From the February issue: The author of Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a thoughtful but unorthodox Christian. Valiunas writes that his “early exposure to the divine ‘wrath and curse’ visited ­upon fallen mankind . . . and his growing belief in a loving Christ as the paragon of goodness, make themselves felt throughout his writings.”

At a time when the literature of the West was swinging towards nihilism, Robert Louis Stevenson wrote a series of books where grand battles between good and evil were witnessed through the eyes of the innocent.

For further reading: Last December, Valiunas contributed a major essay on the faith of another novelist: “Walker Percy’s Pilgrimage.”

Columnist George Weigel notes an error in the New Yorker's famous fact checking process. Liberal Catholic writer Paul Elie repeats the old rumor that Timothy Cardinal Dolan “arranged for copies [of Weigel’s book, The Next Pope] to be sent to all the cardinals who were expected to vote in the next conclave.” As has been repeated ad nauseam, it was the publisher who distributed the book.

Weigel notes a series of mischaracterizations in the article.

Upcoming Events

• 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

• 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.

• March 5, 2026: Annual D.C. Lecture: “Our Crisis is Metaphysical” ft. Mary Harrington | Washington, D.C. Details coming soon.

Until next time,

JACOB AKEY

Associate Editor