The Name of the Rose is a most unusual publishing success, a first novel by an Italian semiotician that became a worldwide bestseller. Ironically, the theme of the story seems to be that the hunger for knowledge and truth is dangerous, divisive, and ultimately illusory. The horrible events that take place in an isolated Benedictine monastery over the course of seven days serve as a microcosm of the conflicts rocking the late medieval world.

It is the year 1327 when William of Baskerville and his young scribe Adso of Melk (who narrates the story many years later) arrive at the unnamed northern Italian monastery, which contains the greatest library in Christendom. The abbot and his henchmen carefully control access to the collection; only the librarian and his assistant are allowed into the labyrinthine stacks. The ostensible reason is that there are thousands of books by pagan, Jewish, and Arab authors, as well as the records of many heresies. While true Christians must understand error in order to combat it, only the strongest and most mature minds should be exposed to it. Naturally the scribes and scholars, who have come from all across Europe to use the library, long to view its hidden treasures. Strange intrigues develop among the monks, and suddenly turn to murder. A gifted young illuminator is killed; the next morning a second monk is found dead, plunged head-first into a barrel of pigs' blood.

Umberto Eco (born January 5, 1932) is an Italian novelist and philosopher, best known for his novels and essays.

Eco was born in Alessandria, in the Italian province of Piedmont. He is an author and semiotician. He works as a professor of semiotics at the University of Bologna.

Eco employs his education as a medievalist in his novel The Name of the Rose, which was made into a movie starring Sean Connery as a monk who investigates a series of murders revolving around a monastery library. He is particularly good at translating medieval religious controversies and heresies into modern political and economic terms so that the reader can understand them without being a theologian.

Although his novels often include references to arcane historical figures and texts and his dense, intricate plots tend to take dizzing turns he has enjoyed a wide audience around the world, with good sales and many translations. Foucault's Pendulumn, Eco's second novel, (the thinking man's Da Vinci Code) also sold well.

Eco's work illustrates the post-modernist literary theory concept of hypertextuality, or the inter-connectedness of all literary works and their interpretation.

Dem presidential candidate John Kerry lashed out at President Bush over self-deprecating jokes made at this year's Radio and Television Correspondents' Dinner.

But Kerry himself has had trouble with pushing the humor envelope.

"Somebody told me the other day that the Secret Service has orders that if George Bush is shot, they're to shoot Quayle," Kerry joked in 1988. The Massachusetts Democrat then said, "There isn't any press here, is there?"

What are your personal beliefs about endangered species?

CONS: Spending inordinate sums on hi-tech efforts to save an endangered species is very noble, but sometimes you've just got to know when to let go.

LIBL: Let no species on life-support pass from this Earth unless every means at our disposal is spent on intensive resuscitation efforts.

LBRT: Let those who religiously believe that every species is sacred, spend their own personal funds to purchase vast tracks of virgin habitat where they and all of Charles Darwin's creatures can live together in peace, harmony and normal healthy predator/prey relationships.

COMM: For the sake of our children, and those of future generations, meticulously preserve dead endangered species specimens in formaldehyde in the major metropolitan natural history museums.

What's your idea of a wild night on the town?

CONS: A wild night of reading Biblical passages.

LIBL: A wild night of eco-terrorism.

LBRT: A wild night of reliving the exploits of those famed Biblical towns of ill repute: Sodomy and Gonorrhea.

COMM: A wild night of plotting to overthrow the government.

What types of military hardware should private citizens be allowed to own?

CONS: - Fully-automatic assault rifles

- Body armor

- Jeeps and Humvees

- Shoulder launched missiles

LIBL: - Backpacks

- Tents

- Hiking boots

LBRT: - Anything their little old heart desires

COMM: - Hammers, sickles, and pitch forks

The LORD will fulfill His purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever -- do not abandon the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8

They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears. This class would not pray during the commencements ----- not by choice but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. The speeches were nice, but they were routine.......until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!! The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said, "GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!" And he walked off stage... The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval!

The commencement ceremony described was for the Washington Community High School class of 1991. Class valedictorian Natasha Appenheimer and the American Civil liberties Union won a court injunction the day before graduation that banned any type of prayer at the event. Even though the Benediction and invocation were suggested by the students and intended to be student-led, U.S. District Judge Joe B. McDade ruled that, since the prayers were subject to teacher review and would be promoted in school-printed programs, that the prayers violated the constitutional separation of church and state.

During the ceremony, Ryan Brown, a fellow student and one of the scheduled speakers, paused on his way to the podium to bow in silent prayer, which was greeted with cheers. During his speech, he faked a sneeze, and a few students, with whom he had previously arranged, shouted "God Bless You" in response.

Subtle protests by students were seen throughout the ceremony. Many used tape to spell out the words "Let's Pray" and "Amen" on their caps, while others wore cross necklaces passed out before the ceremony.

Point to Ponder: It's not about me.

Verse to Remember: "Everything got started in Him and finds its purpose in Him." Colossians 1:16b (MSG)

Question to Consider: In spite of all the advertising around me, how can I remind myself that life is really about living for God, not myself?

I've been a part of the Christian Carnival, which has just posted its most recent offering.

I don't think I'll continue, because of the presence of this, an offering for the carnival of a smug "this is where everyone else in all of Christianity is wrong" entry.

Please know, it's not just that issue alone. It's that issue, compounded by the grounds upon which its claim is based. Furthermore, my problem is not that it is a blog by and for Catholics. I grew up Catholic. Much of my family is Catholic, and I (unlike some others) believe it is entirely possible for Catholics to be Christians (just like I believe that not all Baptists or Protestants are Christians just because they say so). I also have dedicated significant space on my own blog advocating a major film with major Catholic tenets produced and directed by a Catholic Christ-follower.

My problem is that this particular blog states that the Catholic church is the only true church. It endorses the heretical view that the church has the ability to supercede the Word of God and that only Catholic interpretations of the Bible are correct. It demonstrates no charity in the discussion of nonessential issues and demonstrates no unity in purpose. And it presents its opposition in a public forum that IMHO does more harm than good.

Hello,

As the creator of the Christian Carnival I would ask that you reconsider. Not participating in a compilation of links to various Christian blogs(which includes Catholics) because of one post seems drastic. Just because the post is included does not mean it is condoned, only that they submitted it.

Like the other Carnivals the Christian Carnival only is trying to assimilate all of the best Christian writings together, and help Christian blogs get noticed. Of course, doctrines will collide. I ask that you reconsider. Granted you disagreed with one post out of 10 or 11, but why let one post cause you to never come back again?

Sincerely,
Nick Queen