents make the mistake of discontinuing reading when their children learn to read on their own, around ages 6–8. This is a mistake, for two reasons.

"To Parents: Keep Reading Out Loud" by Mark Bauerlein

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Who is the protagonist of Hamlet?

"The Scale of the Universe and the Religious View" by Hugh Hunter

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Some believe that the revolutions of the 1960s were not revolutions at all, that they merely stripped off a false veneer and showed us what people “really” were like. These books, taken together, offer a sharp critique of that view.

"Catholicism Before and After 1963" by Gerald J. Russello

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The grammar shows that for Jesus these three are interlocked: persecution for His Name, being salt of the earth, and being the city of light on a hill.

"Persecuted, Salt, Light" by Peter J. Leithart

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More than ever, the makers of television and film attempt to portray women with the same depth and complexity as their male counterparts. Yet a subtle and unnoticed misogyny thrives.

"Women of Mockery" by Faatimah Knight

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According to an old Vatican aphorism, “We think in centuries here.” Viewed through that long-distance lens, the most important Catholic event of 2014 was the dramatic moment when Africa’s bishops emerged as effective, powerful proponents of dynamic orthodoxy in the world Church.

"Africa's Catholic Moment" by George Weigel

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"Four Things to Remember About the Pope's Environment Letter" by Robert P. George