The mere fact that we are not happy now is proof that we will be happy in the future, for God does not give us any desire which he himself does not intend to satisfy in his own perfect way. So let us mourn now, but do so with the joy for the gifts given [...]
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. [...]
Stan Mattson was a Christian culture warrior who has now fought his last battle. He has died but he is not dead. He lives not merely in the minds and hearts of those who knew and loved him but in the “heaven-haven of the Reward.” Stan Mattson It is a little more than [...]
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, [...]
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 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 [...]
Is it possible to summarize the meaning of life in a thousand words or so? Can the key questions that have preoccupied great philosophers for millennia be encapsulated in the idiomatic nutshell? The answer is yes. And the reason is that the key questions have been answered with authority by the Author of Life Himself. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Alban Berg's Wozzeck (first premiered in 1925) tells the story of a man who is slowly breaking due to insanity. Let us draw our attention to Act III Scene IV of the opera. In this late scene, extreme musical conventions accelerate the story and seem to lead the deranged titular character to his death. The [...]
In a world where love is replaced with lust, the number of damsels in distress will increase. In such a world, we need to rescue our maidens from the dragons of the culture of death. In The Hobbit, Thorin Oakenshield gives Bilbo Baggins a beginner’s lesson on the nature of dragons, a sort of dragons for [...]
“The Murders in the Rue Morgue” is thematically applicable to much of Poe’s work—the struggle to see the light of truth and justice that shines at the end of a dark tunnel of violence and horror. Edgar Allan Poe was missing. The year was 1849. There had been no trace of Mr. Poe for six [...]
This essay is for my friend Grace. It is the visit I can’t give her. Once she’s weakened further, I hope music can take over as a conduit for her, to all that is beautiful in life. And since we both connect with, and through, classical music, this is my parting gift to her: Ten [...]
Between the avenue of cypresses All in their scarlet capes and surplices Of linen, go the chaunting choristers, The priests in gold and black, the villagers. And all along the path to the cemetery The round dark heads of men crowd silently; And the black-scarfed faces of women-folk wistfully Watch at the banner of death, [...]