Rusty Reno has been the editor of First Things Magazine since 2011. Though its circulation is only about 30,000, it is closely read by conservative intellectuals. Founded by Richard John Neuhaus in 1990, it articulates a social and political conservatism rooted in the Christian intellectual tradition.When founding editor Richard John Neuhaus died in 2009, the magazine went through a quick succession of editors before Reno took over in 2011. Under Reno's leadership, the magazine has re-asserted its influence in the conservative world, and after a decline in circulation in the years immediately following the death of Neuhaus, it is now back up to its peak when Neuhaus was alive.