Chapter two of Robert Kraynak’s Christian Faith and Modern Democracy has a lot going on in it, so I’m going to break it into two posts (for my post on chapter 1, see here). In chapter 2, “The Illiberal and Undemocratic Christian Tradition,” Kraynak makes the case that it isn’t just a historical fluke that…

Check out these photos from the Hubble telescope, recently released by NASA in honor of the telescope’s 15th anniversary. Amazing!

Speaking of the Orthodox, this is Holy Week for them! Here’s an article on conversions to Orthodoxy. Here’s something on Greek Orthodox Easter traditions. (It is also, not coincidentally, Passover of course!)

Christian tradition selector! (To be taken with a grain (or more) of salt of course.) My results: 1: Eastern Orthodox (100%)2: Lutheran (94%)3: Anglican/Episcopal/Church of England (92%)4: Roman Catholic (87%)5: Presbyterian/Reformed (53%)6: Congregational/United Church of Christ (48%)7: Methodist/Wesleyan/Nazarene (48%)8: Anabaptist (Mennonite/Quaker etc.) (35%)9: Baptist (Reformed/Particular/Calvinistic) (35%)10: Pentecostal/Charismatic/Assemblies of God (35%)11: Church of Christ/Campbellite (33%)12: Baptist…

Reconciliation with Lutherans is close to this pope’s heart: According to John Allen, the American Vatican-watcher who has kept an eye on Joseph Ratzinger for the past few years and written his biography (Cardinal Ratzinger, Continuum), the Pope’s greatest hopes are for talks on Christian unity with the Lutherans, who number about 60 million. John…

How about a little book blogging? Robert P. Kraynak’s Christian Faith and Modern Democracy looks like it’ll provide enough food for thought for several posts worth of material. Kraynak sets out to defend what he calls the dilemma of Christianity’s relation to modern liberal democracy. His thesis is that “modern liberal democracy needs God, but…

One of the most despicable smears frequently employed against opponents of wars is that they are “really” rooting for the other side. We saw this during the run-up to the Iraq war, where anti-war types were routinely characterized as being “pro-Saddam.” Fortunately, military men are often more sensible than civilian laptop bombardiers so eager to…

TomDispatch has the second part of its series of exceprts from Andrew Bacevich’s New American Militarism.

Can’t believe I forgot St. Anselm’s feast day! As penance, we can read this article from CT on why he’s as relevant as ever. The article also suggests that Pope Benedict XVI may be willing to relent on the filioque clause in the Nicene Creed, the clause which Anselm himself defended (although, the article does…

Received an email today from Melissa Rogers, who’s a Visiting Professor of Religion and Public Policy at Wake Forest University Divinity School. Prof. Rogers sent a link to an op-ed she publised in the Baltimore Sun on the preposterous attempts of Sen. Frist and other GOP senators to paint Democratic opposition to President Bush’s judicial…