Why the autonomous revolution needs comparative religion more than another ethical framework In 1236, Korea’s government had relocated to an island. Five years earlier, Mongol cavalry crossed Korea’s northern border. King Gojong’s court fled the mainland capital for Ganghwa, a tidal island safe from the horsemen. On the mainland, the invaders burned everything they encountered,... Continue Reading →

What would Thomas Merton say to a Franciscan's charge of patriarchal clericalism? In March 1925, a Belgian priest boarded a train to Rome, certain he was heading toward his own downfall. At forty-two, the son of a Schaerbeek coal merchant had spent six years building something his own bishops put on trial. His movement, the... Continue Reading →

A priest in Quincy, a monk in Minnesota, and a chaplain in Brussels all asked the same question: what does the distance from the altar to the street reveal? Thomas Merton helps answer it, and the story begins in Quincy, Illinois. In the summer of 1886, a thirty-two-year-old priest stood upon the altar of St.... Continue Reading →

My friend, a well-known pastoral theologian in the public sphere here in the greater Chicagoland area, used to write a column in the parish bulletin titled “Words for the Wind.” Since retiring, he has decided to revive this column here on Facebook. He will share his thoughts, literature, poetry, insights into church life, and other... Continue Reading →