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Jake MeadorCultureBook Reviews

The Liberalism of George Smiley

We often do not think of democratic liberalism has possessing its own sort of moral excellencies, yet the model of George Smiley suggests that we should.

Lucy S. R. AustenBook ReviewsJournalWinter 2026

Man and Machine

The history of the book shows us that human frailty and cruelty have led to horrors, and that human goodness and strength have created powerful change for the better.

Jake MeadorBook Reviews

Creating Membership

For Berry and the Christian tradition, authentic political community is a thing that can be created, not merely something that arises from nature.

Katy CarlBook Reviews

A Passage Through the Dark

Can story outdo wrongheaded calculation, political machination, and ideological influence, all to awaken and regenerate our capacity to choose the good?

Andrew KaufmannBook Reviews

George Scialabba’s Utopian Hopes

Scialabba's wandering meditation on hope is not without flaws, yet it remains instructive and worth engaging on many distinct levels.

Elisabeth Lasch-QuinnBook Reviews

Lucky to be Grateful

If we have loved something good with a deep and faithful love, then even if that thing is lost, we still have cause for gratitude.

Matthew LoftusBook ReviewsJournalWinter 2026

Deconstructing Pessimism

We should find hope in the fact that it is actually quite difficult to truly embrace pessimism

Nathaniel MarshallBook ReviewsFormationJournalWinter 2026

To Dabble or Not to Dabble

Amateurism is wonderful, but asking it to serve as a subversion of capitalism and hustle culture is to misunderstand what it is.

William TateBook ReviewsJournalWinter 2026

Attending to 'Paradise Lost'

Alan Jacobs's biography of Milton's 'Paradise Lost' will help new readers understand and appreciate the immensity of Milton's poem.

Matt ReynoldsBook ReviewsFormation

On Judging Books

There are times when the work of understanding why a book fails and taking the time to explain that can be immensely worthwhile.

Kirsten SandersCultureChurchBook ReviewsJournalWinter 2026

The Sacred and the Profane

If you experience many longings and intuitions that are traditionally answered by religion, why not be religious? Paul Elie's book attempts an answer.

Gracy OlmsteadChurchBook ReviewsFormationJournalWinter 2026

The Garden and the Liturgy

Both the church calendar and the work of gardening are reminders of our mortality and an exhortation to prepare for the world to come.