Paul Baumann

The veneration of relics is a hard thing for many Catholics of this time and culture to wrap their minds around. But the practice is humanizing, not superstitious.

By Paul Baumann

August 8, 2019

Spirituality

Saints

Liturgy

Columnists

Article

Throwing Money at a Problem

Endless military adventurism abroad and wasteful spending at home has made the United States weaker, not stronger. We need to make better use of the federal budget.

July 27, 2019

Article

Race & Politics

Making real progress toward racial justice requires the input of all Americans, including the so-called ‘privileged’ side. We need alliances, not recriminations.

July 1, 2019

Article

My Days in Court

Serving as a juror was a welcome respite from the vacuous posturing of so much of our public and political culture today. I’d be happy to do it again.

By Paul Baumann

June 14, 2019

Secularism and Modernity

Domestic Affairs

Columnists

Must Reads

Politics

Civil Conflict in the Age of Trump

How should democracies deal with irreconcilable differences? How should we weigh the value of deliberation against its costs?

By James T. Kloppenberg

September 4, 2019

Religion

My Two Abortions

The need for abortion is evidence of our broken humanity, but our current response also shows our church’s inability to respond fully to the female experience.

By Anonymous

August 27, 2019

Culture

No Man Is an Island

Thomas Merton taught me to value self-denial, but a bout of depression forced me to question whether asceticism was the healthiest response to my life.

By Nick Scrimenti

August 24, 2019

Culture

That Was Freedom

Easy Rider is a lasting work of art not only because it reflects the “spirit of the Sixties,” but because it depicts a bona fide tragedy that transcends its time.

By Santiago Ramos

August 22, 2019

Books

Out of Touch

George Weigel resurrects an antiquated and narrow form of Catholicism at a historical moment when the future of the church is in crisis.

By James Chappel

September 5, 2019

Books

Boot Camp for Nuns

I’m nineteen years old, the year is 1958, and I’ve already made it through the first nine months of probation. More than anything in the world I want to be a saint.

By Sr. Helen Prejean

September 3, 2019

Collections

Fiction in Commonweal

To celebrate the publication our summer fiction issue, a new collection of short stories from our archives.

By The Editors

July 30, 2019

Collections

Labor & the Catholic Church

Commonweal writers have long engaged with the church’s stance on labor rights, worker justice, and income inequality. Here are the best pieces from our archives.

By The Editors

July 10, 2019