By viewing Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” as a type of saintly hagiography, and Quixote’s actions and motives as following the example of St. Ignatius of Loyola, Don Quixote turns into San Quixote, a knight who fights not on the plains of Spain but on a spiritual plane, by means of his illuminating imagination. Gallivanting through the [...]
On Monday, almost without warning, the Christian world fell from the Christmas season into that plain-sounding condition called "Ordinary Time." Technically, this designation simply means the days and weeks of the liturgical year that do not fall in Advent, Christmas, Lent, or Easter. Most of us struggle, suddenly finding ourselves in this kind of time, [...]
Anthony Esolen counters the antichrist by giving us a profound and moving meditation on the true Christ. If you were swamped with all the frippery and foolishness of a commercialized Christmas, take up Professor Esolen’s book and plunge into the depths of the mystery of the incarnation of Christ the Lord. It was apt that [...]
In a world that tells us that truth is relative and subjective and self-expression is king, aesthetics teaches us to draw meaningful distinctions, to make value judgments, to admire form and reject formlessness. Aesthetics helps us understand what is unique, beautiful, and pleasing in the things that surround us. Aesthetics is generally understood to be [...]
The real problem with the technocratic Charles Murray is his zeal for the pernicious “American creed” of radical individualism. Facing Reality: Two Truths About Race In America, by Charles Murray (168 pages, Encounter Books, 2021) Viewed from the right, Charles Murray is an almost tragic figure. A libertarian-leaning proponent of America as the first “proposition [...]
If you want to understand 98% of the unhappiness in the world — whether it is on the stage of international politics or the stage of your kitchen or bedroom, or wherever your arguments happen—consider the roots of resentment. By resentment I mean something quite dark within the human heart. This heart of darkness is [...]
"Spider-Man: No Way Home" avoids the most obvious of our contemporary lies about reality, but it too paints a flawed understanding of evil, both in how to prudently fight against it and how it attaches itself to us humans. Don’t set your public policy or moral clock by the newest superhero movie. It’s got some [...]
Eliot scholars have ignored the Dawson connection. The central claim Dawson and Eliot made, based on their wide-ranging knowledge of anthropology and history, was that every culture has a cult, some religious system that serves as an ultimate source of value and meaning. “Eliot’s reputation as a critic of society has been worse than his [...]
The peace of God to be found in Paradise passes all our human understanding in this vale and veil of tears and in this cloud of unknowing that we call mortal life, but it doesn’t pass the perfected beatified human understanding of those who gain the beatific vision. Over the Christmas period I had time [...]
With such a rich intellectual, artistic, and moral heritage, why among the many institutions of Catholic learning (including, of course, the Benedictine ones) are there so few dedicated to a liberating and humane education in truth, humility, and love? Glory in All Things: St. Benedict and Catholic Education Today, by André Gushurst-Moore (Angelico Press, [...]
What’s implicit in Henry James’ works is his familiarity with matters Catholic. What’s implicit is also subtle, so that Protestant and Catholic readers alike might enjoy reading about such matters. What I understand by manners . . . is culture’s hum and buzz of implication . . . . They are hinted at by small [...]
Debate and battles over the health and vitality of our democracy are somewhat normal occurrences in our highly partisan political arena. But those debates and battles should not spill over into the constitutional realm, which serves as the steadying foundation for the U.S. political system. Over the past several years, a steady drumbeat of warnings [...]
As we enter 2022, we must face a “not-normal” world that shows no signs of returning to order. Having the right “improvise-and-dare” attitude will enable us to survive. The beginning of the New Year should be a time of reflection and resolution. It is a turning point to consider where we have erred during the [...]
The War of 1812 remains one of America’s least understood wars. Beginning with its rather banal title, most histories dismiss it as simply the growing pains of the early republic. Yet, this is unfair not only to the men and women who waged the war, but it’s also dangerous if one wants to understand the [...]