Given that he was a member of the famously ascetic Franciscan order with his own reputation for detachment from worldly things, Bernardine of Siena (1380–1444) was remarkably insightful about money. Most people are understandably surprised to learn that some of the important intellectual developments that first enabled finance to become an engine of growth were Read more
It’s not unusual to experience setbacks in life, and most people, with the right support, can overcome them. But sometimes, a tragic circumstance such as a difficult childhood or the death of a loved one can set us off course. In these situations it takes a special encounter to get back on track and make Read more
The same brain circuits that are activated by eating chocolate and winning money are activated when teenagers see large numbers of “likes” on their own photos or the photos of peers in a social network, according to a first-of-its-kind UCLA study that scanned teens’ brains while using social media. The 32 teenagers, ages 13-18, were Read more
Why are C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia – especially their showcase opener, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe – so popular, more than fifty years after their author’s death? Many answers might be given, from the obvious fact that they are stories well told, to the suggestion that they call us back to a Read more
Genevieve, 33, was sexually abused by men when she was between the ages of 2 and 16 in New South Wales. Bred by her father specifically to be abused, she has suffered Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), dissociation, flashbacks, and an eating disorder. Many times she wanted to end her life. Last year she almost Read more
The economist Thomas Sowell recently gave a brief reflection on the general tenor of commencement speeches in our major universities. Most addresses left much to be desired. Sowell found two general types of graduation speeches. The first type is “shameless self-advertising by people in government, or in related organizations supported by the tax-payers or donors, Read more
Nearly 850 years after he was murdered in Canterbury Cathedral, St. Thomas à Becket was back over the weekend — at least, a bit of his elbow was — after a week’s tour that raised some oddly topical ghosts and uncomfortable questions. Hundreds came to services to see a translucent fragment that belongs to one of Read more
Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in 1431. She was canonized in 1920. Eight years later, and almost 600 years after her death, she was immortalized on screen in Carl Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc. Soon after its completion, however, the original film “disappeared” on account of fire. Painstakingly, the director Read more
When Pope Francis saved a dozen refugees from a Lesbos detention centre and took them to Rome it was ‘like a miracle’, one of them said. A month on, what is their new life like? Ramy Alshakarji was still coming to terms with the idea that at last he was safe – he was leaving Read more
One of the most impressive literary figures of the twentieth century was the Irish writer Iris Murdoch. You may have heard of her surprising and thoughtful novels such as A Severed Head and The Good Apprentice; or perhaps you are conversant with her more abstract philosophical texts such as The Sovereignty of Good and Metaphysics Read more