Like medieval monks who preserved civilization after the fall of Rome, traditionalists can live active lives and work to keep the flame of Western culture alive. To do so, we must build loving families, construct independent schools, and erect parallel institutions to challenge those that have betrayed their purpose. Some time ago, while living in [...]
The animating principle of medieval culture, insofar as it is distinct from Antiquity or Modernity, is the conviction that the ultimate and highest reality is found in the unseen realm—which means that the most fundamental and fruitful way to embrace the medieval spirit is to practice the Faith more like an ordinary Christian of the [...]
The problem with Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey is, ironically, that it is too Christian. Despite the hubbub from some online conservatives screaming about how “woke” it is (usually before seeing it), the real deficiency of the movie is that it whitewashes the barbarity of the ancient world. It makes Odysseus seem like a Christian, at least [...]
In his personal letters, Eric Voegelin not only mocked Russell Kirk and conservatism, but he also freely admitted that he cynically accepted funding from conservative sources, even though he had no sympathy with conservatism. And yet he was a genius, one of the single finest thinkers of the 20th century, and perhaps the single finest [...]
In "Dostoyevsky Reads Hegel in Siberia and Bursts Into Tears," Hungarian philosopher of art László Földényi shows how the Enlightenment brought about a radical shift in the understanding of the human body, and the consequences that arose from the attempt to divorce the physical body from its metaphysical context. Dostoyevskey Reads Hegel in Siberia and [...]
In his new book, Michael Lucchese shows us that Russell Kirk believed that America—in world history and in God’s providence—served as a Platonic anamnesis, a thing that forces us to remember what is eternal, good, true, and beautiful, through right reason in the very womb of time itself. Russell Kirk on America: How to Understand [...]
If Western Civilization is to recover, it must enter into itself, i.e., respect the true nature of man. It must also have a recognition of a “sense of need”; for unless it feels its own inadequacy, its own insufficiency, its own hunger, how can it aspire or even yearn for the Bread of the Father’s [...]
J.R.R. Tolkien wrote that he "ever loved that noble northern spirit," rooted in the myths and culture of Scandinavia, Germany and England, "and tried to present in its true light.” Indeed, he raised the noble north to the level of Athens and Rome, creating, in "The Lord of the Rings," an epic that stands alongside [...]
The last three centuries have proven that imposing an ideological vision upon any civilization is cataclysmic. So we must conclude—annoyingly—that no formula can resurrect a Christian culture, but only a Christian response to the concrete needs of real people. Part One: The Rule of Necessity and the Rule of Love Most diagnoses of our current [...]
Ideology is not only lazy, it is, at heart, criminal. There never was an ideology that allowed for the fullness of man. Always, ideology denigrates the truth and the dignity of the human person. One of the most dangerous things to come out of the French Revolution was the notion and norm of an ideology. [...]
If we are to be truly inclusive and truly representative, we need to hone in on what it is to be truly human. What is it that unites all people across all races, all generations, and all classes at all times? The Great Books of Western Civilization are not merely artifacts to be respected and [...]
Please never forget, we Catholics have a great legacy. We’ve been promoting liberal education since the days of St. Paul. Some of our greatest saints were liberally educated, and promoting all that is good and true and beautiful has been one of our greatest causes. The author recently delivered the address below to the Roman [...]
In a world of spoiled children, indigent adults, victim complainers, and entitled brats of all ages, the one who accepts responsibility for himself will have the tools for high self-esteem, achievement, and success in every area of life. I was five years old when I “got saved”. We had been to the Sunday evening service [...]
The West's primary threat still lies in the East. And yet, like the late Romans and Byzantines—and the Roman captives whom Saint Patrick encountered—we are poised to surrender people, churches, monuments, and lands rather than stand our ground. Last Spring, I read a biographical novel about Saint Patrick. We do not have much firsthand information [...]