September 5, 2026
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Welcome to the website of Catholic author Mark Shea! Read his recent musings on the blog, or purchase his books from the store.
Recent Posts
Luther once remarked that he would rather be ruled by a good Turk than a bad Christian
Relatedly, I would rather be ruled by a good atheist than a bad Christian. But, of course, best of all would be to be ruled
September 4, 2026
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Prophetic Clarity and Hope
It is one of the great paradoxes of a uniquely Christian form of hope that David Bentley Hart can have such a clear-eyed and prophetic
September 3, 2026
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“Pro-life” MAGA Catholic Bloodlust
Item: Last year alone the Sunshine State executed 19 death row inmates, and this year the number is already at 12, with three more to
September 2, 2026
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Dive into the Sheavings
The Rubber Hose Right’s Tortured Conscience
As readers in this space may have noticed, I have had a thing or two (or three) to say about the Bush/Cheney program of torture and the enormous lengths of sophistry that spokesoids for the Thing that Used to Be Conservatism have gone to on its behalf. My concerns have basically come down to this:
Mercy
Our culture doesn’t believe in forgiveness. Not really. Oh, sure, we say we do. But the reality is, we believe in mistakes and excuses. We will go to enormous lengths to explain away sin as a mistake or a psychological aberration or an error. But should our patience finally wear out, should
Ten Commandments: The Seventh Commandment
“You shall not steal,” says Exodus 20:15. Once again, the Decalogue faces us with an injunction that seems like common sense (and is) but which is also fraught with all sorts of difficulties and distinctions. Consider, for instance, the fact that a Catholic writer like me has the obligation to
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About Mark Shea
Greetings! I’m Mark P. Shea, a Catholic author and blogger who’s also done a spot of podcasting and even acting here and there, as well as radio and TV work. My latest book, The Church’s Best-Kept Secret: A Primer on Catholic Social Teaching was published in September 2020 by New City Press. Other works include By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition (Ignatius), Mary, Mother of the Son, This is My Body: An Evangelical Discovers the Real Presence (Christendom), and Making Senses Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did (Basilica), Salt and Light: The Commandments, the Beatitudes, and a Joyful Life (Servant), The Heart of Catholic Prayer: Rediscovering the Our Father and the Hail Mary (Our Sunday Visitor) and The Work of Mercy: Being the Hands and Heart of Christ (Servant).
I can also be found on Facebook (here and here) and Twitter. If you like my work and want to see more of it, please become one of my supporters on Patreon…..
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By What Authority?: An Evangelical Discovers Catholic Tradition (Kindle)
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Making Senses Out of Scripture: Reading the Bible as the First Christians Did (Kindle)
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