Why we place First Things as Social Conservative
First Things is a religion-and-public-life journal, largely Catholic and ecumenical, that argues for a moral order rooted in tradition and faith. It is intellectual and theological rather than populist, which is the social-conservative register, not the evangelical or MAGA one.
Updated June 2026
What to expect from First Things
Moral and theological argument applied to politics, a defense of religious liberty, and prose pitched at a serious, churchgoing reader.
How the Social Conservative lens reads the news
Tradition, family, and moral order. Read the full explainer on Social Conservative →
See First Things in the brief
Every morning we analyze First Things alongside the rest of the spectrum and show how it framed the day's stories next to everyone else, in its own words. That side-by-side is the whole point. Browse recent briefs →
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