First Things

Carl Trueman, Francis Schaeffer, and the Two Gates of Christian Civic Engagement

Christian political engagement must be neither too quietist and detached from reality nor too enamored with acquiring political power on Earth

The Church & National Conservatism

Christians can discern God’s hand even when He is not directly acknowledged.

Evangelicals & Whiggery

The world gets better and at sundry times through the action of people who did not realize what they were doing.”    

The Last Christians in America? R.R. Reno and the Bitter Remnant Mindset of First Things
The Last Christians in America? R.R. Reno and the Bitter Remnant Mindset of First Things

The mindset of many of First Things’ authors, most notably its senior editor, R.R. Reno, strikes me as that of an angry and bitter remnant. They write as though they are the last Christians in America.

A Time for Theologians during COVID-19 Pandemic?

A theologian’s task in time of plague is to show the light and give people hope. In recent years, many of us trained as theologians have traded our office for that of the pundit and scold. That we have so little worthwhile to say now, in this unprecedented time of fear and uncertainty, is yet one more sign of judgment.

Stop Volunteering to Do the Awful Arithmetic for COVID-19
Stop Volunteering to Do the Awful Arithmetic for COVID-19

Faced with the COVID-19 pandemic in which the United States must seemingly make the frightful choice between saving lives and saving the economy, we inexplicably have a legion of volunteer mathematicians lining up to show off how well they can make the terrible calculations to decide who lives and who dies.

The Impeachment of American Evangelicalism

There is a sharp public conversation brewing over evangelical attitudes on impeachment. Christianity Today editorialized that Christians should support removing…

Conservatives Clash on the Goal of Government - Sohrab Ahmari - David French Debate - Catholic University of America - September 5, 2019
Conservatives Clash on the Goal of Government

A number of friends and I find ourselves unable to commit fully to either side in the Sohrab Ahmari-David French debate. Here are three reasons why.

Debating “National Conservatism”
Debating “National Conservatism”

I welcome the effort to give nationalism more depth because one of the more maddening features of political debate over the past few years is the difficulty in nailing down what exactly the nationalist side believes. In that spirit, I have some questions for the advocates of National Conservatism.