by Bradley J. Birzer
By using Google’s Ngram Viewer, we find that Russell Kirk’s reputation hit its highpoint in 1964, and then began a painful decline that remained unabated until his death in 1994. What does Ngram tell us about other conservative authors, like Robert Nisbet, Leo Strauss, Eric Voegelin, and Christopher Dawson? Google Ngram is a blast, but it’s more indicative of what might be than what is. It forces us to ask certain questions that might not be asked in its absence, but it rarely yields promising and definitive answers... [MORE]
John-Mark L. Miravalle
Suppose there is such a thing as objective beauty. Suppose, along with the classical and Christian traditions, that the human person is made for beauty. Now suppose further, that beauty is a kind of composite, that the beautiful is made up of two parts, one metaphysical and the other psychological. If such were the case, […]
Fr. Tim McCauley
Gnostic philosophy, like a noxious weed, thrives in the barren soil of our post-Christian culture. It also emits a foul odor akin to the smoke of Satan, filtering through the doors of the Church and influencing our anthropology, as well as severely compromising the integrity of our worship of Christ in the Eucharist. Catholicism is […]
by Bradley J. Birzer
In two of his last dialogues--On the Republic and On the Laws--Cicero offered some of his most Stoically-influenced thoughts on the nature of man, the community, and the divine. The best society, Cicero argues, cultivates us as free individuals, not for our benefit, but for the benefit of the community. Such is virtue. Virtue, according to Cicero, exists in every being, but few realize it or cultivate it. Yet, it is what makes men, men. It allows them to be free... [MORE]
By Bradley J. Birzer on Jun 09, 2019 10:00 pm
Within a few months of its release in early May 1953, Russell Kirk’s dissertation-turned-massive-best-selling book, “The Conservative Mind,” became an international media sensation. But few know of his later work, “An Intelligent Citizen’s Guide to Conservatism.” It is a deeply profound book, exploring the very depths and widths of the human person. Editor’s Note: This ...
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