A Wall Is Breached, a Wall Is Erected

Construction of the Berlin Wall began on Aug. 13, 1961. Erected almost overnight to prevent East Berliners from defecting to the West, the wall became the most conspicuous symbol of the Cold War’s division of Europe. In August 1989, I was enjoying the company of...

Church Abuse Robs Eschatological Rights

In her reflection in the New York Times, respected Catholic theologian Lisa Sowle Cahill evaluated the nature and the scope of the damage caused by the scandal of priest pedophilia. She said the scandal undermines the aspirations of the church to provide leadership...

Learning From Our Muslim Neighbors

I remember a conversation in the early 1980s with some high-ranking academicians in Holland. As we were talking about the diversity of cultures, one of my colleagues remarked: “Holland is a country of the coexistence of cultures. We appreciate immigrants because...

Precedents for Postmodernism

Postmodernism means different things to different people. Some are so fascinated with current changes in social, artistic and intellectual life that they believe a new age has already dawned. Others are so frustrated by these changes that they deny the existence of...