Persecuted Christians

The past few years have seen a number of high-profile acts of violence committed against Christians on account of their faith. In 2015, the Islamic State (ISIS) broadcast from a beach in Libya its beheading of 21 men, most of … Continue reading

Sins of Speech

There’s a lot to be said for the old dictum “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But we’re not merely bones. To a certain extent, we need the respect of others in order … Continue reading

A Theist among the Atheists

Last week, another friar and I participated in a panel-discussion on religion and secularism at George Mason University. The event was sponsored and organized by the local chapter of the Secular Student Alliance. The panel consisted of three Christians—two Dominicans … Continue reading

Baptized Beyond Nature

Some think that to be a Muslim, it is sufficient simply to be born, or to be born to a Muslim father. Likewise, some think that to be a Jew, it is sufficient to be born to a Jewish mother. … Continue reading

Religion is Not Race

There is a troubling tendency in our public discourse to reduce religion to race or ethnicity (the complex case of Judaism aside). On this view, religion is a more or less superficial feature of one’s identity—something akin to skin color … Continue reading

Love’s Hatred

Some Christians have misgivings about the slogan “Love the sinner; hate the sin.” For them, the slogan seems “judgmental” and, therefore, fundamentally unchristian. I can understand a certain amount of suspicion. We don’t want to turn into fault-finders or to … Continue reading