Fire From the Gods: Oppenheimer as a Greek Tragic Hero

By |2024-03-11T21:33:02-05:00March 11th, 2024|Categories: Death, Film, Greek Epic Poetry, Science|

Like the Greek tragic heroes of Oedipus and Prometheus, J. Robert Oppenheimer used his almost superhuman intellect and ability to achieve something that led not only to his own suffering, but also to the suffering of others. Americans today would do well to heed the lessons passed down from the Greek tragedians about the reckless [...]

The Light of the Stars

By |2024-02-08T20:11:12-06:00February 8th, 2024|Categories: Christianity, Death, Love|

Even in God's majesty as bridegroom on the other side of death, beyond the light of the stars, the deep humility also present in Charity presents itself. If we cannot recognize the Good, we cannot recognize Love when we meet Him beyond the liminal, the threshold of death into eternity. Death is a part of [...]

The Cufflinks of Fr. Ian Boyd (1935–2024)

By |2024-01-16T18:48:39-06:00January 16th, 2024|Categories: Catholicism, Christianity, Death, G.K. Chesterton, Liberal Learning, Literature|

Fr. Ian Boyd was one of the most beautiful representatives of that culture that goes by the name of “conservatism.” His name will forever remain linked to that of G.K. Chesterton, and especially to "The Chesterton Review." The founder of The Chesterton Review, emblem of a conservatism we miss, passed away at 88. Fr. [...]

Imagining the Epiphany

By |2024-01-05T18:33:03-06:00January 5th, 2024|Categories: Christianity, Death, Epiphany, John Willson, Literature, Stephen Masty, Timeless Essays|

The late Steve Masty’s “The Test of the Magi” is a novel that displays a powerful religious imagination and a profound knowledge of the history and cultures of the ancient world, as well as personal experience with the geography and anthropology of the middle east. The Test of the Magi, by Johannes Bergmann (254 pages, [...]

On the Language of Death

By |2023-11-22T23:54:23-06:00November 23rd, 2023|Categories: Christianity, David Deavel, Death, Senior Contributors|

When those who believe in the Christian view of the world—or any view that involves the survival of the soul—use “departed” and “passed away,” we are using literal language. Death is the end of this bodily life, but it is not the end of our human being. November is traditionally a month for remembrance of [...]

The Colosseum

By |2023-10-23T05:29:21-05:00October 22nd, 2023|Categories: Christianity, Death|

The Colosseum represents for us the inescapable fear, suffering, and death awaiting us in our fallen world. As disciples of Christ, we are brought to the Colosseum whether we like it or not. To emerge victorious from that perilous arena we must surrender all fear, all thought of winning on our own terms, all desire [...]

Sex, Drugs, and Doctor Death

By |2023-10-01T15:05:09-05:00October 1st, 2023|Categories: Books, Catholicism, Christianity, Death, Joseph Pearce, Literature, Senior Contributors|

S.P. Caldwell's "The Beast of Bethulia Park" offers a dissident perspective to the culture of death. This powerful novel about one particular surreptitious serial killer serves as a metaphor for our world, in which Big Brother has formed an unholy alliance with Dr. Death, putting in place the systemic extermination of the weak and the [...]

The Twilight Country of October

By |2023-09-30T16:15:29-05:00September 30th, 2023|Categories: Bradley J. Birzer, Death, Ray Bradbury, Russell Kirk, Sainthood, Timeless Essays|

However we choose to look at it, October thrills and titillates each of our senses and reaches into the very depths of our suspect souls, whether we actually encounter the dead or merely imagine their various states of being. Oh, the blessings of October, my favorite month. As far back as I can remember, in [...]

Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”: Faith Triumphant

By |2023-05-25T17:03:36-05:00May 25th, 2023|Categories: Death, Faith, Fiction, Literature, Timeless Essays, Tradition|

It can be dangerous to depict evil. Accuracy might require getting too close to things best kept at bay. J.R.R. Tolkien once cautioned his friend, C.S. Lewis, concerning Mr. Lewis’ skill in depicting evil. Anyone familiar with Uncle Screwtape or Perelandra’s Un-man will know to what Mr. Tolkien alluded. There is an uncanny comprehension of [...]

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