5 years, 5,000 posts, and 5 million gallons of Pepsi later...

Five years ago this month I embarked upon a job that has inspired various people to ask this deep, challenging, and sometimes perplexing question:

"What is it, exactly, that you do for a living, Carl?"

Most of the time, I admit with some chagrin, that question has come from my boss, Mark Brumley. And I hope to some day give him a good, truthful answer. I'm working on it!

But, in all seriousness, it was in May 2004 that I began work as editor of Ignatius Insight. On June 15, 2004, Mark Brumley delivered the first post to the Insight Scoop blog. To his credit, the message of that post is just as fresh and meaningful today as it was then:

Everybody Needs to Read Theology of the Church

Let me be absolutely unambiguous about this. Everyone who is reading my words right now should read Theology of the Church by Charles Journet. This is a first-rate book on ecclesiology (the study of the theological nature of the Church). Don't worry about it being over your head. Most things are. So why let that bother you when it comes to theology? Buy the book. Read the book. Share it with your friends. You'll be so happy you did. And so will they.

Yes, do read Journet's book; it is excellent. The many excellent books published by Ignatius Press are reasons enough to enjoy the work I've been doing these past five years on both Insight and Scoop. But there is much more, of course, including the opportunity to talk to and interview many fascinating and engaging people, and to read about and comment on and converse about a wide range of topics, ranging from vital (the Gospel) to the important (current events in the Church and the world at large) to the less significant but always interesting (prog rock, television shows, and beer).

A few weeks ago—during Holy Week, actually—the Insight Scoop blog passed the 5,000 post mark. (This post is #5,130.) The blog has now had over 2.5 million visits in those five years, with about a third of those coming in the last year alone. I deeply appreciate the support of the many readers who make Ignatius Insight and the Insight Scoop blog regular stops on the Internet highway. (If you don't know, every time you purchase something from Ignatius Press through the links on Insight or Scoop, it helps to make me look valuable and productive. Hint, hint!) Please keep coming back and please let others know about the articles, interviews, posts, and commentary you've read and enjoyed.

Finally, a quick shout out to Thomas Peters, the American Papist, who recently passed the 5,000 post mark as well. Congrats!

Let me be absolutely unambiguous about this. Everyone who is reading my words right now should read Theology of the Church by Charles Journet. This is a first-rate book on ecclesiology (the study of the theological nature of the Church). Don't worry about it being over your head. Most things are. So why let that bother you when it comes to theology? Buy the book. Read the book. Share it with your friends. You'll be so happy you did. And so will they.

Yes, do read Journet's book; it is excellent. The many excellent books published by Ignatius Press are reasons enough to enjoy the work I've been doing these past five years on both Insight and Scoop. But there is much more, of course, including the opportunity to talk to and interview many fascinating and engaging people, and to read about and comment on and converse about a wide range of topics, ranging from vital (the Gospel) to the important (current events in the Church and the world at large) to the less significant but always interesting (prog rock, television shows, and beer).

A few weeks ago—during Holy Week, actually—the Insight Scoop blog passed the 5,000 post mark. (This post is #5,130.) The blog has now had over 2.5 million visits in those five years, with about a third of those coming in the last year alone. I deeply appreciate the support of the many readers who make Ignatius Insight and the Insight Scoop blog regular stops on the Internet highway. (If you don't know, every time you purchase something from Ignatius Press through the links on Insight or Scoop, it helps to make me look valuable and productive. Hint, hint!) Please keep coming back and please let others know about the articles, interviews, posts, and commentary you've read and enjoyed.

Finally, a quick shout out to Thomas Peters, the American Papist, who recently passed the 5,000 post mark as well. Congrats!

Comments

[Jackson]

Easy answer: "I'm a writer." And an excellent one at that. Congrats!

[Martin]

Carl I live in Australia and am a huge fan of yours. I read your RSS feed everyday, you are indefatigable - a great warrior for us. We need you so I'm a bit worried about your kidneys, how about drinking a bit more water?

[Paul H]

Congratulations, Carl, on a job well done! Keep up the great work.

I started reading this blog right around the time it first started, because I had enjoyed your posts on the now defunct Envoy Magazine blog, and so I basically followed you to your new blog home on Insight Scoop. I remember originally it was going to be a group blog where various Ignatius Press authors would post, but the way it has worked out has been great.

It's hard to believe it has been five years!

[Jon]

Thank you for whatever it is you do.

I've make IgnatiusInsight one of my regular daily stops on the web.

[Ricardo Leal]

I send you my congratulations from Brazil; and ever so often let others know about this well informed and balanced, great blog.

[Ed Peters]

Although I read many blogs when I hear there's something specifically interesting on them, there are only two I regularly check on my own every day: American Papist and InsightScoop.

[Sharon]

This is probably my favourite blog; I try to read it every day.

[LJ]

I'm with Martin. That's a lot of Pepsi.

[Athelstane]

Hello Carl,

Any word on when there might be an unabridged translation of Journet's work coming out in English?