Part meditation and part observation, at times deeply personal and at times philosophical, From This Clay uses personal experience to illuminate central issues and concepts in the life of a thoughtful Catholic. A collection of Thomas J. McCarthy's popular monthly columns in America magazine, these essays examine everything from fatherhood to Miss America, from the struggle for genuine faith to the struggle for a genuine President. In doing so, McCarthy reveals the elemental and surprising places where a life of reflection meets family life, intellectual life, and the political and social marketplace.

Part meditation and part observation, at times deeply personal and at times philosophical, From This Clay uses personal experience to illuminate central issues and concepts in the life of a thoughtful Catholic. A collection of Thomas J. McCarthy's popular monthly columns in America magazine, these essays examine everything from fatherhood to Miss America, from the struggle for genuine faith to the struggle for a genuine President. In doing so, McCarthy reveals the elemental and surprising places where a life of reflection meets family life, intellectual life, and the political and social marketplace.