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Letters: Young Catholics and Muslims are disrupting ISIS together

December 12, 2019

How to disrupt ISIS recruitment SIR – I recently visited the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, the scene of the siege of Marawi, where the ISIS affiliated Maute group briefly took over the city and inevitably met their end. Sometimes it takes a tragedy to stir people from passivity and complacency, face a situation

Had enough Handel? Here’s the festive alternative

December 12, 2019

During the festive season, tradition holds sway. Families and communities come together, while our thoughts return to the securities of childhood. Singing carols and listening to much-loved music are the stuff of idealised memory to which, in troubled times, we cling more than ever. Yet the Christmas story has a radical edge, revealing divine purpose

The divine discontent of Duruflé

December 12, 2019

Houston Chamber Choir was formed in 1995 by its conductor, Robert Simpson, who is director of music at the Episcopal Christ Church Cathedral in the city. It is one of the most admired chamber choirs in the United States, with pioneering original instrument performances, international appearances, and a repertoire from the English Renaissance to Duke

Epicureanism: the ancient philosophy that won’t go away

December 12, 2019

How to Be an Epicurean By Catherine Wilson Basic Books, 304pp, £30/$30 “Our starting point will be this principle: nothing is ever created by divine power out of nothing.” So begins Lucretius’s 1st-century BC poem De Rerum Natura, an expression of the ancient philosophy of Epicureanism. An ancient forebear to today’s atheist materialists, Lucretius attributes

Is language proof of God’s existence?

December 12, 2019

Don’t Believe a Word By David Shariatmadari Widenfeld and Nicolson, 336pp, £16.99/$26.95 Linguistics is a fascinating area of study, but an enormously challenging one to bring to a general readership, especially given how many British and American readers will be monoglots. Then there’s the further complication that, for most native speakers, learning English is not

Why is Western civilisation falling apart?

December 12, 2019

How the West Was Lost By Ben Ryan Hurst & Company, 192pp, £20/$19.50 The decline of Western civilisation has been a persistent topic of discussion and rumination ever since the First World War. It was this global upheaval which proved such a profound shock to Europe and America’s collective mindset, shattering the peaceful and prosperous

Repentance is the best preparation for Christmas

December 12, 2019

The Third Sunday of Advent Is 35:1-6; Jas 5:7-10; Mt 11:2-11 (Year A) The prophet Isaiah lived through the darkest of times in Israel’s history, and yet his was the voice that never ceased to summon a broken people to joy. “They will come to Zion shouting for joy, everlasting joy on their faces; joy

Gaudete Sunday is a glimpse of the joy that lies ahead

December 12, 2019

The Third Sunday of Advent is nicknamed “Gaudete Sunday” from the first word of the entrance chant, or Introit: Rejoice! Today we relax slightly our penitential focus during Advent. Advent is joyous, but also penitential. Remember: we fast before our feasts. At the beginning of Advent we begged God for the grace of a