The Constantine and Ashoka of Legend: A Study. III: The Conversion of Ashoka

Last updated on: May 29, 2008 at 12:03 am By Henry Karlson

Part I Part II Just like with Constantine, a legend developed about the conversion of Ashoka which was quite different from reality. Even though he had produced a great number of monuments which were placed throughout India with texts that provided a great amount of insight to his life, including his conversion, no one could read them.[1]Yet, the people remembered Ashoka had created them, and their presence encouraged scholars to tell andretell what they had heard about him, making his... Read more

The Best Abortion Can Offer

Last updated on: May 28, 2008 at 11:05 am By Radical Catholic Mom

The other day I happened upon Seattle based abortion clinic Feminist Women’s Health Center’s site. I browsed through their site and almost felt pretty good learning about all the different forms of birth control and abortions one can buy at this clinic. The site has the typical smiling, ethnically diverse women on their front page. I decide to hit the “abortion” section and I happened upon the “Personal Experience” page. My favorite, is how the Header says “Many Voices, Many... Read more

On Criticizing Bishops

Last updated on: May 28, 2008 at 9:10 am By M.Z.

Of interest to readers here is a series at Inside Catholic on the role between media and bishops. Deal Hudson offers the opening salvo arguing that critical coverage can be useful. Francis Maier, the Chancellor of the Archdiocese of Denver is offering commentary this afternoon. My own position is that Catholic media have a particular obligation to understand and explicate the bishop’s teachings. Those who would make themselves watchdogs often fail in this obligation. I’ve noticed this in particular with... Read more

Vox Nova at the Library: The Kings and Their Gods

Last updated on: May 27, 2008 at 6:49 pm By Iafrate Michael

Although still active in the Plowshares Movement and protests against the U.S.-led war in Iraq, legendary American Jesuit peace activist and poet Daniel Berrigan places his body on the line with less regularity these days. This fact hardly suggests that Berrigan has toned down his radical nonviolent witness, and his latest book The Kings and Their Gods: The Pathology of Power, a commentary on 1 and 2 Kings, proves it. Berrigan has already gifted the Church with a series of... Read more

Video Games: The Cause of, And Solution to, All Life’s Problems

Last updated on: May 27, 2008 at 4:05 pm By Edward Blackadder

A while back I came across the following news item about how video games were leading couples to divorce: Although best-selling online role-playing game World of Warcraft boasts over ten million subscribers, it’s also leaving in its wake an increasing list of casualties. Even though she’s never played the game, 28 year-old Jocelyn is one of the fallen. A well-spoken California resident, she divorced her husband of six years after he developed a crippling addiction to the smash online RPG.... Read more

Pope tells Catholics to use the Gospel as basis for activity in political and social life

Last updated on: May 27, 2008 at 12:30 pm By Policraticus

In his message for the 97th Deuschter Katholikentag meeting, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged Catholics to take active part in political and social life. Here is the Vatican News Service write-up: VATICAN CITY, 22 MAY 2008 (VIS) – Made public today was the Holy Father’s Message for the 97th “Deutscher Katholikentag” ecclesial meeting, which was inaugurated yesterday in the German city of Osnabruck. The event, attended by some 50,000 people, is due to come to an end on Sunday. (more…) Read more

Politics as Usual: McCain is Like Jesus

Last updated on: May 27, 2008 at 12:14 pm By Henry Karlson

One of the things which often happens in politics is that political figures are turned into savior figures. It should not be surprising: a politician wants people to believe he or she has something important and credible to give to the nation. This means that his or her leadership will end up saving the nation in one way or another. Political talk is always about what the politician will or will not do. Political talk is always soteriological, and therefore,... Read more

Theology and the political imagination

Last updated on: May 27, 2008 at 1:26 am By Iafrate Michael

[My aim is] to put theology into conversation with political theory in an attempt to expand our current political and pluralist imagination. Political theory is nothing if not an exercise of imagination, offering new or different pictures of collective life in the hopes of remolding, refashioning, or altogether altering contemporary political arrangements. Indeed, the success or popularity of a political theory could be said to depend upon the extent to which it offers a picture of political society and life... Read more

The Victory Garden

Last updated on: May 26, 2008 at 11:55 pm By M.Z.

Memorial Day weekend was spent at home this year. This allowed me to break sod and plant our garden. This is our first year doing a garden. As a child, I did a garden for 2 or 3 years. They were mostly modest successes. Having had an anti-vegetable streak, there was a tad bit of irony to the whole enterprise. The advantage of doing my own garden rather than managing one for my parents is that I got to choose the... Read more

Which prophet had a vision of God standing beside a destroyed altar?