The Ongoing Debate Over Dignitatis Humanae
The ambiguity of Dignitatis Humanae could lead to an end of the debate surrounding it.
The Papal Push to Keep Latin Alive
Modern popes have been urging Catholics to embrace the Latin language. Will we follow their call?
When Anti-Fascism Is As Dangerous As Fascism
The term “anti-fascist” is of Soviet origin, and serves to mask the assumption that socialism is the only alternative to fascism.
Paleoconservatives and American Identity
Even those who reject Patrick Buchanan’s “paleoconservative” politics would do well to familiarize themselves with the paleoconservative perspective, as it will help them understand some of the forces at work in 2016 and since.
Are Women in the Workplace a Good Thing?
Any critique of gender equality triggers not just “woke” activists but many conservatives, too. But should Catholics view the role of women in society differently?
The Ignored Views of Cardinal Sarah on Russia and the West
Cardinal Sarah believes that the West’s greatest enemy has never been al-Qaida, ISIS, or China, much less Russia, but rather the West itself—and none of those professing to admire him have seen fit to notice.
Remembering the Forgotten Lessons of Iraq
As we appear to be running up to a new war, perhaps it would be useful to look at the run-up to the last one and the lies behind it.
Lord Acton, Confederate Sympathizer
“Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely.” Among Catholic students of political thought, few figures are more liable to provoke vigorous debate than does this famous dictum’s author, Cambridge University history lecturer John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton, a.k.a., the 1st Lord Acton, Catholic godfather of classical liberalism. Where Acton’s critics identify classical liberalism as a … Read more
Peterson and Solzhenitsyn Speak Truth to Power
It is not hard to see why Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, whose 100th birthday will be celebrated on December 11, would be such a compelling figure for Jordan Peterson, the Jungian psychologist who has become an international cause célèbre for defying Orwellian speech codes added to Canada’s Human Rights Act. In addition to advocating an ethic of individual … Read more
The Divide That Runs Through America Is Religious
Although somewhat overshadowed by the allegory of the Cave, the myth of the ring of Gyges, and other powerful images found in Plato’s Republic, the account of the ship of fools is still memorable and compelling. While Socrates—the Athenian philosopher and mentor of Plato—is discussing with his young friends the nature of justice and the ideal … Read more
Ryszard Legutko’s Critique of Western Liberalism
For quite some time now, American intellectuals have taken a particular interest in Poland. During the Cold War, the Polish people’s resistance to communism was held up as an example of fidelity, and Pope John Paul II’s leadership of the Church was taken to be a quintessential example of the Polish spirit. The honeymoon is … Read more
What Diocese Will Quote St. Thomas on Citizenship and Immigration?
Even as Christian thinkers respond to divorce, gay “marriage,” and mass feticide, we should also give extra thought to the patriotic question, which is more closely related to the pro-life movement and the defense of marriage than we might at first suppose. As C.S. Lewis has pointed out, the different facets of natural law stand … Read more
Not a Tame Lion: The “Deplorable” C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis was not Catholic, much less a theologian who teaches with an authority Catholics are obliged to recognize. As an eloquent proponent of natural law and the close colleague of important Catholic writers like J.R.R. Tolkien and Elizabeth Anscombe, however, the Anglican Lewis is surely someone whose significance we must acknowledge. Unfortunately, among some … Read more
Patrick Deneen Explains Why Liberalism Failed
Extreme freedom can’t be expected to lead to anything but a change to extreme slavery, whether for a private individual or for a city. ∼ Plato’s Republic, Book VIII line 566 The capacity for self-criticism used to be a signature characteristic of the liberal mind, but clearly liberal introspection isn’t what it used to be. In looking … Read more
Christopher Lasch: One of Bannon’s Favorite Authors
As Christopher Lasch was an unrepentant man of the left, it is to say the least doubtful that he would much relish being associated with Steve Bannon, the pugnacious and controversial former advisor to President Trump. Yet for good or ill the association is there, because some time ago the CEO of Breitbart identified Lasch’s … Read more
Read Ivan Ilyin to Understand Modern Russia
During the actual Cold War with international socialism, the academic establishment and leftist celebrities alike mocked the ordinary man’s fear of Communism, and urged us all to try to find common ground with the USSR. Now matters are quite different. Disingenuously or no, post-Communist Russia purports to be a champion of Christianity and traditional values, … Read more
The Pagan Foundation of the American Alt-Right
Well before Hillary Clinton put a national spotlight on the Alt-Right with her “deplorables” speech, I was addressing the then-obscure movement and what it signifies for modern society. In August 2010 Chronicles carried “Where The Demons Dwell: The Antichrist Right,” an article wherein I considered the Alt-Right’s Nietzschean side. A later issue of the same … Read more