The reference is primarily to the prophets of the Old Testament, including such giants as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos and Hosea. In the Old Testament a prophet is not primarily one who predicts ...

It makes us think of someone who is strict, stern, and so excessively and pointlessly austere that he is unable to appreciate the delights of creation. But asceticism did once have a positive meaning ...

John Henry Newman by Sir John Everett Millais, Public Domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Lately, I’ve had occasion to read two books by Saint John Henry Newman. Let’s start with Loss and Gain.