About the Fourth Watch

The Fourth Watch is a twice-monthly Catholic newsletter written by Jim Keating and supported by First Things and the John Templeton Foundation. Jim Keating is a professor at Providence College and a contributor to First Things.

The title of this newsletter references the time of night in which the Lord made himself known to his disciples by walking on water on the Sea of Galilee (Mark 6:48). The Fourth Watch seeks to alert its readers to the various issues of the moment, including the tempests that threaten St. Peter’s Bark to the point of sinking. It will not, however, provide yet another occasion for doomscrolling. Just as there are dark things happening in our world, there are also signs of impending dawn. The accent will be on the hope the God revealed in Jesus Christ provides. Readers will be pointed to commentary from First Things and elsewhere that offer acute analysis of our present storms and, whenever possible, a path through them.

Thank you for joining the Fourth Watch.