Editing First Things (section)

{{Short description|American ecumenical and conservative religious and political journal}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox magazine
|title          = First Things
|image_file     = FirstThingsCover.jpg
|image_size     = 
|image_caption  = 
|editor         = [[R. R. Reno]]
|frequency      = Monthly (10 issues/year)
|category       = [[Religion]]
|company        = Institute on Religion and Public Life
|firstdate      = March 1990
|country        = [[United States]]
|based          = New York City
|language       = [[English language|English]]
|website        = {{URL|http://www.firstthings.com/|FirstThings.com}}
|issn           = 1047-5141
}}

'''''First Things''''' ('''''FT''''')  is a journal aimed at "advanc[ing] a religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society",<ref name="firstthings.com"/> focusing on [[theology]], [[liturgy]], [[history of religion]], [[church history]], [[culture]], [[education]], [[society]], [[politics]], [[literature]], [[book review]]s, and [[poetry]]. ''First Things'' is [[Interfaith dialogue|inter-religious]], inter-[[Christian denomination|denominational]] and [[Ecumenism|ecumenical]], especially [[Christianity|Christian]] and [[Judaism|Jewish]]. It articulates Christian ecumenism, [[Christian–Jewish reconciliation|Christian–Jewish dialogue]], erudite [[social conservatism|social]] and political [[conservatism]] and a critique of contemporary society.

''First Things'' is published by the [[New York City|New York]]–based Institute on Religion and Public Life (IRPL) as a monthly, except for bi-monthly issues covering June/July and August/September,<ref>{{cite web |title=First Things - America's Most Influential Journal of Religion & Public Life |url=http://www.firstthings.com/ |work=First Things}}</ref> and has a circulation of approximately 30,000 copies. ''First Things''{{'}} founding editor and editor-in-chief, from 1990 to his death in 2009, was [[Richard John Neuhaus]]. Since 2011, [[R. R. Reno]] has served as editor.

[[Ross Douthat]] wrote that, through ''First Things'', Neuhaus demonstrated "that it was possible to be an intellectually fulfilled Christian".<ref>[http://rossdouthat.theatlantic.com/archives/2009/01/richard_john_neuhaus_rip.php "Richard John Neuhaus, RIP"], ''[[The Atlantic]]'' blog, [[Ross Douthat]], Jan. 8, 2009.</ref> [[George Weigel]], a long-time contributor and IRPL board member, wrote in ''[[Newsweek]]'' that, under the influence of Neuhaus, ''First Things'' had "quickly became, under his leadership and inspiration, the most important vehicle for exploring the tangled web of religion and society in the English-speaking world."<ref>[http://www.newsweek.com/2009/01/09/richard-john-neuhaus-1936-2009.html "Richard John Neuhaus, 1936–2009"], [[George Weigel]], ''[[Newsweek]]'', Jan. 10, 2009.</ref>