Comment
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“It is in the interest of technocracies everywhere to expand the power of what we can do while minimizing the involvement of other people as much as possible.”
Karl Johnson on the surgeon general’s quest for community.
Karl Johnson on the surgeon general’s quest for community.
Public Health’s Technocracy Problem
We are becoming more and more lonely and isolated because of the technocracy we live in, but the cure is not more technique.
comment.org
November 28, 2025 at 5:38 PM
“It is in the interest of technocracies everywhere to expand the power of what we can do while minimizing the involvement of other people as much as possible.”
Karl Johnson on the surgeon general’s quest for community.
Karl Johnson on the surgeon general’s quest for community.
“It is a miracle indeed that two people ever marry and live together. It is a greater miracle if they manage it as long as they both shall live.”
Nishon Schick on fathers and mothers, Robert Farrar Capon, and the grace of marriage.
Nishon Schick on fathers and mothers, Robert Farrar Capon, and the grace of marriage.
Being Changed
Marriage changes us, even (or especially) when we fail at it.
comment.org
November 28, 2025 at 4:57 PM
“It is a miracle indeed that two people ever marry and live together. It is a greater miracle if they manage it as long as they both shall live.”
Nishon Schick on fathers and mothers, Robert Farrar Capon, and the grace of marriage.
Nishon Schick on fathers and mothers, Robert Farrar Capon, and the grace of marriage.
“I try to hold in my mind who he was: the sound of his voice, his laugh, his deep knowledge of planes, of American history, how he always asked about the health of my car. I try to remember that that person is also this person.”
Vigil
A look at the ways in which we can die well.
comment.org
November 20, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“I try to hold in my mind who he was: the sound of his voice, his laugh, his deep knowledge of planes, of American history, how he always asked about the health of my car. I try to remember that that person is also this person.”
“Evangelicalism brought me into the church, and thanks be to God it will continue to do that for many more. But no fish should be satisfied with the net and should instead wriggle up its fragile filaments to the ecclesial boat as fast as its scales will take it.”
Evangelicalism: A Love Story
While many have left evangelicalism behind, others have benefited from the quiet faithfulness of everyday evangelicals.
comment.org
November 20, 2025 at 5:38 PM
“Evangelicalism brought me into the church, and thanks be to God it will continue to do that for many more. But no fish should be satisfied with the net and should instead wriggle up its fragile filaments to the ecclesial boat as fast as its scales will take it.”
“I dared not ask my questions aloud. I would be questioning the entire basis of a long-standing practice central to Mennonite belief and identity, and I did not care to be labelled a heretic.”
Removing the Head Covering
Growing up as a woman in a Mennonite community means wearing a head covering. But what if you don't think you need to?
comment.org
November 20, 2025 at 4:20 PM
“I dared not ask my questions aloud. I would be questioning the entire basis of a long-standing practice central to Mennonite belief and identity, and I did not care to be labelled a heretic.”
“In the final moment, when the immensity of his presence left all of us who loved him, he became who he would be for the remainder of our lives: cherished memory and terrible absence.”
William Montei on awaiting a good death.
William Montei on awaiting a good death.
Vigil
A look at the ways in which we can die well.
comment.org
November 20, 2025 at 1:45 PM
“In the final moment, when the immensity of his presence left all of us who loved him, he became who he would be for the remainder of our lives: cherished memory and terrible absence.”
William Montei on awaiting a good death.
William Montei on awaiting a good death.
“There was absolutely no part of me that believed my eternal salvation hinged on wearing a head covering, and I was finally in a place where I could put that conviction into action.”
Nichole Baumer on wrestling with Scripture, identity, and tradition.
Nichole Baumer on wrestling with Scripture, identity, and tradition.
Removing the Head Covering
Growing up as a woman in a Mennonite community means wearing a head covering. But what if you don't think you need to?
comment.org
November 20, 2025 at 12:55 PM
“There was absolutely no part of me that believed my eternal salvation hinged on wearing a head covering, and I was finally in a place where I could put that conviction into action.”
Nichole Baumer on wrestling with Scripture, identity, and tradition.
Nichole Baumer on wrestling with Scripture, identity, and tradition.
“The Christianity of public figures such as Peterson and Musk reminds me not so much of Christ as of Machiavelli.”
Jessica Hooten Wilson with a call to be obscurely good.
Jessica Hooten Wilson with a call to be obscurely good.
Live Not by Lies Even When You’re Winning
Christians and social conservatives may worry about groupthink and coercion when the Left is in power. What concerns remain when things change?
comment.org
November 20, 2025 at 11:57 AM
“The Christianity of public figures such as Peterson and Musk reminds me not so much of Christ as of Machiavelli.”
Jessica Hooten Wilson with a call to be obscurely good.
Jessica Hooten Wilson with a call to be obscurely good.
“The Mass I attend is not about political victories or defeats. It is about encountering Christ made present on the altar. Catholicism is not a partisan project; it is a sacramental reality.”
A Sacramental Reality
Conversions to Catholicism are on the rise, but many commentators overlook the real reason: that converts believe it to be true.
comment.org
November 19, 2025 at 5:38 PM
“The Mass I attend is not about political victories or defeats. It is about encountering Christ made present on the altar. Catholicism is not a partisan project; it is a sacramental reality.”
“It is at the apex of human fragility, where our limitation and freedom meet, that God moves salvation history forward.”
What Is Freedom For?
The vice of acedia tells us freedom is found in choice, but freedom is for something more: love.
comment.org
November 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM
“It is at the apex of human fragility, where our limitation and freedom meet, that God moves salvation history forward.”
“People tell me that evangelicalism is politically compromised today. But I am not going to discredit the movement for this any more than I would condemn all of Orthodoxy because of the monstrous war being waged under its name by its majority Russian leadership.”
Evangelicalism: A Love Story
While many have left evangelicalism behind, others have benefited from the quiet faithfulness of everyday evangelicals.
comment.org
November 19, 2025 at 3:41 PM
“People tell me that evangelicalism is politically compromised today. But I am not going to discredit the movement for this any more than I would condemn all of Orthodoxy because of the monstrous war being waged under its name by its majority Russian leadership.”
“Some of the most prophetic voices that speak to life’s meaning and purpose have come from those who bore profound witness to spiritual freedom amid the devastating times and places in which they lived.”
What Is Freedom For?
The vice of acedia tells us freedom is found in choice, but freedom is for something more: love.
comment.org
November 18, 2025 at 7:35 PM
“Some of the most prophetic voices that speak to life’s meaning and purpose have come from those who bore profound witness to spiritual freedom amid the devastating times and places in which they lived.”
“In that moment I saw with a clarity that startled me that this faith was not about ornament or spectacle but about encounter—the renewal of Christ’s sacrifice, made present in a simple ritual of bread and wine.”
A Sacramental Reality
Conversions to Catholicism are on the rise, but many commentators overlook the real reason: that converts believe it to be true.
comment.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“In that moment I saw with a clarity that startled me that this faith was not about ornament or spectacle but about encounter—the renewal of Christ’s sacrifice, made present in a simple ritual of bread and wine.”
“Evangelicalism brought me into the church, and thanks be to God it will continue to do that for many more. But no fish should be satisfied with the net and should instead wriggle up its fragile filaments to the ecclesial boat as fast as its scales will take it.”
Evangelicalism: A Love Story
While many have left evangelicalism behind, others have benefited from the quiet faithfulness of everyday evangelicals.
comment.org
November 18, 2025 at 6:23 PM
“Evangelicalism brought me into the church, and thanks be to God it will continue to do that for many more. But no fish should be satisfied with the net and should instead wriggle up its fragile filaments to the ecclesial boat as fast as its scales will take it.”
“I don’t need to “deconstruct” my faith because I have read Dionysius the Areopagite, who does such a better job of that than modern Christians, all the while pointing me to the un-deconstructible mystery of Christ.”
Evangelicalism: A Love Story
While many have left evangelicalism behind, others have benefited from the quiet faithfulness of everyday evangelicals.
comment.org
November 18, 2025 at 11:57 AM
“I don’t need to “deconstruct” my faith because I have read Dionysius the Areopagite, who does such a better job of that than modern Christians, all the while pointing me to the un-deconstructible mystery of Christ.”
“That we are finite and live in a particular time, place, and moment in history is an essential aspect of our freedom.”
What Is Freedom For?
The vice of acedia tells us freedom is found in choice, but freedom is for something more: love.
comment.org
November 13, 2025 at 10:55 PM
“That we are finite and live in a particular time, place, and moment in history is an essential aspect of our freedom.”
“Catholicism is not reducible to community or ideology. It is, as Thomas Merton puts it, “life itself, alive at its source.” To convert is not to sign on to a platform; it is to be seized by a reality you did not invent and cannot manage.”
A Sacramental Reality
Conversions to Catholicism are on the rise, but many commentators overlook the real reason: that converts believe it to be true.
comment.org
November 13, 2025 at 9:49 PM
“Catholicism is not reducible to community or ideology. It is, as Thomas Merton puts it, “life itself, alive at its source.” To convert is not to sign on to a platform; it is to be seized by a reality you did not invent and cannot manage.”
“Without understanding the root of our behaviour, we never grow in the moral virtue necessary for our freedom.”
Jody C. Benson on living in the age of acedia.
Jody C. Benson on living in the age of acedia.
What Is Freedom For?
The vice of acedia tells us freedom is found in choice, but freedom is for something more: love.
comment.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:41 PM
“Without understanding the root of our behaviour, we never grow in the moral virtue necessary for our freedom.”
Jody C. Benson on living in the age of acedia.
Jody C. Benson on living in the age of acedia.
“Conversion is not arrival but turning, again and again, toward God—even through dryness and doubt.”
Finnegan Schick on what narratives about the rising number of Catholic converts miss.
Finnegan Schick on what narratives about the rising number of Catholic converts miss.
A Sacramental Reality
Conversions to Catholicism are on the rise, but many commentators overlook the real reason: that converts believe it to be true.
comment.org
November 13, 2025 at 3:04 PM
“Conversion is not arrival but turning, again and again, toward God—even through dryness and doubt.”
Finnegan Schick on what narratives about the rising number of Catholic converts miss.
Finnegan Schick on what narratives about the rising number of Catholic converts miss.
“Athletic performance is an instantiation of grace: something at once violent, unexpected, and terrifying, but always ordered toward an elegance that could not have been predicted yet nonetheless makes sense.”
The Grace of Sport
Sport and competition form the human person for good, and can even become an instantiation of grace.
comment.org
November 8, 2025 at 6:45 PM
“Athletic performance is an instantiation of grace: something at once violent, unexpected, and terrifying, but always ordered toward an elegance that could not have been predicted yet nonetheless makes sense.”
“The kingdom of God isn’t built on legacy or good taste, and its visualization isn’t limited to one style or era. It opens outward.”
The Kingdom Beyond the Frame
A look at the role patrons of the arts play in helping catalyze or control cultural production.
comment.org
November 8, 2025 at 5:38 PM
“The kingdom of God isn’t built on legacy or good taste, and its visualization isn’t limited to one style or era. It opens outward.”
“Mystical quietude differs from aesthetic calm: past a literary technique, it is an existential practice, a schooling of desire and attention. The silence of the mystics baptizes speech, allowing language to be born of awe.”
Silence, the First Music
Silence is banished in the modern world, but it provides the conditions for life and art to flourish.
comment.org
November 8, 2025 at 4:20 PM
“Mystical quietude differs from aesthetic calm: past a literary technique, it is an existential practice, a schooling of desire and attention. The silence of the mystics baptizes speech, allowing language to be born of awe.”
“We speak often of institutional trauma, the wounds they inflict on us. But this year has revealed the other side of the coin, one that many of us have not quite seen before: institutions themselves in trauma, stripped of the very tissue that gives them life—the public’s trust.”
The Institutions of Tomorrow
Institutional trust is down, but we still long for the goods institutions bring.
comment.org
November 8, 2025 at 3:41 PM
“We speak often of institutional trauma, the wounds they inflict on us. But this year has revealed the other side of the coin, one that many of us have not quite seen before: institutions themselves in trauma, stripped of the very tissue that gives them life—the public’s trust.”
“Institutions do not simply organize work. At their best they cultivate the conditions for character, channelling power toward service and shaping desire toward the common good.”
The Institutions of Tomorrow
Institutional trust is down, but we still long for the goods institutions bring.
comment.org
November 7, 2025 at 8:40 PM
“Institutions do not simply organize work. At their best they cultivate the conditions for character, channelling power toward service and shaping desire toward the common good.”
“For those becoming allergic to good news or dabbling in despair, skepticism metastasizes quickly. We have too few riveting portraits of life to the full and conviction-led, justice-serious, costly self-risking.”
The Sifted
Portraits of steadfast conviction.
comment.org
November 7, 2025 at 7:35 PM
“For those becoming allergic to good news or dabbling in despair, skepticism metastasizes quickly. We have too few riveting portraits of life to the full and conviction-led, justice-serious, costly self-risking.”