Author Archives: Andrew Stuttaford

The Pope, Again

Cross-posted on the Corner As Kathryn notes (and we were discussing over at Ricochet), today saw the release of a major statement by the new pope. One highlight(courtesy of an admiring Guardian): Pope Francis has attacked unfettered capitalism as “a … Continue reading

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Mysticism and Mush – Grains of Sand, Glasses of Wine (or Something)

More on what sort of god is God: Aiden Kimel: I concluded my previous post with the question, How do we stop thinking of God as god? The contemporary theologian I have found most helpful on this question is Herbert … Continue reading

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Finding order where there is none

Via Andrew Sullivan, Benjamin Wallace-Wells’ examination of American conspiracism in New York magazine: The seduction of conspiracy is the way it orders chaos. Hmmm, that sounds like another phenomenon I could mention, which makes this entertainingly ironic : In the … Continue reading

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‘Like criticizing the malign influence of cricket on French society’

Cross-posted on the Corner: There was an exultant article by Jonathan Freedland over in the Guardian a couple of days ago proclaiming Pope Francis an “obvious hero of the left.” I wrote something about it over at Ricochet, but it’s … Continue reading

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About That Pope

Cross-posted on Ricochet: Over at the Guardian Jonathan Freedland exults in a new pope he believes is the “obvious new hero of the left” arguing that “even atheists should be praying” for him, a statement that can be read (on … Continue reading

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“The Sheer Ocean of Being”

I’ve never really thought that the God of Jews and Christians (despite His rather mixed origins—check out the works of James Kugel on this topic) was a god to be compared with a Zeus or an Odin and I doubt … Continue reading

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Vladimir & Kirill

There were some here in the US, particularly a few on the Religious Right, who failed to appreciate the extent to which the Pussy Rioters’ decision to stage their brief event in a cathedral was not just some childish blasphemy, … Continue reading

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Halloween Fun

Yes, yes, it’s November 2, but still… From First Things [In] evangelical congregations…—at the end of October, at least—a “Christ against culture” spirit takes over for a week or so. As a counter-celebration, churches often put on “harvest festivals.” Kids … Continue reading

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‘Religious Freedom’ (Again)

The fact that the current clutch of campaigners for ‘religious freedom’ (brought together by their opposition to Obamacare’s contraception mandate) has adopted Thomas More, a less than admirable proto-Dzerzhinsky, as a symbol of freedom of conscience, a principle for which … Continue reading

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No Idle Hands Here

The Devil has been busy again, but Rick Santorum is on the case. Right Wing Watch (I know, I know) reports: Rick Santorum is asking you to do your part to free movie theatres from the Devil’s clutches by purchasing … Continue reading

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