More than meets the eye?: Dinesh D’Souza’s presidential photo

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

(HT: Carl Trueman). According to Michael McClenahan, “The King’s College, an evangelical college in Manhattan, is officially distributing this photograph of the inauguration of their fifth President, Dinesh D’Souza.” (Click presidential photo below for full size). If you look closely, the portrait on the wall behind President D’Souza is that of St. Thomas More. This is immensely interesting given the controversy over whether or not President D’Souza is or is not a Catholic. (See my comments on the matter here.). There... Read more

My review of Abortion: Three Perspectives, by Tooley, Wolf-Devine, Devine, and Jaggar

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

I recently published this review in the journal Faith & Philosophy 27.4 (2010): 478-482. Here’s how it begins: It has been nearly four decades since the U.S. Supreme Court held that there is a right to abortion protected by the U.S. Constitution. Yet, the question ofabortion’s moral and legal permissibility, and all the attendant issues about the nature of law, human persons, and morality, continue to be seriously (and sometimes not so seriously) engaged in the public square. Given the metaphysical, ethical, and political issues... Read more

Catholics are Cannibals!

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

You just can’t make this stuff up. (HT: combox at Pilgrim’s Daughter). Apparently, they’re burning the cross at both ends this weekend on the blogosphere. Read more

Should Bob Dylan retire?, or Everybody must get old!

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

John Jurgeson at the Wall Street Journal says “yes.” Here’s an excerpt: Most alarming to listeners devoted to his seminal recordings: the state of Mr. Dylan’s voice, decades on from its first signs of deterioration. Dr. Lee Akst, director of the Johns Hopkins Voice Center, says it’s impossible to diagnose Mr. Dylan without an examination, but that rock singers are especially prone to scarring or other damage to the vocal cords. Such trauma can be cumulative, he says, compounding the... Read more

coming soon

Last updated on: September 11, 2020 at 6:44 pm By Francis J. Beckwith

The King James Bible and the World It Made, 1611-2011: a conference of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion

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

Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion is hosting a major conference April 7-9, 2011, The King James Bible and the World It Made, 1611-2011. Confirmed speakers include: Robert Alter (University of California, Berkeley), David Bebbington (University of Stirling), Philip Jenkins (Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion), Laura Knoppers (Penn State University), Alister E. McGrath (Kings College, London), Mark Noll (University of Notre Dame), Lamin Sanneh (Yale University), N.T. Wright (University of St. Andrews). There is a call for papers, if you are interested in submitting a proposal.... Read more

Book Recommendation: Getting the Reformation Wrong: Correcting Some Misunderstandings by James R. Payton, Jr.

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

Published by InterVarsity Press, I picked this book up at the IVP book table 10 days ago while I was in Atlanta at the annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. It’s a terrific read. The author is a Protestant historian who is a professor at Redeemer University College in Ontario, Canada. He offers a compelling account of the Reformation, the history leading up to it, its chief architects, the Catholic Church’s response, and the disputes and disagreements between the... Read more

Today I’ll be on Kresta in the Afternoon, 4 pm EST

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

Read about it here. I’ll be talking about relativism, the topic of my 1998 book with Gregory P. Koukl, Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air. Read more

Thankfully, for America’s megachurches Christmas does not fall on a Sunday this year

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

Derek at Stand to Reason brought to his reader’s attention this jaw-dropping 2005 New York TImes article, “When Christmas Falls on Sunday, Megachurches Take the Day Off.” Reminded me of that line in an old Keith Green song, “Jesus rose from the grave. And you, you can’t even get out of bed.” Read more

Today would have been William F. Buckley, Jr.’s 85th birthday

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

His work had a big impact on my life. Here is an excerpt from my book, Return to Rome, in which I discuss Bill Buckley’s influence: Probably my most memorable encounter at UNLV occurred in 1996 and involved another Roman Catholic intellectual. The conservative writer and thinker, William F. Buckley Jr., was at UNLV for a debate with John Kenneth Galbraith, the economist with whom he debated numerous times. Mr. Buckley was the founder of the magazine National Review, to which I had subscribed during my years at... Read more