Author Archives: Andrew Stuttaford

Halloweaster

Halloween is even more splendidly syncretic than I thought: Yes, Halloween Peeps made an appearance at a supermarket near me. Adweek explains: More sweet. Less scary. That’s the promotional campaign, not the ingredient list. The perennial Easter favorite Peeps continue … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged , | Comments Off on Halloweaster

“Pre-Traumatic Stress Disorder”

Cross-posted on the Corner Just when you think that the misery that climate change is bringing in its wake can get no worse, there is this. Grist reports: …From depression to substance abuse to suicide and post-traumatic stress disorder, growing … Continue reading

Posted in culture, politics, Science & Faith | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The Culture of ‘Offense’ (Halloween Edition)

National Catholic Reporter: BROWNSVILLE, TEXAS Every October, many look forward to Halloween — the trick-or-treating, the parties and especially the costumes. Every Halloween, however, many also mock religious figures with their costume choices. Costumes for badly behaved nuns, rabbis, Muslims, … Continue reading

Posted in culture, Religion | Tagged , | Comments Off on The Culture of ‘Offense’ (Halloween Edition)

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is, with Christmas, one of the more enjoyable of our syncretic, splendidly commercialized festivals, so in the spirit of the evening here is a link to The Signal-Man by Charles Dickens, the greatest chronicler of Christmas who does, I … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged | Comments Off on Happy Halloween!

Once Planned an ‘Orthodox al-Qaeda’, Moved On…

Cross-posted on the Corner: Russia’s fusion of nationalism, Russian Orthodox Christianity and reverence for (heavily sanitized) aspects of the Soviet past continues to evolve in less than reassuring ways BBC: As voters in most of Ukraine prepare to go to … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

No Point and No Point in Worrying Either

Writing in The Week, Damon Linker wades into the controversy over the comment by Sam Harris that Islam is a “motherlode of bad ideas”. In many respects the controversy is more interesting than the insult, but that’s a discussion for … Continue reading

Posted in Religion | Tagged , | 4 Comments

“A Kind of Hydraulic Effect”

Writing in the New Yorker, Jeffrey Toobin wonders where the Hobby Lobby decision might lead: The great Oliver Wendell Holmes once observed that important Supreme Court decisions “exercise a kind of hydraulic effect.” Even if the authors of such decisions … Continue reading

Posted in Church & State, law, politics | Tagged , | Comments Off on “A Kind of Hydraulic Effect”

Noted Scientific Authority Weighs Into Climate Debate

Independent Catholic News: The Holy See has called for “an authentic cultural change” to combat climate change which is man-made and therefore man’s responsibility. That was the focus of an address delivered last night to the UN Climate Change Summit … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Scottish Independence and the Catholic Church

Scottish Catholic historian Tom Gallagher had something to say over at the Spectator about the way that Catholic voters voted in the recent independence referendum: An influx of Irish immigrants restored a Catholic presence in Scotland after 1800. The overnight … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Scottish Independence and the Catholic Church

Lenin and “the Vibrations of Christ”

Radio Free Europe: “Leninland,” which was two years in the making, focuses on the massive, tomb-like Lenin Museum at the estate outside of Moscow where the Soviet founder spent his final days and died. The museum complex was built there … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Lenin and “the Vibrations of Christ”