Will Herberg’s 1949 “Commentary” review of Paul Blanshard’s notorious “American Freedom and Catholic Power”

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

There is much that those of us in 2011 can learn from Will Herberg’s important 1949 review of Paul Blanshard’s famous (or infamous) tome, American Freedom and Catholic Power (1949). Long before Christian conservatives were called “American Taliban” by secular progressives, and long before the United States had to wrestle with controversies surrounding its Muslim citizenry, American Catholic Christians were confronted by a truly vile form of bigotry and suspicion that was embraced by both elite and popular culture. Catholics... Read more

Apostolic Succession

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

That’s the title of my latest piece on The Catholic Thing. Here’s how it begins: In 2007, when I was prayerfully thinking about returning to the Catholic Church, there were four theological issues that were deal breakers forme: justification, penance, transubstantiation, and apostolic succession. I have already discussed penance, transubstantiation, and justification. Here, I offer a brief account of how I became convinced that the Catholic Church is also right about apostolic succession. Catholicism holds that if a Church claims to be Christian it... Read more

Guest post on Life Training Institute blog

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

I recently entered the fray at the Life Training Institute blog, making a case for prolife incrementalism in response to a comment post by Rebecca Kiessling. My post may be found here. Read more

Upcoming conference: Reasonable Faith In an Uncertain World (Turlock, California – April 15-16, 2011)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

On April 15 and 16 I will be participating in a conference at Monte Vista Chapel, an Evangelical church in Turlock, California. My talk is entitled, “No God, No Good: Why the Moral Law Requires a Moral Lawgiver.” The other participants include my friends William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, Greg Koukl, Jay Richards, and Craig Hazen. Here is a list of all the sessions, including the speakers and their talk titles: April 15, 2011: Kick Off with Hazen, Moreland,... Read more

Are monogamy-only laws unconstitutional?

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Apparently so, according to the Attorney General and the President. On Wednesday, they told us that they will no longer defend sec. 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act in federal court because it is unconstitutional, since it allegedly violates the 5th amendment and thus does not withstand heightened scrutiny. Here’s what sec. 3 states: “In determining the meaning of any Act of Congress, or of any ruling, regulation, or interpretation of the various administrative bureaus and agencies of the... Read more

Fr. Robert Barron on Keith Richards, Bob Dylan, and the New Evangelization

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

(HT: Frank Weathers) Read more

Recommending The Catholicism Project

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Several weeks ago a colleague and I hosted a screening of The Catholicism Project at The St. Peter’s Catholic Student Center at Baylor University. You should consider hosting a screening as well at your local parish, school, or university. Produced by Fr. Robert Barron’s Word of Fire ministry, this is a remarkable documentary. Learn more about it and how to host a screening, here. Read more

Live Action and Telling Falsehoods

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:29 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

That is the title of my latest column at The Catholic Thing. Here’s how it begins: Over at the website Public Discourse, two outstanding Catholic philosophers, Christopher Tollefsen and Christopher Kaczor, have published essays about the morality of the tactics of the prolife group, Live Action. Two other Catholic philosophers, Robert P. George and Joseph Bottum have weighed in as well. Live Action recently released a video that included two of its members posing as a pimp and prostitute during... Read more

Notre Dame Vita Institute: Educating Prolife Leadership

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:30 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

Just read about this at Mirror of Justice (HT: Rick Garnett): Notre Dame Vita Institute In furtherance of Project Guadalupe‘s goal to form the next generation of pro-life leadership through scholarship and service, the Notre Dame Fund to Protect Human Life is pleased to announce its inaugural Notre Dame Vita Institute to be held June 12-24, 2011, administered under the auspices of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics and Culture. Held on the beautiful Notre Dame campus, the Vita Institute will educate participants in... Read more

Call for Papers: University Faculty for Life Conference at Notre Dame (10-11 June 2011)

Last updated on: March 13, 2015 at 1:30 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

I have the honor of serving as program chair for the 21st annual conference of the University Faculty for Life, which will be held at the University of Notre Dame on June 10-11, 2011. The on-campus host is Notre Dame philosophy professor, David Solomon, W.P. and H.B. White Director of the Notre Dame Center for Ethics & Culture, where I served as the Mary Anne Remick Senior Visiting Fellow in 2008-2009. If you are a prolife academic (or retired academic),... Read more

True or False: In Luke's Gospel, the angels appeared to wealthy merchants to announce Jesus' birth.