Just as in the case of the head of a household, the heads of localities and nations must direct their minds first and foremost toward the common good of some specific, limited group of people. Integralism and the Common Good, Volume One: Family, City, and State, edited by Edmund Waldstein & Peter Kwasniewski (356 pages, [...]
One enterprising lady has noticed the social void caused by texting and instant messaging and has started a company that teaches phone skills to young people. But can she help resolve the moral problems of an age of superficial and self-centered relationships? Smartphones supposedly made possible an age of unprecedented communication. Everyone, especially young people, [...]
Man needs ethos in order to be himself. Ethos, however, requires belief in creation and immortality. The impossibility of a human existence cut off from this is indirect proof for the truth of the Christian faith and its hope. Without the glad tidings of faith, mankind cannot endure in the long run. This lecture was [...]
Sociology is, without a shadow of a doubt, a Left-wing field of study as of now. But that doesn’t mean conservatives have to be unarmed in the intellectual battle. For nearly 40 years, the field of sociology has been dominated by Left-leaning academics. There are a variety of reasons for this, ranging from the influence [...]
Christmas memories reflect the senses. We recall what and who we saw: parents and siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins and friends, many of whom are no longer with us and gives the season a tint of melancholy. We think of family gatherings, church services, the long drives home and back, a lovely meeting or [...]
If culture is simply a matter of private enthusiasms and hobbies, of small details and specialties, then what of a common culture? What about the collective project and shared sense of purpose that built Western civilization? “The expert takes a little subject for his province, and remains a provincial for the rest of his life.”—Jacques [...]
With Aristotle and Moses, Russell Kirk believed that man could only live truly and freely in community, and only through community could one pursue the good, the true, and the beautiful. Community sharpens our best selves, while attenuating our selfish impulses. It gives order and context to our existence. Russell Kirk never liked the word individualism, [...]
It is easy to dismiss adult toy-buying as a craze of little significance. But the appearance of the "kidult" is troubling from several perspectives, for it speaks of the state of a decadent culture that embraces childish and immature things. The kidult idea also participates in the postmodern desire to be what one is not. [...]
We spend much of our time concerning ourselves with places and people far removed from us. The things closest to us, by contrast, often become negligible and disposable. If you make an effort to reconnect with your neighborhood, town, and community, you may come to see your home in a new light—hallowed by time and [...]
Whisky is not a product of savvy entrepreneurs. It is a product of Scottish culture that, like the drink, should be savored and appreciated. The primary consumers should be the local populations that imagined whisky. When operations go big to satisfy cosmopolitan demand, they lose something of that human touch and local flavor that give [...]
A single American priest, Fr. Dan Leary, has worked seventeen-hour days the past several weeks in Chalco, Mexico, to spiritually and mentally prepare teenage girls for what might await them in some of the most dangerous towns in the world. In Chalco, Mexico, on the other side of the high walls that guard this valley [...]
The ideals upon which America was founded are now forgotten by many. Yet these same ideals are buried in these songs of patriotism and faith. By singing these songs, we instill the truths contained in their words in our hearts. We learn once again to have faith in God, to gather and build community within [...]
A greeting is an act of humility and a gesture of justice, in which we give respect and honor due to others for who they are. Indeed, greetings constitute the fragrant perfume of a Christian civilization in which these things are valued. We live in brutal times without transitions. Everything must be instant and rushed, [...]
In almost every single shooter case, a true Christian father is missing. By his example and counsel, the Christian father directs the boy to channel his energies and emotions into manly pursuits and virtuous action. Indeed, the devoted father provides society with a balanced young man who will defend society from attacks. Across the country, [...]