A Thinking Reed

  • More from Beckmann on food aid and the farm bill

    Last week I blogged about Bill Moyers’ recent interview with Bread for the World’s David Beckmann. Beckmann discussed, among other things, how current US farm policy distorts food aid programs for very poor parts of the world. You can read more from Beckmann at the Christian Century here. Beckmann is clear that it’s a complicated…

  • Throne and Altar

    A troubling article on the treatment of Protestant “sects” under a regime of strengthening ties between the Orthodox Church and the Russian state. Russophile Fr. Chris has some comments here.

  • Links for Earth Day

    George Monbiot on the food crisis, the environment and meat eating. Michael Pollan tries to reconcile personal virtue and social change. How to invest in renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, and rebuild the American manufacturing base while we’re at it. Dreaming of an eco-apocalypse? A review of a book about looking for sustainable seafood. A collection…

  • The evangelical bishop

    Some readers might be interested in this profile of Tom Wright from the British magazine the New Statesman, which discusses, among other things, his politics and his “literalist” views on the Resurrection and the Second Coming. And, apparently, the good bishop likes his sports cars.

  • A contemplative and Christocentric prayer

    I’ve been trying to get back into the habit of praying the Rosary. For whatever reason, I’ve found that it’s a form of prayer that really speaks to my condition. Looking for some resources online I came across two I really liked: this sermon on praying the Rosary from Fr. Aidan Nichols, O.P. and this…

  • Spring fever

    I finally get what everybody was talking about when they said that Spring in DC is wonderful. I had the day off today and took the opportunity to wander a bit around the city. It’s about 80 degrees, low humidity, crystal blue sky, and it seems like every last bit of flora is in full,…

  • A kinder, gentler side of Lee

    Lest you think all I do is listen to bone-crunching heavy metal, I do enjoy other kinds of music (my love of Johnnny Cash, Elvis, and Public Enemy has been documented on this blog, for instance.) Lately I’ve been enjoying the newish album by a group called Band of Horses. I belive it’s what the…

  • Friday metal – sci-fi concept video edition

    As I Lay Dying, who I’ve been listening to a lot lately, appear to have made a sequel to this video: Here’s installment two: It’s not entirely clear what’s going on, but it’s a rather bleak, Orwellian future and there’s some bad mojo going down.

  • Doctrine and personal faith

    Fr. Chris makes an important distinction. I want the church to coporately uphold the historic Christian faith even when I personally experience doubts (not an uncommon occurrence).

  • Umbrellas and mushroom clouds

    Maybe instead of debating how far to extend our “nuclear umbrella” we should be re-thinking the morality of nuclear retaliation itself. Is it ok to threaten our enemies (real or potential) with mass, indiscriminate slaughter?