After seven years alone in a cabin on Wildcat Mountain, John Byron Kuhner reflects on how solitude, silence, physical work, and immersion in the natural world reshaped his understanding of suffering, his relationship with his father, and his faith. As he prepares to leave the mountain and begin married life, he considers what it means to inherit the past without being trapped by it and to discover new life. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/seven-years-…

There's a story about the Church and therapy that says everything was fine until Freud came along and then the therapeutic triumphed. It's a bit more complicated than that. My brief take on the history of the Church & therapy for @firstthingsmag: firstthings.com/the-church-i…

What happens when the language of therapy becomes the language through which Christians understand sin, suffering, and human flourishing? In this piece, Matthew Loftus examines how modern psychology has shaped Christian thinking about the self, and argues that the Church’s task is not simply to reject therapy culture, but to tell a deeper story about healing, holiness, and transformation through Christ. Read the piece at firstthings.com/the-church-i…

What happens when exhaustion with the culture wars begins to look like a desire for common ground? In this piece, Ephraim Radner examines why some traditionally minded Christians are ready to move beyond long-running battles over same-sex marriage and blessings, and considers what a shared commitment to creedal orthodoxy might mean for the future of the debate. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/creedal-orth…

On November 2, I will be delivering the thirty-ninth annual Erasmus Lecture in NYC on the topic: “Only the Old Testament Can Restore America.” To register, visit firstthings.com/events/erasm…… @firstthingsmag

In the ​latest installment of Conversations, James M. O'Toole joins Mark Bauerlein to discuss his recent book about confession, For I Have Sinned. To listen to the conversation, visit firstthings.com/americas-emp…

On Tuesday, September 29th, Lionel Shriver will read from her short story “The Cello,” published in the fall issue of Portico. Lionel Shriver is a journalist, novelist, and cultural commentator. She has written for The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, The New York Times, The Economist, Harper’s Magazine, The Guardian, and other publications. Currently, she writes for The Spectator and sometimes contributes to the “Comment” page of The Times. Among her literary achievements, Shriver won the 2005 Orange Prize for Fiction for her novel We need to Talk About Kevin and the BBC National Short Story Award for her story Kilifi Creek. Although she has lived abroad in Europe in recent years, she remains an active commentator on electoral politics in the United States. Join us for an evening of conversation, hosted at the First Things office in midtown Manhattan. Register at firstthings.com/events/porti… to secure your spot.

What happens when economic policies aimed at restoring the male breadwinner model collide with deeper changes in work, demographics, and family life? In this piece, Patrick T. Brown examines why tariffs and trade barriers are unlikely to reverse the long-term decline of male-skewed employment and considers what a more realistic working-class agenda might look like. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/tariffs-wont…

What is a nation, and what happens when we assume every country means the same thing? In this piece, Peter J. Leithart examines the tangled history of nations, empires, borders, language, and political identity, arguing that the idea of “national interest” is far less straightforward than it first appears. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/what-is-a-na…

What happens when corruption becomes so widespread that people stop expecting honesty from those in power? In this piece, R. R. Reno examines the culture of cynicism surrounding American institutions, from politics and higher education to public life, and argues that restoring trust will require leaders who value honor over wealth and integrity over self-interest. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/the-stench-o…

I’ve written pieces of this critique in various places, but here it is all in one go at First Things. The whole idea that “Liberation Day” and the second Trump administration’s trade and immigration policies would help curb our “crisis of masculinity” has been proven unfounded

The underlying issues with America's status quo reflect its demographic reality and will not be fixed by tepid policy changes. @PTBwrites writes for @firstthingsmag.

What happens when safeguards meant to protect vulnerable patients fail or are alleged to have failed? In this piece, Anna Farrow examines the case of an 83-year-old Ontario woman who died through Canada’s MAiD system despite her family’s claims that she had opposed it, and asks what the controversy reveals about oversight, consent, and the difficult questions surrounding assisted dying in Canada. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/canadas-dead…

In this episode, Mark Regnerus joins R. R. Reno on The Editor’s Desk to talk about his recent essay, “Living Humanae Vitae in Poland,” from the October 2026 issue of the magazine. To listen to the conversation, visit firstthings.com/brave-new-se…. For your long-term convenience, subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

What can Dolly Parton and Fulton Sheen teach us about Christian witness in public life? In this piece, Mike Aquilina explores the surprising similarities between two beloved figures who brought their faith into the mainstream without hiding their convictions, showing how joy, generosity, humor, and authenticity can make Christian belief not only credible, but compelling. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/the-faithful…

What does it mean for the Church of England when the state’s role in church governance grows ever more pronounced? In this piece, Carl R. Trueman examines Andy Burnham’s proposed legislation allowing Catholics and Jews to play a role in episcopal appointments and what the move reveals about the long, complicated relationship between Anglicanism, political power, and Protestant identity. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/burnhams-pop…

What happens when a culture loses its ability to read deeply? In this piece, Wessie du Toit examines James Marriott’s The New Dark Ages and the decline of reading in a screen-dominated world—arguing that what we stand to lose is not simply rationality or political judgment, but the knowledge, imagination, and intellectual depth that make literature worth preserving. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/goldfish-bra…

What if the story of the Reformation’s global expansion is more complicated than the traditional Catholic-versus-Protestant narrative suggests? In this piece, Philip Jenkins examines Alec Ryrie’s The World’s Reformation and the overlooked global reach of early Protestant missions, from Lapland to Chile and Barbados to Taiwan. To read the piece, visit firstthings.com/forgotten-mi…

Join us for the thirty-ninth annual Erasmus Lecture, “Only the Old Testament Can Restore America,” to be given by Yoram Hazony. Swipe for more information and to learn more about the lecturer. To register, visit firstthings.com/events/erasm…

Dolly and Sheen achieved something rare in an increasingly divided culture. They inspired affection across lines of creed, class, politics, and education. firstthings.com/the-faithful…