James Wood's theodicy essay in the latest New Yorker, which Matt Boudway posted on below, was among the many fine entries in this double issue. While this is ostensibly the "Summer Fiction Issue," there is a religious core toit, including a series of brief essays under the title "Faith and Doubt." The best (to me) was the first, by a Nigerian Jesuit, Uwem Akpan, a talented writer who premiered in the magazine a couple years back with a short story. His essay is titled "Communion," and apart from an affecting story, is I think a useful counterpoint to some of the "wafer war" rhetoric in the U.S. church these days.Tobias Wolff's "Winter Light" is also very good, but Akpan's was first and best for me.