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The 2006-07 Archbishop’s Lecture Series kicks off its spring talks the evening of Feb. 6 with Joseph Bottum, editor of First Things, the nation’s leading journal of religion and public life.
Bottum, former literary editor of The Weekly Standard and host of “Book Talk,” a nationally syndicated radio program, lives in New York City. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, with a Ph.D. in philosophy from Boston College. His essays, reviews, and poetry have appeared in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, the Atlantic Monthly, and National Review.
His books include “The Fall and Other Poems.” His newest book, “The Catholic Awakening: How Catholicism Became American’s National Church and How that Church Came to Dominate American Politics” is set for release this August.
In “The Catholic Awakening,” Bottom argues that modern Catholic accounts of natural law philosophy, just war theory, and the role of politicians in secular democracies play a central role in contemporary American politics and policy.
Bottum’s upcoming talk — focusing on “Christ and Culture: The Strangeness of the Catholic American Situation” — is sure to be compelling, lecture organizers said.
“His experiences at First Things and The Weekly Standard, and his extensive body of published work have given him a unique vantage point on American Catholic life and its issues,” noted Francis X. Maier, archdiocesan chancellor.
Bottum’s talk, Maier added, will hold special appeal for readers of First Things, called “ROFTers” by the publication.
At 7 p.m. on March 1, Ned Desmond, executive editor of Time Inc. Interactive, will deliver the last talk in the 2006-07 Archbishop’s Lecture Series.
Time Inc. Interactive oversees many of Time Inc.’s Web sites and related digital efforts. Desmond was formerly editor and president of TimeWarner’s Business 2.0 magazine in San Francisco. He was also a vice president at Disney’s Go.com and Infoseek, where he established Infoseek Japan.
Before assuming his leadership roles in major media technology changes, Desmond was a senior writer at Fortune. He also served as Time magazine bureau chief in both Tokyo and New Delhi, and reported from inside Afghanistan with Muslim guerrillas during the insurgency against Soviet occupation in the 1980s.
The lectures, which begin at 7 p.m., are followed by discussion. Cost: free and open to the public. The talks will be held in Bonfils Hall at the John Paul II Center, 1300 S. Steele St.
Archbishop's Lecture Series: Spring Talks
When: 7 pm Feb. 6 & March 1
Who: Joseph Bottum in Feb.; Ned Desmond in March
