2011

  • Creation and the Killing of Non-Human Animals

    As most of you have probably heard by now, yesterday, in an incomprehensibly bizarre and senseless act, the owner of a private wildlife reserve near the small town of Zanesville, Ohio set free all 56  of the “exotic” animals in… Continue reading

  • iSexism?

    Warning: the following blog post contains moderately strong language. Unfortunately, when we’re talking about how our culture views women, such words come into play rather quickly. We at the blog vary considerably in our enjoyment / appreciation / fear of… Continue reading

  • Racial Inequality and Health

    Thanks to Meghan Clark of the blog Catholic Moral Theology (you can check out her latest post here) for introducing me to a very important documentary series, entitled Unnatural Causes, which chronicles the interconnection between racism/classism and health disparities. Thankfully for… Continue reading

  • Autonomy and Relationality and Ron Swanson

    I am certainly not the only person on this blog to have done serious work on the issue of feminist interpretations of autonomy, heteronomy, relationality, kenosis (i.e., self-sacrifice/self-emptying), and vulnerability, but I have been reflecting on it frequently of late.… Continue reading

  • Is Affirmative Action ‘Reverse Racism’?

    UC Berkeley’s College Republicans are putting on a “pay-by-race bake sale” in order to demonstrate what they consider to be the straightforwardly and obviously unjust nature of affirmative action, especially when used in the college admissions process. Their pricing menu… Continue reading

  • Dies Natalis of Hildegard of Bingen

    As Teresa Berger notes at PrayTell, September 17 is the anniversary of the death (or dies natalis, “day of birth” [into heaven]) of Hildegard of Bingen — abbess, visionary, theologian, medical practitioner, playwright, and the first female composer (Update: As Maria Gwyn McDowell graciously… Continue reading

  • On Intellectual Confidence

    I’ve been spending the summer trying to get my dissertation proposal together, and I have some things to say about this process which some people may find interesting. I think that on this blog we talk a lot about theology,… Continue reading

  • Is Moderation a Christian Virtue?

    In the Catholic universe, the claim that there is something inherently superior about taking the “middle position” is being made with increasing frequency. Those who advocate the supremacy of the middle position argue that, instead of picking sides, the rising… Continue reading

  • A Curse and Affliction Upon the Church? On Vitriol and Theologians

    Some of our readers may have seen that John Allen, writing for the National Catholic Reporter, recently summarized a talk Thomas Weinandy OFM Cap (executive director of the US Conference of Catholic Bishop’s doctrine committee) gave in May to the Academy of… Continue reading