[link removed]
** Daily Newsletter: JANUARY 16, 2026
------------------------------------------------------------
** In today’s newsletter:
------------------------------------------------------------
LIEL LEIBOVITZ: AI as Liberation ([link removed])
NASSER HUSSAIN: The Madness in Miami ([link removed])
PETER J. LEITHART: Of Roots and Adventures ([link removed])
[link removed]
** AI as Liberation ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
** Liel Leibovitz
------------------------------------------------------------
From the February issue: Columnist Liel Leibovitz takes a rare optimistic view of the changes AI will usher in, arguing that it will break us out of the striver mindset and allow us to remember leisure: “Think of AI not as the flood but as the dove, informing us that the deluge is over and that it’s now time to rebuild. For decades, we’ve been in a competitive frenzy of work, work, work that has scrubbed our existence of every trace of truth and beauty.”
For further reading: For an outlook on AI that balances gloom and practicality, read Ricky McRoskey’s “Work Is for the Worker ([link removed]) ” from the January issue.
[link removed]
** The Madness in Miami ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
** Nasser Hussain
------------------------------------------------------------
Nasser Hussain reflects on the shift of spectacle from the real world into the online world, illustrated by a recent boxing match between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua in Miami. The city is a hub for the influencer generation, but during the match it was “muted” as people preferred to gamble online and post photos of the trendy neighborhoods. The point of the match is no longer itself, but the content it generates.
For further reading: Boxing has always been about more than the fights. Editor Rusty Reno reflected on the life of Mohammad Ali ([link removed]) in the wake of his death in 2016: “At the most obvious level, he represented the African-American shift from the struggle for civil rights to an assertion of cultural independence and self-worth.”
[link removed]
** Of Roots and Adventures ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
** Peter J. Leithart
------------------------------------------------------------
There is much talk from a certain segment of Christian writers about the necessity of staying rooted in one place, culture, and community. Paul Kingsnort takes to task the modern inclination to move often in his essay collection Against the Machine. But, Peter Leithart points out, God is just as likely to call his people to move as he is to bless him on their own land. He shows Abraham, Paul, and Christ himself as examples of adventuring out to do the Father’s will.
For further reading: Michael Hanby reviewed ([link removed]) Against the Machine for the November issue of the magazine.
Upcoming Events
* January 12, 2026: The February issue ([link removed]) goes live.
* February 1, 2026: Second Annual Neuhaus Lecture at the New College of Florida: “Recovering the University’s Soul” ft. Bishop Robert Barron | Sarasota, FL. Register here ([link removed])
* February 3, 2026: Second Annual Angelicum Aquinas Lecture: “A Conversation with the Theologian of the Papal Household” ft. Fr. Wojciech Giertych, O.P. | New York, NY. Register here ([link removed]) .
* March 5, 2026: Annual D.C. Lecture: “Our Crisis is Metaphysical” ft. Mary Harrington | Washington, D.C. Details coming soon.
Until next time,
** [link removed]
VIRGINIA AABRAM
------------------------------------------------------------
Newsletter Editor
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
[link removed]
Copyright © 2026 First Things, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you opted in at firstthings.com.
============================================================
Our mailing address is:
First Things
9 East 40th St Fl 10
New York, NY 10016
USA
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])
.
