Flattening the Flat Error

Sometimes conventional “knowledge” is fraught with error. A powerful example of this is the false notion that medieval man believed in a flat earth. Defenders of this “flat error” suggest that Columbus’ great voyage to the New World did more than open the Americas to Europe. They claim it also proved the … Read more

Heavenly City: The Architectural Tradition of Catholic Chicago

Heavenly City: The Architectural Tradition of Catholic Chicago

Few Catholics realize just how rich is the history of the Catholic Church in the United States. Nevertheless, great churches still stand in every major city and serve as a testament. Perhaps nowhere in America can one find these stone testimonials more numerous or beautiful than the Windy City. These churches are … Read more

Neither Political, Nor Incorrect

Neither Political, Nor Incorrect

Deus Vult! (God Wills It!) This is the dedication of Robert Spencer’s new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam (and the Crusades). It will probably cause shock and disbelief for the politically correct media establishment. After years of disparaging the Crusades, it is the last thing they expect to find in … Read more

I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But They Do Exist

I Don’t Believe in Ghosts, But They Do Exist

An old Spanish adage states: “I don’t believe in ghosts, but they do exist.” Paraphrasing this adage, an astute analyst could state: “I don’t believe in conspiracies, but they do exist.” Though refusing to see black helicopters looming around every corner, an intelligent observer will conclude that powerful forces operate behind the … Read more

Tradition in Stone

Tradition in Stone

Michael Rose’s recent book: In Tiers of Glory: The Organic Development of Church Architecture Through the Ages, offers exactly what it promises, “an easily understandable overview of the history of Church architecture.” Admittedly, Mr. Rose’s approach is not a scholarly one intended for the historian, but a well-articulated tracing of the development … Read more

Men of Faith, Men of Abnegation

Men of Faith, Men of Abnegation

The word Crusader still evokes the idea of a perfect warrior. It calls to mind a human type, full of courage with neither reproach nor fear. It beckons one to an age in which Faith and honor held precedence over pleasure and comfort. These ideas were resplendent at the Siege of Malta … Read more

Churchill and Truman: Telling the Aftermath

Churchill and Truman: Telling the Aftermath 1

As World War II slowly fades into history, old veterans are now giving their tales a final telling. Memoirs, books and final recollections fill the bookstores looking back on that great event that so marked and divided the world. In the midst of such a plethora of material on World War II, … Read more

Saint Augustine for the Fragmented

Saint Augustine for the Fragmented

If you suffer from the postmodern fragmentation of the mind, here is a solution for you. It is for all those who feel a bit like a mental Humpty Dumpty, scattered in a thousand directions at the same time. These days, attention spans are only ten times longer than the average television … Read more

Living to Work, or Working to Live?

Leisure, the Basis of Culture, by the German philosopher Josef Pieper - bookcover

In his book Leisure, the Basis of Culture, the German philosopher Josef Pieper claims that the greatest victory of Marxist socialism in the twentieth century was to convince man that he is primarily a worker. Indeed, one ramification of this problem was the death of leisure and the development of so many … Read more