Category: Current Affairs

Benedict and St. Peter: A Post by George E. Demacopoulos

Four times in the very brief statement outlining his decision to resign, Pope Benedict referred to the special relationship between his office and St. Peter the Apostle, whose privileged position in the apostolic community is believed by Roman Catholics to transfer mystically to the bishops of Rome, upon their assumption of the office.

Why Groundhog?

Weaver says, “properly dressed, groundhog is indeed an underrated American delicacy, and smoked groundhog is an unsung luxury—I do not exaggerate.”

MLK Day Reading List for 2013

Many Penn Press publications, from the journal Humanity to our book series Politics and Culture in Modern America and Pennsylvania Studies in Human Rights, address the issues that Martin Luther… READ MORE

Paul’s Pick: a Free Article on the Cost of Higher Education from Dissent

When our current period of slow economic growth will end is anybody’s guess, but even when it does end, colleges and universities will certainly not be rolling back their prices. These days, it is not just the economic climate in which our colleges and universities find themselves that determines what they charge and how they operate; it is their increasing corporatization.

School Reform Then and Now: Legacies of the Civil Rights Era

Revisiting the 1960s shows us that the civil rights era left a dual legacy in school reform, half of which echoes loudly today and half of which is too often ignored. The part that still echoes is an ethos of accountability: sixties-era activists and educators helped to pioneer the idea that urban schools should be held accountable for student achievement. The part that is being ignored is a recognition that achievement is also powerfully shaped by what goes on outside of schools—especially the effects of poverty. Unfortunately, neglect of the latter lesson is seriously undermining the potentially useful impact of the former one.

Beyond “Half the Sky”

Even if you take issue with the celebrity cameos and reporting style in the recent smash PBS documentary, Half the Sky, you can’t deny that the program increased the awareness of women’s rights, one of today’s paramount moral challenges. For a deeper understanding of women’s human rights, here are some additional resources by Penn Press to help navigate this complex issue:

Anti-slavery Day Reading

Today, October 18, is anti-slavery day in the United Kingdom and anti-trafficking day in the European Union. To mark the event, here are some recent books that take an in-depth… READ MORE