The Dispatch
morality
Chapp's Schtick
Rejecting the “low-bar Thomism” of revisionist moral theologians
Having reviewed the republication of Henri de Lubac’s book The Church: Paradox and Mystery, I had to accept that space constraints prevented me from discussing at more length a part of the text that moved […]
The Dispatch
Authentic moral reasoning vs. appeals to legalism
When the Church speaks definitively on morality—says that without exception something is wrong—is it declaring a truth or laying down a law? Confusion about that is rampant today. Recently I came across this statement by […]
The Dispatch
Sodomy, smoking, and and the inversion of vices
“You must have a cigarette.” wrote Oscar Wilde in The Picture of Dorian Gray. “A cigarette is a perfect type of a perfect pleasure. It is exquisite, and it leaves one unsatisfied. What more can […]
The Dispatch
All the light we cannot see
Some years ago, I read a novel entitled All The Light We Cannot See (2014) by Anthony Doerr, a title with multiple meanings: scientific, cultural, and moral. This was a story of a blind French […]
The Dispatch
The limits of science and the freedom to make moral choices
If there is one thing that is omnipresent in empirical research, it is doubt. This line has always stuck with me, from a methodology textbook I studied years ago. We may rephrase this in a […]
Columns
Lessons from Catholic censorship during Hollywood’s Golden Age
On Sunday, April 25, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences held its 93rd Academy Awards. Closing in on its 100th birthday, striving for contemporary relevance, it succeeded only in showing its age. Whereas […]
The Dispatch
Brebeuf and the two competing views of education
The story of Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory has taken several turns since the Archdiocese of Indianapolis announced that it was severing ties with the school over a decision by its administration to retain a teacher who […]
Essay
Abortion and false perceptions of good and evil
Based on the comic novel by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, the soon-to-premiere Amazon Prime show Good Omens revolves around a demon and an angel who, grown accustomed to living on earth among humans, join […]
Columns
The Darkness Gathers: Why public discussion has become increasingly irrational
A regime of pyramiding illusions that substitutes abuse for argument can’t last forever, and many wonder what will end it. […]