Paul Baumann

Article

Is Christian Belief Rational?

Christian belief and sports alike remind us that we are embodied selves, not detached brains or pure spirits.

By Paul Baumann

April 28, 2023

Sports

Religion

Philosophy

Article

Still Supporting the Local Paper

It is no secret that local newspapers have struggled mightily in the age of digital media. Paul Baumann explains why he continues to support his local paper in 2023.

By Paul Baumann

March 17, 2023

Politics

Culture

Article

Francis After Ten Years

As we approach the tenth anniversary of his election, Pope Francis continues to possess a kind of Californian optimism about the world and the Church.

February 26, 2023

Article

Master Builders

Be wary of conservative nostalgia: under the near-dictatorial reign of Francis Cardinal Spellman, vanity, corruption, and abuse flourished.

December 26, 2022

Article

Listening to the Synod

A synodal report from the American bishops reflects fears that the Church has become too “judgmental.” But a Church that does not judge cannot bear moral witness.

November 5, 2022

Article

The Strange Genius of Hilary Mantel

The late novelist Hilary Mantel’s sensibilities were clear-eyed and agreeably eccentric.

October 9, 2022

Must Reads

Politics

Engaging Confederate Nostalgia

For those of us who have a visceral objection to Confederate Memorial Day, how should we engage a worldview that embraces the mythology of the Lost Cause?

By Richard Brown

May 10, 2023

Religion

St. Philip Neri’s Eucharistic Joy

Philip Neri is just the kind of saint we need: a model of lightness of spirit, divine laughter, and extraordinary ordinariness.

By John Rodden

May 26, 2023

Culture

Reckoning With Birth

Birth is one of humanity’s most under-explored subjects. Minimizing birth diminishes one of the greatest powers humans have had: the creation of life itself.

By Jennifer Banks

May 26, 2023

Books

Changing Our Minds About Time

In her latest book, Jenny Odell challenges the very idea of time management.

By Katherine Lucky

May 7, 2023

Collections

Father’s Day

Commonweal writers reflect on their fathers and fatherhood.

By The Editors

June 15, 2022