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Are you organizing a conference, moderating a parish discussion group, or teaching religious education? If so, America can help you spark dialogue and debate. For over 100 years, America has been the go-to source of spiritual and intellectual exploration for American Catholics. With theological essays, political analysis, book reviews, and more, America is a must-have resource to enhance your group discussion.
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America is pleased to offer a select number of its articles in Spanish. The translations have been made available by Mirada Global, a multilingual Web site that brings together articles from Jesuit publications in North and South America, and Juan V. Fernández de la Gala.
Read our special issue on the upcoming visit of Pope Francis to the United States in Spanish.
Our friends at The Jesuit Post are also now offering select articles in Spanish. They can be found here.
Our friends at Rezando Voy provide a free, daily 12-minute audio prayer. They can be found here.
La revista America se complace en ofrecer en español un número selecto de artículos. Las traducciones las ha realizado la compañía Mirada Global, un sitio en internet multilingüe que reúne artículos de las publicaciones jesuitas en Norte y Sur América, y Juan V. Fernández de la Gala.
Nuestros amigos de El Post Jesuita (or El Jesuit Post) también están ofreciendo artículos seleccionados en Español. Se pueden encontrar aquí.
Nuestros amigos de Rezando Voy ofrecen diariamente una oración de audio de 12 minutos gratis. Se pueden encontrar aquí.
"Why the Director of 'Spotlight' Has Hope for the Catholic Church: An Interview with Tom McCarthy," Jeremy Zipple, S.J., February 28, 2016. En Español.
"Zero Tolerance," Celso Perez, December 8-15, 2014. En Español.
"A Call for Spiritual Leaders," Adolfo Nicolás, November 11, 2013. En Español.
"His Way of Proceeding," James Martin, April 29, 2013. En Español.
"Maura's Love," Eileen Markey, March 29, 2013. En Español.
"Habemus Humor?" James Martin, SJ, March 18, 2013. En Español.
"Quo Vadis?" James Hanvey, March 18, 2013. En Español.
"Rummaging for God: Praying Backward Through Your Day," Dennis Hamm, SJ, May 14, 1994. En Español.
For many years America has been a trusted educational resource for high school teachers, college professors and directors of religious education. As America enters its second century of publication, we hope today’s teachers and educators will continue to make use of the magazine in the classroom. Toward that end, we are happy to provide this list of articles from our pages on important Catholic topics, from Scripture and the sacraments to social justice and Catholic identity.
All articles below are FREE to all visitors to our Web site. If you would like to recommend a subject or article to add to the list, email webeditor@americamagazine.org. For other free online content, check out our weekly podcasts and our dailyblogs.
Scripture
“A Literate Church”
By David Gibson
December 8, 2008
“The Bible and History”
By Daniel J. Harrington
March 14, 2005
“Creationism and the Catechism”
By Joan Acker
December 16, 2000
Sacraments/Liturgy
“Do ‘Good People’ Need Confession?”
By Edward Vacek
February 25, 2002
“Bless Me, Father”
By James Martin
May 21, 2007
“The Quest for Authentic Liturgy”
By Donald W. Trautman
October 22, 2001
"College Students and Conversion"
By Joseph J. Guido
February 5, 2001
Social Justice
"Four Lessons for Teaching Justice"
By Drew Christiansen
May 11, 2009
"Ten Building Blocks of Catholic Social Teaching"
By William J. Byron
October 31, 1998
“The Death Penalty: An Outsider’s View”
By The Editors
June 6, 1998
“From Disciplina to the Day of Pardon”
By Drew Christiansen
October 2, 2006
“Immigration’s Dark Moments”
By The Editors
October 13, 2008
“Justice and Equality”
By Robert F. Drinan
February 17, 2003
Coverage from America
What Makes Us Catholic?
“Catholicism in Contemporary American Fiction”
By John F. Desmond
May 14, 1994
“Celebrating Dorothy Day”
By Stephen J. Kupra
August 27, 2001
"Pope Benedict on Hope"
By Gerald O’Collins
December 10, 2007
"The Sign of the Cross"
By Robert P. Maloney
May 19, 2003
A Convert's Story
Debbie Bernadette Bauman Rosenberg
September 20, 2004
The Saints
"Holy Men and Women"
Drew Christiansen, S.J.
October 29, 2007
"Saints on the Screen"
October 30, 2006
James Martin, S.J.
"Five Years with Dorothy Day"
Robert Ellsberg
November 21, 2005
"The Saint of the Sock Drawer"
James Martin, S.J.
January 3, 2005
"Holy Terrors"
John W. Donohue
May 13, 1995
Catholics and Politics
"The Art of the Possible"
The Editors
December 15, 2008
"Catholics and Political Life"
Henry J. Hyde
February 17, 2003
Death and Dying
"Catholicism, Death and Modern Medicine"
Lisa Sowle Cahill
April 25, 2005
"On Dying Well"
Myles N. Sheehan
July 29-August 5, 2000
The Mystery of Evil
John F. Kavanaugh, S.J.
January 31, 2005
Questions of Bioethics
Browse our archive of articles on pressing ethical issues.
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The America Associates program encourages readers and friends to contribute unrestricted gifts to help meet the day-to-day operating costs involved in producing a high quality Catholic journal of opinion and maintaining an award-winning Web site. This support helps us attract the best writers, select photos and artwork that enhance the reader's enjoyment, produce podcasts, slide shows and videos that augment articles and opinion pieces on our Web site, and support education by offering tools such as our teachers' resource page and newsletter.
With your help, we can maintain our place as the nation's foremost Catholic weekly magazine and expand our efforts to introduce America to young Catholics eager to experience the rich dialogue and debate America has to offer.
We urge you to consider becoming an America Associate. Your membership at the $150 level or higher provides you the option of having your America subscription extended for one year. All America Associates are recognized annually for their contributions to our ministry with the publication of their names by giving level in the print edition of America, usually in March or April. Please see our Associates Appeal brochure for giving levels and benefits.
America is a weekly Catholic journal of opinion that has appeared continuously since April 17, 1909. The founder was John J. Wynne, S.J. (1859-1948), who also conceived the idea of the Catholic Encyclopedia, the first volume of which appeared in 1907 under his direction. From 1892 Wynne edited a devotional Catholic monthly, The Messenger of the Sacred Heart. Determined to publish materials less devotional and more wide-ranging, so that readers might "find God in all things," he had by 1902 divided that earlier journal in two: The Messenger of the Sacred Heart, which remained the organ of the Apostleship of Prayer, and The Messenger, a Catholic magazine of more general interest. He wanted The Messenger to be yet "more solid and serious," and by 1909 the improved version appeared as America. This title was meant to show the new magazine's scope, and the subtitle "Catholic Review of the Week" specified its point of view.
From the beginning the magazine has been the work of Jesuits from across the United States, and this breadth of origin was reflected in the first editorial board, composed of Jesuits from all the U.S. provinces of the Society of Jesus then existing. Wynne himself, a peremptory if industrious character, lasted only a few months as editor of America, but the editorial formula he devised lasts to this day--editorial comment, short articles and reviews of arts and letters.
Issues and stances that have characterized the history of the publication would include the following. It promoted racial and social justice from the 1930s through the 1960s with the contributions of longtime editors like John LaFarge, S.J., and Benjamin Masse, S.J. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-38), the magazine was sympathetic to Spanish Catholics and therefore tended to support the Catholic aspects of Franco's cause, and on this issue the magazine parted company with liberal U.S. journals with which it is sometimes compared. On the other hand, America in the early 1950s, under the editorship of Robert Hartnett, S.J., criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was often championed by Catholics of that day for his supposed anti-communism, and the magazine and its editor suffered for that principled stand. In the 1960s the magazine enthusiastically reported and supported Vatican Council II, and America Press Inc. published the first available English edition of council documents. Between 1960 and 1970, C. J. McNaspy, S.J., one of the associate editors, enlivened the magazine's appreciation of liturgy, music and the fine arts. A review of the magazine's history or of any given issue reveals that America strives for balance, preferring analysis to ideology. A historical example was its editorial of August 17, 1968, carefully dissenting from that part of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae vitae which said all forms of artificial birth control are inherently evil.
America retains a loyal readership, especially among the hiererchy and other leaders and managers of the Catholic Church in the United States, lay and religious. During the post-Vatican II period, the editors have consistently promoted conciliar reform, but they have struck a balance between the extremes of liberal and conservative opinion in the reforming Church, acting as a bridge for Church dialogue. This opens the magazine to the criticism that it is bland or uncommitted, but it adheres to an analytical rather than crusading tone, and it consistently wins prizes from the Catholic Press Association.
The balance favored by these editors has given the magazine a reputation for temperateness that its founding editor did not always share. But such steadiness has enabled the magazine to fulfill throughout the twentieth century the vision of its founder, who wrote in the first issue: "The object, scope and character of this review are sufficiently indicated in its name--America: A Catholic Review of the Week."
Thomas H. Stahel, S.J.
From The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History
America Media is the leading provider of editorial content for thinking Catholics and those who want to know what Catholics are thinking. America Media leads the conversation about faith and culture by producing excellent, unique, relevant and accessible content across multiple platforms. Our contributors are the principal figures in the American church; the decision-makers and opinion leaders who lead the ecclesial and civic debate about religion, society, politics and the arts. Those with something to say to the American church say it in America: popes and presidents; Nobel laureates; Pulitzer Prize winners; world-renowned scholars; and distinguished men and women of letters. Our flagship magazine, America, has been published continuously since 1909, making it one of the oldest periodicals in the United States today.
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America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture
Our flagship magazine is the leading Catholic journal of opinion in the United States. First published in 1909, America magazine is known across the Catholic world for its unique brand of opinion and analysis. From theology and spirituality to politics, international relations, arts and letters, and the economy and social justice, America’s coverage spans the globe. We tell the stories that matter most to the church and the world. Our award-winning website is americamagazine.org.
America Press
America Media’s book platform publishes new editions of original and archival content. Titles include A Big Heart Open to God: A Conversation with Pope Francis as well as Praying with America; With God in Russia; and The Documents of Vatican II.
America This Week
“America This Week” is America Media’s weekly radio broadcast on The Catholic Channel on SiriusXM 129, the largest worldwide radio broadcaster as measured by revenue. “America This Week” is the channel’s smart Catholic voice on faith and culture.
America Films
America Films is responsible for all aspects of America Media’s video production. Since its founding in 2014, America Films has produced interviews with leading figures and opinion makers, including Vice President Joseph Biden, the filmmaker Martin Scorsese, former British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and the Jesuit superior general Arturo Sosa. See all of America's videos.
America Person to Person
America Media produces events and programming that bring the conversation about faith and culture to you, in person and on the ground. America Media also leads pilgrimages America Media also leads life-changing pilgrimages to the Holy Land, Ignatian Spain and other holy places as we travel together on a special retreat experience that include visits to holy sites, masses in beautiful churches and chapels and group faith-sharing. Learn more at journeys.americamedia.org.
Catholic Book Club
The Catholic Book Club provides America readers with additional literary resources and an opportunity to come together around our shared enjoyment of and appreciation for fine works of literature. It introduces a new book four times a year, providing discussion questions, conversation prompts, and supporting materials that you can use individually or with your home group.
Within our book club, and in our book reviews, we provide links to Amazon to make it easy to purchase copies of the books. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
The Jesuit Post
The Jesuit Post is an online ministry staffed by young Jesuits in formation and created for seekers in their 20s and 30s. Established in 2012, The Jesuit Post addresses the intersection of faith and culture, focusing on both sacred and secular issues, and everything in between, because God does too.
Our History
America magazine was founded by the Society of Jesus in 1909 as a Catholic weekly review of faith and culture. The first editor in chief was John J. Wynne, S.J. (1859-1948), who also conceived the idea of the Catholic Encyclopedia, the first volume of which appeared in 1907 under his direction. From 1892 Wynne edited a devotional Catholic monthly, The Messenger of the Sacred Heart. Determined to publish materials less devotional and more wide-ranging, so that readers might ”find God in all things,” he had by 1902 divided that earlier journal into two publications: The Messenger of the Sacred Heart, which remained the organ of the Apostleship of Prayer, and The Messenger, a Catholic magazine of more general interest. He wanted The Messenger to be yet ”more solid and serious,” and in 1909 the improved version appeared as America. This title was meant to demonstrate the new magazine's scope, and the subtitle “Catholic Review of the Week” specified its point of view.
The Jesuits at America
From the beginning the magazine has been the work of Jesuits and lay colleagues from across the United States, and this breadth of origin was reflected in the first editorial board, composed of Jesuits from all the U.S. provinces of the Society of Jesus at the time. Wynne himself, a peremptory if industrious character, lasted only a few months as editor of America, but the editorial formula he devised lasts to this day—editorial comment, articles and reviews of arts and letters. Since 1909 over 200 U.S. and Canadian Jesuits have been associated with America. Prominent Jesuits associated with our history include the social critic and civil rights activist John LaFarge, the theologian John Courtney Murray and Congressman Robert F. Drinan. America’s tenth editor in chief, Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., later served as president of Fordham University. Leo J. O’Donovan, S.J., president emeritus of Georgetown University, has been a regular contributor to America since 1969. Raymond A. Schroth, S.J., America’s late editor emeritus, contributed for nearly 63 years, first appearing in 1957.
Editorial Directions
America aggressively promoted racial and social justice from the 1930s through the 1960s, with the contributions of longtime editors like John LaFarge, S.J., and Benjamin Masse, S.J. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-38), the magazine was sympathetic to Spanish Catholics and therefore tended to support the Catholic aspects of Franco’s cause, and on this issue the magazine parted company with liberal U.S. journals with which it is sometimes compared. On the other hand, in the early 1950s, under the editorship of Robert Hartnett, S.J., America criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was often championed by Catholics of that day for his supposed anti-Communism, and the magazine and its editor suffered for that principled stand.
In the 1960s the magazine enthusiastically reported and supported the Second Vatican Council, and America Press Inc. published the first available English edition of the council’s documents. Between 1960 and 1970, C. J. McNaspy, S.J., one of the associate editors, enlivened the magazine’s appreciation of liturgy, music and the fine arts. Throughout its history, America has sought balance in its coverage, always preferring analysis to ideology. One historical example is the editorial of Aug. 17, 1968, carefully dissenting from that part of Pope Paul VI’s encyclical “Humanae Vitae” which prohibited all forms of artificial birth control. During the post-Vatican II period, the editors consistently promoted conciliar reform, but they struck a balance between the extremes of opinion in the reforming church, acting as a bridge for church dialogue.
New York City
The headquarters of America has been located at various addresses in Manhattan since its founding. America began life at 32 Washington Square West. In 1911 the editors moved to 59 East 83rd Street. In 1918, the editorial residence was a town house at 39 West 86th Street. Then, in 1926, another move was made, this time to a double house at 329 West 108th Street, where the editors remained for 39 years. In 1962, a generous gift from Cardinal Richard Cushing of Boston made it possible to purchase a building at 106 West 56th Street, which had been the New York headquarters of a national fraternity, Phi Gamma Delta. The nine-story facility contained living quarters, library space, editorial and business offices, meeting halls and a chapel designed by Thomas Slon, S.J., In 2016, America announced the sale of its headquarters building and plans to relocate to modern facilities elsewhere in Manhattan.
America Today
In 2015, Matt Malone, S.J., 14th editor in chief, announced that America Press, the publisher of America magazine, would be relaunched as America Media and would produce content across multiple media platforms in addition to print. In 2017 the number of annual print issues was reduced from 39 to 26, reflecting the fact that the majority of America’s content was now produced daily online and through social media. The print edition and website were also redesigned and relaunched in January 2017 as America: The Jesuit Review of Faith & Culture.
Editors in Chief of America
- Rev. John J. Wynne, S.J. 1909-10
- Rev. Thomas J. Campbell, S.J. 1910-14
- Rev. Richard H. Tierney, S.J. 1914-25
- Rev. Wilfrid Parsons, S.J. 1925-36
- Rev. Francis X. Talbot, S.J. 1936-44
- Rev. John LaFarge, S.J. 1944-48
- Rev. Robert C. Hartnett, S.J. 1948-55
- Rev. Thurston Davis, S.J. 1955-68
- Rev. Donald R. Campion, S.J. 1968-75
- Rev. Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J. 1975-84
- Rev. George W. Hunt, S.J. 1984-98
- Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J. 1998-2005
- Rev. Drew Christiansen, S.J. 2005-12
- Rev. Matt Malone, S.J. 2012-2022
- Rev. Sam Sawyer, S.J., 2022-
(Adapted from an article in The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History by Tom Stahel, S.J.)
Historical Resources
- “A Man of Independent Character: John J. Wynne and the founding of America Magazine,”
- James T. Keane and Jim McDermott | May 19, 2008
- “A Bold New Direction: Richard H. Tierney and America's foray into politics”
- James T. Keane and Jim McDermott | Sept. 8, 2008
- "The Manner Is Extraordinary: The life of John LaFarge"
- James T. Keane and Jim McDermott | Oct. 27, 2008
- "Cold Warrior: America's battle against Joe McCarthy"
- James T. Keane and Jim McDermott | Feb. 9, 2009
- Charles R. Morris' review of America's first 100 years. Part I. Part II.
- "It is time for Archbishop Viganò to meet the press"
- Gerry O'Connell | Sept. 13, 2018
- "The Editors: It is time for the Kavanaugh nomination to be withdrawn"
- The Editors | Sept. 27, 2018
Every issue of America features commentary by one of our columnists. Find out more about them below.
John Carr (Washington Front)
John J. Conley, S.J. (Philosopher's Notebook)
Gerard O'Connell (Vatican Dispatch)
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Frequently Asked Questions
America is a weekly Catholic journal of opinion that has appeared continuously since April 17, 1909. The founder was John J. Wynne, S.J. (1859-1948), who also conceived the idea of the Catholic Encyclopedia, the first volume of which appeared in 1907 under his direction. From 1892 Wynne edited a devotional Catholic monthly, The Messenger of the Sacred Heart. Determined to publish materials less devotional and more wide-ranging, so that readers might "find God in all things," he had by 1902 divided that earlier journal in two: The Messenger of the Sacred Heart, which remained the organ of the Apostleship of Prayer, and The Messenger, a Catholic magazine of more general interest. He wanted The Messenger to be yet "more solid and serious," and by 1909 the improved version appeared as America. This title was meant to show the new magazine's scope, and the subtitle "Catholic Review of the Week" specified its point of view.
From the beginning the magazine has been the work of Jesuits from across the United States, and this breadth of origin was reflected in the first editorial board, composed of Jesuits from all the U.S. provinces of the Society of Jesus then existing. Wynne himself, a peremptory if industrious character, lasted only a few months as editor of America, but the editorial formula he devised lasts to this day--editorial comment, short articles and reviews of arts and letters.
Issues and stances that have characterized the history of the publication would include the following. It promoted racial and social justice from the 1930s through the 1960s with the contributions of longtime editors like John LaFarge, S.J., and Benjamin Masse, S.J. During the Spanish Civil War (1936-38), the magazine was sympathetic to Spanish Catholics and therefore tended to support the Catholic aspects of Franco's cause, and on this issue the magazine parted company with liberal U.S. journals with which it is sometimes compared. On the other hand, America in the early 1950s, under the editorship of Robert Hartnett, S.J., criticized Senator Joseph McCarthy, who was often championed by Catholics of that day for his supposed anti-communism, and the magazine and its editor suffered for that principled stand. In the 1960s the magazine enthusiastically reported and supported Vatican Council II, and America Press Inc. published the first available English edition of council documents. Between 1960 and 1970, C. J. McNaspy, S.J., one of the associate editors, enlivened the magazine's appreciation of liturgy, music and the fine arts. A review of the magazine's history or of any given issue reveals that America strives for balance, preferring analysis to ideology. A historical example was its editorial of August 17, 1968, carefully dissenting from that part of Pope Paul VI's encyclical Humanae vitae which said all forms of artificial birth control are inherently evil.
America retains a loyal readership, especially among the hiererchy and other leaders and managers of the Catholic Church in the United States, lay and religious. During the post-Vatican II period, the editors have consistently promoted conciliar reform, but they have struck a balance between the extremes of liberal and conservative opinion in the reforming Church, acting as a bridge for Church dialogue. This opens the magazine to the criticism that it is bland or uncommitted, but it adheres to an analytical rather than crusading tone, and it consistently wins prizes from the Catholic Press Association.
The balance favored by these editors has given the magazine a reputation for temperateness that its founding editor did not always share. But such steadiness has enabled the magazine to fulfill throughout the twentieth century the vision of its founder, who wrote in the first issue: "The object, scope and character of this review are sufficiently indicated in its name--America: A Catholic Review of the Week."
Thomas H. Stahel, S.J.
From The Encyclopedia of American Catholic History
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