Lou Reed, founding member of The Velvet Underground, has died. Although I did not always agree with Reed’s politics or views on religion, I was deeply moved by his art. As my friend, Rod Dreher, notes, “He was a broken man — he wrote and sang about very dark things, including drug addiction and prostitution — but out of that brokenness came beauty, at times, and even grace.” Other than Bob Dylan, Reed was about the only performer that I... Read more
In my second installment for the week of Reformation Day are links to five articles I published over at The Catholic Thing. Each deals with a doctrinal issue over which Catholics and Protestants disagree: Justification: “Was Aquinas a Proto-Protestant?” The Catholic Thing (09 December 2010) Sola Scriptura: “Revelation, Sacred Tradition, and the Magisterium.” The Catholic Thing (16 September 2011) The Eucharist: “Transubstantiation: From Stumbling Block to Cornerstone.” The Catholic Thing (21 January 2011) Penance: “In the Time of My Confession.” The Catholic Thing (04 February 2011) Apostolic Succession: “Apostolic Succession.” The Catholic Thing (04 March... Read more
Today begins the week that includes, October 31, the day that Protestants have traditionally called “Reformation Day.” For it is the day that in 1517 Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of All Saints Church in Wittenberg. We are now only 4 years away from the 500th anniversary of those earth-shaking events that transformed the trajectory of Western Christianity. During this week I will be posting links to several articles in commemoration of Reformation Day. These articles... Read more
Read the review of the book over at The Catholic Thing. The reviewer is David G. Bonagura, Jr., who teaches theology at St. Joseph’s Seminary, New York. Several years ago I penned a piece on O’Reilly and his theological acumen. Entitled, “Don’t Know Much About Theology,” you can read it here. Read more
There is literally nothing here. Read more
When my brother, Jim, and I saw Dylan in Vegas on May 13, 1995, he sang it just this way during that live performance. Read more
That’s the title of my latest installment over at The Catholic Thing. Here’s how it begins: During halftime of an NFL game broadcasted on NBC on October 13, sportscaster, Bob Costas, opined that the ownership of the Washington Redskins should change its name. Following the lead of President Obama, who said that he would change the team’s name if he were the owner, Costas argued that “Redskins” is “an insult, a slur no matter how benign the present-day intent.” Team owner, Dan Snyder,... Read more
Read all about it at The Gospel Coalition. BTW, I think it’s a great question! Read more
The band is called “Daniel Israel and Blood on the Tracks.” The lyrics to the song follow: Neighborhood Bully (music and lyrics by Bob Dylan) Well, the neighborhood bully, he’s just one man His enemies say he’s on their land They got him outnumbered about a million to one He got no place to escape to, no place to run He’s the neighborhood bully The neighborhood bully just lives to survive He’s criticized and condemned for being alive He’s not supposed... Read more
My cousin Tony Sclafani recently published a book, Grateful Dead FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Greatest Jam Band in History (Backbeat Books, 2013). Here’s a summary of it: The Grateful Dead rose out of San Francisco’s 1960s underground rock scene with an unprecedented sound and image. The group’s members were steeped in rock, folk, classical, and blues, and their instrumental prowess and refusal to bow to commercial conventions helped originate jam band music. Unapologetic in their advocacy of drug use... Read more
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