We've put together a list of the blog posts we published this year that we wouldn't want anyone to miss. For part one, click here.

5. In August, Cardus senior fellow John Seel took a look at beauty and the arts.

Beauty opens doors of the mind and compels a response in ways that truth and goodness do not. It's a salve to the skeptic.
- Called to the Show

4. James K.A. Smith highlighted the factors behind economic stability.

Opportunity … requires the foundation of a home and family that provide security, support, and an education in virtue, which in turn enable children to achieve success in school.
- Families, Flourishing, and Upward Mobility

3. And Brian Dijkema wrote about the importance of good parenting as well:

… This type of thing will one day be recounted as part of the historical record of western civilization: play date brokers and nanny/parent mediators.
- The Play-Date Apocalypse is Upon Us

2. In October, the newest Cardusian, Doug Sikkema, gave us Wendell Berry's love of creation at a glance.

This Kentucky farmer and man of letters made real for me the complex interplay of religion, literature, and agriculture in informing a holistic way of life—in other words, towards shalom.
- Wendell Berry: Seeing the Earth as Sacrament

1. Finally, last month, Rev. Phil Reinders introduced the concept of mercy into the Rob Ford scandal.

Think of the dynamic which condemnation kick-starts—it forces you into a defensive posture, encasing you in a protective emotional armour, cutting you off from the possibility of receiving mercy.
- The Upside-Down Moral Economy

Happy New Year, and look for more great content on the Cardus blog in 2014!