Did anybody catch Ron Howard talking about DVC on Leno last night? It was very odd. First of all, the guy was so nervous he was talking in endless sentences, very fast and stuttery, telling long boring stories, all while hanging half off his chair. It was very clear that he was trying desperately hard to be light and gay, but his body-language had terrible stress written all over it. I’ve seen Ron Howard promoting his movies before, obviously, and... Read more

Ms. Barbara Nicolosi, Just the devil here. But my eyes don’t flash unnaturally. [Note from Barb: Okay. Taking you at your word here….] Not wanting to debate either. A copy of your article relating to the Da Vinci Code movie appeared in my email. I have noticed that the Catholic community, with a few notable exceptions, seems to have circled the wagons and refuses to do a soul searching or acknowledge the somewhat sordid past of the Church. [NOTE FROM... Read more

Here’s an article about a recent talk I gave at Notre Dame. It’s always funny to read articles and see what people heard, as opposed to what I actually said. For example, I’m certain I didn’t say that thing about “sorrow” in the beautiful giving the receiver a sense of it’s (the sorrow’s) hugeness. I said that beauty gives us an experience of happy-sadness, and that the beautiful itself communicates a sense of majesty and hugeness that is humbling for... Read more

You’re A Theory of Justice! by John Rawls In the beginning, you lived in a town. The town had many problems!Rather than moving, you decided to come up with the idea for the best town ever. Goingall the way back to the original position, you created the idea for the best town ever!Lo and behold, the best town ever looked almost identical to the town you lived in. Youdecided to stay in the town. Now you resent people mistaking your... Read more

As regards The Da Vinci Code, a Christian friend shrugged to me recently, “Jesus doesn’t need us to defend Him.” I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Of course, God doesn’t need us. He didn’t need to make us. He didn’t need to die for us. He doesn’t need us to be with Him forever in heaven. He doesn’t need us to protect Him. Jesus is safe from Dan Brown and Sony Pictures. But don’t we get something from defending... Read more

“I wanted to write a book that while it entertained at the same time, you close that last page and go ‘Wow, do you know how much I just learned? That’s fascinating.’ That is really what I set out to do.” (Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, from an interview in Chronicle) Read more

Sorry, I’ve been such an unreliable blogger. I’ve been traveling again and in between getting assaulted and variously demeaned by TSA thugs (Where do they find some of these butchy women?!), I’ve been happily working on a re-write of a romantic comedy. The two undergrad classes I teach will wrap this week meaning that I will free up lots more time to do some posting. In the meantime, I will see some of you in Minneapolis this weekend. Then Modesto... Read more

844 Spring is the PeriodExpress from God.Among the other seasonsHimself abide, But during March and AprilNone stir abroadWithout a cordial interviewWith God. Read more

Needless to say, I am getting lots of calls to do interviews about The Da Vinci Code. I duck as many of them as I can, so glad am I for the existence in the universe of Mark Shea and Amy Welborn! Basically, I hate talking about The Da Vinci Code because I have a personal relationship with Jesus. I have met Him and He isn’t a proto-feminist goddess-cultic with a weak personality that could have been simply co-opted by... Read more

The Holy Rosary Song Recital August 13, 2006, 4:00pmWesterly, RI Chorus Hall Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Bach. These are just a few of the great composers who have left behind a legacy of “unsung” music honoring the lives of Jesus and Mary. These stunning and powerful songs are rarely performed because they are inappropriate for a Mass and they often require considerable artistic excellence. On August 13, 2006 at 4:00pm in the Westerly Chorus Hall in Westerly, RI nationally acclaimed opera... Read more