Singing the praises of Pope Benedict

The NYT’s most intelligent new conservative voice, Ross Douthat, is enthusiastic about Pope Benedict in this remarkable op-ed. In the op-ed’s last paragraph, he tries to hit it out of the ball park, whereas in fact, if you ask me, he simply strikes out.

Regardless, Douthat’s remarkable combination of passion, intelligence, and religious sophistication is emblematic of the unique contribution Pentecostals and other evangelicals now graduating from places like Harvard will be making to the common intellectual weal for the foreseeable future. Somewhat beside the point: whether or not they stay close to home, how much they choose to temper their evangelical convictions in the context of a commitment to the church catholic.   

Comments

[Ranger]

The "enduring foe" line at the end in reference to Islam was a little awkward and provided something for the liberals and atheists to jump on in the comments. Overall though, that was a great article. I really enjoy just about everything that Douthat is writing for the Times.

[Ranger]

By the way, did you catch his book review of Armstrong's "Case for God?" It was almost evangelical. Even though our doctrines remain distinct (as they should), it seems as though the banks of the Tiber keep getting closer.

[JohnFh]

No, I missed that, Ranger. I'll have to look for that.

My sense is that Douthat might well be termed an evangelical Catholic. The late Avery Cardinal Dulles understood better than most how much Catholicism has to gain by becoming more evangelical. The times they are a-changing.