Religion & Law

Readers in the Twin Cities area might be interested in an upcoming lunchtime program at St. Thomas's law school on the writers George Orwell and Evelyn Waugh and their approaches to public life.  The time is 12:30 p.m. next Tuesday January 27, and the speaker is David Lebedoff, author of a delightful book called The Same Man, a dual biography of and meditation on Waugh and Orwell.  Lebedoff claims that despite their vast differences -- conservative Catholic versus agnostic socialist -- Waugh and Orwell shared features in their moral outlooks that are actually more important in the modern world.  (A claim more striking, even, than that there are commonalities among MOJ's bloggers!)  In any event, the narratives in the book are, as I said, delighful, and Lebedoff, a lawyer, is an excellent storyteller.  First Things calls the book "fascinating"; the New York Times Book Review calls it "enjoyable and provocative."  Come if you're a fan of Waugh or Orwell or (like me) both.

There will be lunch too.  The event is sponsored by the Murphy Institute for Catholic Thought, Law, and Public Policy at St. Thomas.  More details here.