Editing First Things

{{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>

==History==
{{Conservatism US|media}}
''First Things'' was founded in March 1990 by [[Richard John Neuhaus]], a [[Lutheran]] pastor turned [[Catholic]] priest, intellectual, writer, and activist. He started the journal, along with some long-time friends and collaborators, after he left the [[Rockford Institute]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/03/christian-unity-beginning-again-again-15 |title=FIRST THINGS: A Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life<!-- Bot generated title --> |access-date=2009-10-06 |archive-date=2010-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100921084154/http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/03/christian-unity-beginning-again-again-15 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 1996, in response to the [[Colorado Supreme Court]]'s decision in ''[[Romer v. Evans]]'', which the magazine's leaders correctly predicted the [[Supreme Court of the United States]] would uphold on appeal, ''First Things'' published a symposium titled "The End of Democracy?", which denounced the ruling and included an essay by [[Charles Colson]] calling for a violent uprising against the United States government.<ref name="The Theocons">{{cite book |last1=Linker |first1=Damon |title=The Theocons |date=4 September 2007 |publisher=Anchor Books |pages=94–104 |isbn=9780307387653 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hVRvu0c5SRgC&q=the+theocons |access-date=9 October 2022}}</ref> The symposium was widely denounced by the mainstream press and more moderate conservatives including the magazine's own [[Midge Decter]], who screamed at Neuhaus in a telephone call, and [[David Brooks (commentator)|David Brooks]]. It led to the resignation of editorial board members [[Gertrude Himmelfarb]] and [[Walter Berns]].<ref name="The Theocons" />

Neuhaus, the journal's editor-in-chief until his death in January 2009, regularly wrote columns called "The Public Square" and "While We're At It". Three editors served under Neuhaus: James Nuechterlein, a Lutheran, from 1990 to 2004; [[Damon Linker]], who converted from [[Judaism]] to Catholicism, from 2004 to 2005, when he left over disagreements with Neuhaus (whom he later criticized heavily in his book ''The Theocons'');<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.patheos.com/blogs/cosmostheinlost/2015/05/06/just-another-atheist-jewish-catholic-an-interview-with-damon-linker/2/ |title=Just Another Atheist Jewish Catholic: An Interview With Damon Linker |first=Artur |last=Rosman |date=6 May 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/damon-linker-faith-journey/ |title=Damon Linker's Faith Journey |date=7 May 2015 }}</ref> and [[Joseph Bottum (author)|Joseph Bottum]], a Catholic, from 2005, upon returning from ''[[The Weekly Standard]]''.<ref>Neuhaus, [http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/02/america-as-a-religion “While We're At It”] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328011351/http://www.firstthings.com/article/2009/02/america-as-a-religion |date=2014-03-28 }}, ''First Things,'' February 2009.</ref>

After his death, Neuhaus was succeeded by Bottum, who used the title "editor".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/about.php?title_link=masthead |title=First Things - About Us: Masthead |date=27 May 2009 |work=archive.org |access-date=5 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527232425/http://www.firstthings.com/about.php?title_link=masthead |archive-date=27 May 2009}}</ref> Bottum served through October 2010, when he was forced out after a controversy about the future and the funding of the magazine, and Nuechterlein returned from retirement to become interim editor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/first-things-new-old-direction |title=First Things' New Old Direction |work=ncregister.com |date=11 February 2011 |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/masthead |title=About Us: Masthead - First Things |date=31 December 2010 |work=archive.org |access-date=5 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231204345/http://www.firstthings.com/masthead |archive-date=31 December 2010}}</ref>

In April 2011, [[R. R. Reno]], a professor of theology and ethics at [[Creighton University]], who had been involved with the magazine for over a decade and was a Catholic convert from the [[Episcopal Church (United States)|Episcopal Church]], was selected as editor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://communio.stblogs.org/index.php/2011/02/reno-new-editor-of-first-thing/ |title=Reno new editor of First Things - Communio |work=stblogs.org |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2011/01/trustworthy-guides |title=Trustworthy Guides - R. R. Reno |work=firstthings.com |date=20 January 2011 |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2011/04/first-things |title=First Things? - R. R. Reno |work=firstthings.com |date=4 April 2011 |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref>

After Neuhaus's death, [[David P. Goldman]], [[David Blum]], [[David Mills (editor)|David Mills]], Midge Decter (''ad interim''), [[Mark Bauerlein]], Matthew Schmitz, Julia Yost, and [[Dan Hitchens]] have served as executive or senior editors; the latter two are still in office.

In 2018, ''First Things'' published a review by the [[Dominican Order|Dominican]] priest Romanus Cessario of [[Vittorio Messori]]'s book ''Kidnapped by the Vatican? The Unpublished Memoirs of Edgardo Mortara''. The book covers the [[Mortara case|case of Edgardo Mortara]], a Jewish boy mistakenly baptized by Italian nuns and kidnapped by the [[Holy See|Vatican]] on the grounds that anyone baptized had to be raised Catholic. Cessario wrote that "Divine Providence kindly arranged for his being introduced into a regular Christian life."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Cessario |first1=Romanus |title=Non Possomus |url=https://www.firstthings.com/article/2018/02/non-possumus |access-date=9 October 2022 |publisher=First Things}}</ref> Catholic writer [[Michael Sean Winters]] called the article "morally repugnant" and "intellectually deplorable", while ''First Things'' regular contributor [[Robert P. George]] described it as "an embarrassment".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Momigliano |first1=Anna |title=Why Some Catholics Defend The Kidnapping of a Jewish Boy |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/01/some-catholics-are-defending-the-kidnapping-of-a-jewish-boy/551240/ |access-date=9 October 2022 |publisher=The Atlantic}}</ref>

In 2022, ''First Things'' published "[[The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism]]" by Aaron Renn.<ref name="3Worlds-FT">{{cite journal |last1=Renn |first1=Aaron |title=The Three Worlds of Evangelicalism |journal=First Things |date=February 2022 |url=https://www.firstthings.com/article/2022/02/the-three-worlds-of-evangelicalism |access-date=31 December 2024}}</ref> The essay spawned a full-length book, ''Life in the Negative World'', and was the most-read print issue article on the ''FT'' website in 2022.<ref name="FT-mostread">{{cite web |title=Our Most Popular Articles of 2022 |url=https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2022/12/our-most-popular-articles-of-2022 |website=First Things |access-date=31 December 2024 |date=December 20, 2022}}</ref> ''[[Christianity Today]]'' said Renn's "positive-neutral-negative world framework is among the most thought-provoking ideas pertaining to American evangelicalism this century."<ref name="CT-Review">{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Daniel |title=Christians Shouldn't Run from a 'Negative World.' But They Can Depend on It Less. |url=https://www.christianitytoday.com/2024/05/aaron-renn-life-negative-world-evangelicals-anti-christian/ |access-date=31 December 2024 |work=Christianity Today |date=May 10, 2024}}</ref>

==Governance==
''First Things'' is run by the board of the Institute on Religion and Public Life (IRPL), which is chaired by Colin Moran and whose members include, among others,  [[Russell Hittinger]], [[David Novak]], [[George Weigel]], and Robert Louis Wilken (former chairman) as of January 2023.<ref name="firstthings.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/masthead |title=Masthead |work=First Things}}</ref> Similarly to [[Richard John Neuhaus]], Wilken is a former Lutheran minister converted to the Catholic Church.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2014/12/the-evangelical-catholic-tradition |title=The Evangelical Catholic Tradition - Mathew Block |work=firstthings.com |date=15 December 2014 |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chnetwork.org/journey-home/dr-robert-louis-wilken-former-lutheran-minister-journey-home-program/ |title=Dr. Robert Louis Wilken: Former Lutheran Minister - The Coming Home Network |work=chnetwork.org |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> The pair first met at the [[Concordia University Texas|Lutheran Concordia College of Texas]] in 1953, became friends, graduated in 1955 and earned the master of Divinity at [[Concordia Seminary]] in 1960. Former members of the editorial board include [[Neoconservatism|neoconservatives]] [[Gertrude Himmelfarb]] and [[Peter L. Berger]], who resigned in November 1996 amid "The End of Democracy?" controversy,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/article/1999/03/001-the-future-of-the-end-of-democracy |title=The Future of the End of Democracy - J. Budziszewski |work=firstthings.com |date=March 1999 |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> Methodist theologian [[Stanley Hauerwas]], who resigned in February 2002 in protest with the journal's stance on the [[war on terror]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/article/1996/11/001-the-end-of-democracy-the-judicial-usurpation-of-politics |title=The End of Democracy? The Judicial Usurpation of Politics - Various |work=firstthings.com |date=November 1996 |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.weeklystandard.com/stanley-hauerwass-pacifism/article/2496 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160829215824/http://www.weeklystandard.com/stanley-hauerwass-pacifism/article/2496 |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 29, 2016 |title=Stanley Hauerwas's Pacifism |date=13 May 2002 |work=[[The Weekly Standard]] |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref> and [[Mary Ann Glendon]], Catholic jurist and former [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See|United States Ambassador to the Holy See]]. Both Berger (a Lutheran) and Hauerwas continued to publish articles in the journal also after their resignation from the editorial board. Until 2010, the journal had a finance committee, whose latest members were William Burleigh, Frederic Clark, Robert P. George, [[Peter Thiel]] and George Weigel.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.firstthings.com/masthead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704151810/https://www.firstthings.com/masthead | archive-date=2010-07-04 | title=Masthead }}</ref> Other former leading members of the advisory council have included [[Jean Bethke Elshtain]], [[Ernest Fortin]], [[Elizabeth Fox-Genovese]], [[Suzanne Garment]], [[Bruce C. Hafen]], [[Carl F. H. Henry]], Leonid Kishkovsky, [[Glenn Loury]], [[George Marsden]], Gilbert Meilaender (who still contributes to the journal), and [[Max Stackhouse]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://firstthings.com/menus/about.html |title=About First Things |date=12 April 1997 |work=archive.org |access-date=5 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19970412182745/http://firstthings.com/menus/about.html |archive-date=12 April 1997}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://firstthings.com/menus/about.html |title=About First Things |date=9 January 1998 |work=archive.org |access-date=5 September 2016 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19980109142147/http://firstthings.com/menus/about.html |archive-date=9 January 1998}}</ref>

The journal used to have an advisory council (appointed  by the institute board). In mid 2017, it included among others neoconservative writer [[Midge Decter]]; historian [[Wilfred M. McClay]]; philosophers [[Hadley Arkes]] and [[Robert P. George]]; political scientist Timothy Fuller; Christian theologians or biblicists Gary A. Anderson (Methodist), Thomas Sieger Derr (Congregationalist), [[Timothy George]] (Baptist), [[Terryl Givens]] (Latter-day Saint), [[Chad Hatfield]] (Eastern Orthodox), [[Robert Jenson]] (Lutheran), [[Peter Leithart]] (Presbyterian), [[Cornelius Plantinga]] (Dutch Reformed) and Ephraim Radner (Anglican); Jewish scholars [[David G. Dalin]] and Eric Cohen, founding editor of ''[[The New Atlantis (journal)|The New Atlantis]]''; physicist [[Stephen Barr]]; and [[Mark C. Henrie]], president of the Arthur N. Rupe Foundation and former Chief Academic Officer and Senior Vice-president of the [[Intercollegiate Studies Institute]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://rupefoundation.org/about/directors-and-officers//|title=Directors & Officers – Arthur N. Rupe Foundation}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://home.isi.org/speakers-bureau-profile/2061/Mark%20Henrie |title=ISI Speakers Bureau {{!}} Intercollegiate Studies Institute: Educating for Liberty |website=home.isi.org |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225051411/https://home.isi.org/speakers-bureau-profile/2061/Mark%20Henrie |archive-date=2017-02-25}}</ref><ref name="masthead">{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/masthead |title=First Things Masthead |date=27 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170127015041/http://www.firstthings.com/masthead |archive-date=2017-01-27 }}</ref> Until his death in February 2017, the council included also theologian and writer [[Michael Novak]],<ref name="masthead" /> who, along with fellow Catholics Neuhaus and Weigel, was part of the "neoconservative trinity" according to critics.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=H8butfwlk5gC&q=novak+weigel+neuhaus+neoconservative+trinity&pg=PA93 |title=Prospettiva "neocon": capitalismo, democrazia, valori nel mondo unipolare |first=Flavio |last=Felice |date=5 March 2018 |publisher=Rubbettino Editore |isbn=9788849810240 |via=Google Books}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.culturewars.com/2010/Manhattan.htm |title=Culture Wars: Manhattan Declaration |website=www.culturewars.com}}</ref>

==Contributors==
Contributors usually represent traditional [[Catholic]], [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Orthodox]], [[Anglican]], [[Protestant]] (especially [[Lutheran]], [[Methodist]], and [[Presbyterian]]), [[Jewish]] and [[Islam]]ic viewpoints.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-10-01 |title=How Modernity Swallowed Islamism {{!}} Shadi Hamid |url=https://www.firstthings.com/article/2022/10/how-modernity-swallowed-islamism |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=First Things |language=en}}</ref> Frequent contributors in the magazine's first year (1990) included Catholic jurist [[Mary Ann Glendon]] (later [[List of ambassadors of the United States to the Holy See|United States Ambassador to the Holy See]] under [[George W. Bush]]); rabbi [[David Novak]]; Catholic philosopher, diplomat and author [[Michael Novak]]; Lutheran-turned-Catholic historian Robert Louis Wilken; Catholic scholar and papal biographer [[George Weigel]]; and Lutheran ethicist [[Gilbert Meilaender]]. Others appearing included [[Gary Bauer]], [[William Bennett]], [[Peter L. Berger]], [[David Brooks (commentator)|David Brooks]], [[Robertson Davies]], [[Avery Dulles]] (later Catholic [[Cardinal (Catholic Church)|cardinal]]), [[Jean Bethke Elshtain]], [[Robert P. George]], [[Stanley Hauerwas]], [[David Horowitz]], [[Peter Leithart]], [[Martin E. Marty]], [[Ralph McInerny]], [[Mark Noll]], and [[Michael Wyschogrod]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/issue_archive.php?offset=4 |title=Issues Archive |work=firstthings.com |access-date=5 September 2016}}</ref>

Frequent contributors in recent years have included some of the aforementioned authors and several members or former members of the IRPL board and the former advisory council, as well as [[Hadley Arkes]], [[Sohrab Ahmari]], [[Mark Bauerlein]], [[Hans Boersma]], [[Randy Boyagoda]], [[Christopher Caldwell (journalist)|Christopher Caldwell]], archbishop [[Charles J. Chaput]], Elizabeth C. Corey, [[Ross Douthat]], [[Mary Eberstadt]], [[Joseph Epstein (writer)|Joseph Epstein]], [[Anthony Esolen]], [[Timothy George]], [[David Bentley Hart]], [[Peter Hitchens]], Sam Kriss, [[Wilfred M. McClay]], Joshua Mitchell, [[Stanley G. Payne]], cardinal [[George Pell]], Nathan Pinkoski, Ephraim Radner, [[Robert Royal (author)|Robert Royal]], Matthew Rose, [[Roger Scruton]], [[Wesley J. Smith]], Patricia Snow, Peter Tonguette, Michael Toscano, and [[Carl Trueman]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/issue-archive |title=Issues Archive |work=First Things}}</ref>

''First Things'' has often hosted statements by [[Evangelicals and Catholics Together]], a group of leading scholars in the United States that are either [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] Protestants or Catholics. Beginning in May 2017, [[Shalom Carmy]], an [[Orthodox Judaism|Orthodox]] rabbi teaching Jewish studies and philosophy at [[Yeshiva University]] (where he is Chair of Bible and Jewish philosophy at [[Yeshiva College (Yeshiva University)|Yeshiva College]], also and an affiliated scholar at [[Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law]]), as well as editor of ''[[Tradition (journal)|Tradition]]'', wrote a regular column named "[[Lithuanian Jews|Litvak]] at Large".<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.firstthings.com/article/2017/05/benedict-option |title=Benedict Option |last=Reno |date=May 2017 }}</ref> In the August/September 2021 issue, Carmy's column was taken over by [[Liel Leibovitz]], writing under a column named "Leibovitz at Large". Carmy continued to be a frequent contributor of ''First Things''. [[R. R. Reno]] has continued [[Richard John Neuhaus]]'s columns called "The Public Square" and "While We're At It" and each issue of ''First Things'' hosts poetry. The magazine publishes articles every day in the "Web Exclusives" section of its website.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.firstthings.com/feature-archive |title=Web Exclusives |work=First Things}}</ref>

==List of editors==
'''Editor-in-chief'''
*[[Richard John Neuhaus]] (1990–2009), Lutheran/Catholic

'''Editors'''
*James Nuechterlein (1990–2004), Lutheran
*Damon Linker (2004–2005), Jewish/Catholic<ref>{{Cite web |author1=Damon Linker |date=2018-08-29 |title=The unbearable ugliness of the Catholic Church |url=https://theweek.com/articles/792775/unbearable-ugliness-catholic-church |access-date=2024-02-09 |website=theweek |language=en}}</ref>
*[[Joseph Bottum (author)|Joseph Bottum]] (2005–2010), Catholic
*James Nuechterlein (''ad interim'', 2010–2011), Lutheran
*[[R. R. Reno]] (2011–present), Catholic

'''Executive/senior editors'''
*[[David P. Goldman]] (2009–2010), Jewish
*[[David Blum]] (2010), Catholic
*[[David Mills (editor)|David Mills]] (2011–2013), Catholic
*[[Midge Decter]] (''ad interim'', 2013–2014), Jewish
*[[Mark Bauerlein]] (2014–2019), Catholic
*Matthew Schmitz (2017–2022), Catholic
*Julia Yost (since 2017), Catholic
*[[Dan Hitchens]] (since 2021), Catholic

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*[http://www.firstthings.com/ Official website]
{{Neoconservatism}}

[[Category:Monthly magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Political magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Conservative magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Magazines established in 1990]]
[[Category:Religious magazines published in the United States]]
[[Category:Christianity studies journals]]
[[Category:Magazines published in New York City]]
[[Category:Christian magazines]]