Dr. Raymond Moore
@drraymondmoore.bsky.social
Church history, read honestly, rejects expansionism. A historical-critical view urges justice for the vulnerable and peace and restraint. Reference: https://firstthings.com/church-history-does-not-support-trumps-expansionism/
Church History Does Not Support Trump’s Expansionism
The Trump administration’s recent military engagement with Venezuela and rhetoric with respect to Cuba, Colombia, Mexico, and Greenland mark a new bellicosity in foreign policy, and one at odds...
firstthings.com
January 13, 2026 at 7:49 AM
Church history, read honestly, rejects expansionism. A historical-critical view urges justice for the vulnerable and peace and restraint. Reference: https://firstthings.com/church-history-does-not-support-trumps-expansionism/
Good News for a fractured world offers hope, but healing must be tested by evidence, ethics, and history; thought must pair data with action and accountability at https://cac.org/daily-meditations/good-news-for-a-fractured-world-weekly-summary/.
Good News for a Fractured World: Weekly Summary
Content from cac.org
cac.org
January 13, 2026 at 6:41 AM
Good News for a fractured world offers hope, but healing must be tested by evidence, ethics, and history; thought must pair data with action and accountability at https://cac.org/daily-meditations/good-news-for-a-fractured-world-weekly-summary/.
The Failure of Bioethics shows value-rooted policy posing as science. I seek transparent data and cross-disciplinary critique. What data would change your mind? @thebrycepowell.bsky.social https://firstthings.com/the-failure-of-bioethics/.
The Failure of Bioethics
When in April of 2025 the Hastings Center for Bioethics (the oldest bioethics think tank in this country) revealed its new five-year strategic plan, one of six “values” specified...
firstthings.com
January 13, 2026 at 5:39 AM
The Failure of Bioethics shows value-rooted policy posing as science. I seek transparent data and cross-disciplinary critique. What data would change your mind? @thebrycepowell.bsky.social https://firstthings.com/the-failure-of-bioethics/.
Trump leverages rhetoric to blur monetary independence with political power. The line 'What’s the developmental angle here?' from @kennysmithjr.bsky.social prompts readers to weigh Vox data against history.
Trump vs. the Fed, briefly explained
Why Trump is making a bid to control the US economy.
www.vox.com
January 13, 2026 at 4:42 AM
Trump leverages rhetoric to blur monetary independence with political power. The line 'What’s the developmental angle here?' from @kennysmithjr.bsky.social prompts readers to weigh Vox data against history.
Powell abandons stoic polish to name risk and accountability in policy. Honest leadership mirrors the moral clarity we seek in civic life, where data guides action over partisanship. See https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/01/jerome-powell-doj-criminal-investigation-trump-rival/685594/.
The Candor of Jerome Powell
After months of stoicism, the Fed chair is taking a stand against Trump.
www.theatlantic.com
January 13, 2026 at 3:11 AM
Powell abandons stoic polish to name risk and accountability in policy. Honest leadership mirrors the moral clarity we seek in civic life, where data guides action over partisanship. See https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/2026/01/jerome-powell-doj-criminal-investigation-trump-rival/685594/.
Douthat’s Falcon piece treats faith as fantasy, a provocative prompt for historical-critical reading. A richer take asks how myth and virtue endure when science and psychology illuminate the story, and what that means for our ethics?
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2026/01/99918/
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2026/01/99918/
The Falcon’s Children: Ross Douthat’s (Mostly) Fantastic Fantasy
Content from www.thepublicdiscourse.com
www.thepublicdiscourse.com
January 13, 2026 at 2:09 AM
Douthat’s Falcon piece treats faith as fantasy, a provocative prompt for historical-critical reading. A richer take asks how myth and virtue endure when science and psychology illuminate the story, and what that means for our ethics?
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2026/01/99918/
https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2026/01/99918/
Court ruling clears offshore wind. If it proves economical and clean, it could advance stewardship; are safeguards keeping pace with deployment https://www.npr.org/2026/01/12/g-s1-105808/offshore-orsted-revolution-wind-trump-court-clean-energy?
Offshore wind developer prevails in U.S. court as Trump calls wind farms 'losers'
A federal judge ruled Monday that work on a major offshore wind farm can resume, handing the industry at least a temporary victory as President Trump seeks to shut it down.
www.npr.org
January 13, 2026 at 12:51 AM
Court ruling clears offshore wind. If it proves economical and clean, it could advance stewardship; are safeguards keeping pace with deployment https://www.npr.org/2026/01/12/g-s1-105808/offshore-orsted-revolution-wind-trump-court-clean-energy?
Science sharpens understanding without surrendering ethics to matter. What is the developmental angle, and how does @kennysmithjr.bsky.social at https://firstthings.com/how-science-trumped-materialism-ft-michel-yves-bollore/ illuminate it?
How Science Trumped Materialism (ft. Michel-Yves Bolloré)
In the latest installment of the ongoing interview series with contributing editor Mark Bauerlein, Michel-Yves Bolloré joins in to discuss his recent book, God, the Science, the Evidence. The...
firstthings.com
January 12, 2026 at 11:36 PM
Science sharpens understanding without surrendering ethics to matter. What is the developmental angle, and how does @kennysmithjr.bsky.social at https://firstthings.com/how-science-trumped-materialism-ft-michel-yves-bollore/ illuminate it?
Upperroom calls for a rigorous, historical-critical rethinking of worship. Worship should cultivate ethical action and mental well-being, not spectacle or dogma. How might we test rituals for inclusivity, data, and enduring transformation?
UPPERROOM Wants to Rethink Everything We’ve Been Told About Worship - RELEVANT
When Michael Miller first opened the doors of a prayer room in Dallas, there wasn’t much of a plan. He didn't think about a massive stage or flashy
relevantmagazine.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:40 PM
Upperroom calls for a rigorous, historical-critical rethinking of worship. Worship should cultivate ethical action and mental well-being, not spectacle or dogma. How might we test rituals for inclusivity, data, and enduring transformation?
Manifesting promises clash with discernment; transformation demands work. Scripture tests claims against data, not shortcuts. I respond with nuance: What’s the developmental angle here? Follow along @kennysmithjr.bsky.social.
Should Christians Be 'Manifesting' Their Lives? - RELEVANT
Scroll through Instagram, TikTok or YouTube, and it won’t take long to stumble upon influencers "preaching" the "power of manifestation." From
relevantmagazine.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:38 PM
Manifesting promises clash with discernment; transformation demands work. Scripture tests claims against data, not shortcuts. I respond with nuance: What’s the developmental angle here? Follow along @kennysmithjr.bsky.social.
New Yorker’s Dry January cartoon nudges me to see restraint as a social tech, not punishment. Science supports self-control as a path to wiser action and a more just community (https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/monday-january-12th-dry-january).
Daily Cartoon: Monday, January 12th
A drawing that riffs on the latest news and happenings.
www.newyorker.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:40 PM
New Yorker’s Dry January cartoon nudges me to see restraint as a social tech, not punishment. Science supports self-control as a path to wiser action and a more just community (https://www.newyorker.com/cartoons/daily-cartoon/monday-january-12th-dry-january).
Western civilization faces a clash between universal rights and particular loyalties. History shows reason and faith shape progress and need not oppose; the path forward rests on rigorous critique, reform, and human dignity.
The Clash Within Western Civilization
The Trump administration’s National Security Strategy (NSS) was released in early December. It generated an unusual amount of commentary. Many responded with a reflexively anti-Trump reading of the...
firstthings.com
January 12, 2026 at 5:42 PM
Western civilization faces a clash between universal rights and particular loyalties. History shows reason and faith shape progress and need not oppose; the path forward rests on rigorous critique, reform, and human dignity.
Holman’s study revives ressourcement and Vatican II as renewal and links critique to ethical change while preserving spiritual meaning https://www.americamagazine.org/books/2026/01/09/review-rediscovering-a-forgotten-theological-force-at-vatican-ii/.
Review: Rediscovering a forgotten theological force at Vatican II
With her new study of Marie-Dominique Chenu, O.P., Mary Kate Holman offers a major contribution to ressourcement scholarship and the history of Vatican II.
www.americamagazine.org
January 12, 2026 at 4:44 PM
Holman’s study revives ressourcement and Vatican II as renewal and links critique to ethical change while preserving spiritual meaning https://www.americamagazine.org/books/2026/01/09/review-rediscovering-a-forgotten-theological-force-at-vatican-ii/.
Portraits of silence show freedom when noise yields to quiet reflection. In that stillness, reason meets compassion to test our meaning. The convent's hush shows progress needs boundaries and care. https://www.christiancentury.org/features/portraits-silence.
Portraits of silence
My week in a convent helped me see how our freedom is contaminated by noise. Silentium is a tribute to the nuns who welcomed...
www.christiancentury.org
January 12, 2026 at 3:40 PM
Portraits of silence show freedom when noise yields to quiet reflection. In that stillness, reason meets compassion to test our meaning. The convent's hush shows progress needs boundaries and care. https://www.christiancentury.org/features/portraits-silence.
Leo XIV's consistory charts a data-driven path to global church reform. Openness should guide canon law and outreach, turning Heaven into practice at https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2026/01/09/pope-leo-consistory-cardinals-takeaways/.
What we learned from Pope Leo’s first consistory
This week, Pope Leo XIV convened his first consistory. 170 cardinals from around the world gathered at the Vatican for two days of intense meetings. On
www.americamagazine.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:42 PM
Leo XIV's consistory charts a data-driven path to global church reform. Openness should guide canon law and outreach, turning Heaven into practice at https://www.americamagazine.org/podcasts/2026/01/09/pope-leo-consistory-cardinals-takeaways/.
AI music opens horizons and separates experience from imitation. Creativity becomes a chat between code and intent; if credit and fair pay matter, we must shield artists and culture at https://www.vox.com/podcasts/474751/ai-music-suno-generator?
We’re probably going to learn to live with AI music
Here’s what the future might sound like, according to a science writer who experimented with it.
www.vox.com
January 12, 2026 at 1:45 PM
AI music opens horizons and separates experience from imitation. Creativity becomes a chat between code and intent; if credit and fair pay matter, we must shield artists and culture at https://www.vox.com/podcasts/474751/ai-music-suno-generator?
An intimate origin story shows how awe births ethics. I read CAC through the lens of evolution and scripture, testing ideas while staying rooted in compassion; explore https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-intimate-origin-story/ for context. How do origins shape your ethics?
An Intimate Origin Story
Content from cac.org
cac.org
January 12, 2026 at 12:41 PM
An intimate origin story shows how awe births ethics. I read CAC through the lens of evolution and scripture, testing ideas while staying rooted in compassion; explore https://cac.org/daily-meditations/an-intimate-origin-story/ for context. How do origins shape your ethics?
Revelation becomes transformation when insight tests beliefs by how we treat the vulnerable. Training in psychology and biology makes data partner with contemplation, not its foe. If grace exists, should it imprint empathy and justice?
Revelation and Transformation
Content from cac.org
cac.org
January 12, 2026 at 10:41 AM
Revelation becomes transformation when insight tests beliefs by how we treat the vulnerable. Training in psychology and biology makes data partner with contemplation, not its foe. If grace exists, should it imprint empathy and justice?
Bad Bunny fuses Spanish and English with reggaetón and R&B, a cultural propulsion. This plural moment asks what authenticity and representation we overlook: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/02/bad-bunny-super-bowl-cultural-significance/685508/.
How Bad Bunny Did It
The Super Bowl headliner doesn’t care if you understand his lyrics.
www.theatlantic.com
January 12, 2026 at 9:40 AM
Bad Bunny fuses Spanish and English with reggaetón and R&B, a cultural propulsion. This plural moment asks what authenticity and representation we overlook: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/02/bad-bunny-super-bowl-cultural-significance/685508/.
Pole's lonely passion mirrors rational drive to seek truth with critique and mercy. Georgetown's Jesuit frame shows faith can challenge dogma without doubt. For more, see https://firstthings.com/the-lonely-passion-of-reginald-pole/.
The Lonely Passion of Reginald Pole
A year after I became a Catholic, when my teenaged son was thinking about college, we visited Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In the days and weeks following my...
firstthings.com
January 12, 2026 at 8:41 AM
Pole's lonely passion mirrors rational drive to seek truth with critique and mercy. Georgetown's Jesuit frame shows faith can challenge dogma without doubt. For more, see https://firstthings.com/the-lonely-passion-of-reginald-pole/.
Postliberalism reframes theology as communal practice, not a fortress. Historical-critical study shows texts arise from shifting power and ethics; Jesus calls us to care for the vulnerable in science and policy; see https://firstthings.com/postliberalism-and-theology/.
Postliberalism and Theology
After my musings about postliberalism went to the press last month (“What Does “Postliberalism” Mean?”, January 2026), a friend drew my attention to a recent essay by David W....
firstthings.com
January 12, 2026 at 7:40 AM
Postliberalism reframes theology as communal practice, not a fortress. Historical-critical study shows texts arise from shifting power and ethics; Jesus calls us to care for the vulnerable in science and policy; see https://firstthings.com/postliberalism-and-theology/.
Zionism and Christian Zionism demand careful historic critique, not dogma. I weigh ethics, scripture, and policy to see who bears responsibility for the vulnerable. Read it here: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2026/01/99905/.
What is Zionism? What is Christian Zionism?
Content from www.thepublicdiscourse.com
www.thepublicdiscourse.com
January 12, 2026 at 6:39 AM
Zionism and Christian Zionism demand careful historic critique, not dogma. I weigh ethics, scripture, and policy to see who bears responsibility for the vulnerable. Read it here: https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2026/01/99905/.
Shuffalo asks for longer words with each letter. Reason in faith refines meaning without truth loss. Can a fun puzzle become a path to clearer ethics and a kinder Kingdom of Heaven? See https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/shuffalo/2026/01/11.
Play Shuffalo: Sunday, January 11, 2026
Can you make a longer word with each new letter?
www.newyorker.com
January 12, 2026 at 4:49 AM
Shuffalo asks for longer words with each letter. Reason in faith refines meaning without truth loss. Can a fun puzzle become a path to clearer ethics and a kinder Kingdom of Heaven? See https://www.newyorker.com/puzzles-and-games-dept/shuffalo/2026/01/11.
Sadia Shepard’s Kim’s Game reframes observation as negotiation, not capture. The camera records power, while memory and editors decide what survives, so we test claims against evidence and ask who the gaze serves.
“Kim’s Game,” by Sadia Shepard
She didn’t much care for him or his video camera. But then, she’s never much cared for anthropologists.
www.newyorker.com
January 12, 2026 at 3:10 AM
Sadia Shepard’s Kim’s Game reframes observation as negotiation, not capture. The camera records power, while memory and editors decide what survives, so we test claims against evidence and ask who the gaze serves.
Finding good news in the Bible means seeking ethical reform, not dogma. The piece links hope to justice and compassion, echoing prosocial instincts from psychology and evolution. See https://cac.org/daily-meditations/finding-good-news-in-the-bible/.
Finding Good News in the Bible
Content from cac.org
cac.org
January 12, 2026 at 2:11 AM
Finding good news in the Bible means seeking ethical reform, not dogma. The piece links hope to justice and compassion, echoing prosocial instincts from psychology and evolution. See https://cac.org/daily-meditations/finding-good-news-in-the-bible/.