The War of The Rings: Richard Wagner and J.R.R. Tolkien
Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung is a masterpiece of modern art and is perhaps the greatest triumph of the artistic spirit since 1800. J.R.R. Tolkien’s…
The Wagnerian Imagination: A Review of Paul Heise’s “The Wound That Will Never Heal”
Paul Heise. The Wound That Will Never Heal: An Allegorical Interpretation of Richard Wagner’s The Ring of the Nibelung. Washington DC: Academica Press, 2021. Richard Wagner…
Sanctifying Romanticism: A Review of Andrew Klavan’s “The Truth and Beauty”
Andrew Klavan. The Truth and Beauty: How the Lives and Works of England’s Greatest Poets Point the Way to a Deeper Understanding of the Words of Jesus…
The Passion of Star Wars
Is Star Wars more than an entertaining space opera meant to relax us after the daily grind of post-industrialized life? To answer that question, we must consider the possibility…
Shakespeare on Tyranny: Reading the Roman Plays
William Shakespeare, that great bard of Stratford-upon-Avon, was not a political theorist. But he had much to say about politics. Or, at least, his plays are often…
Shakespeare, Bard of Christianity: A Review of Lee Oser’s “Christian Humanism in Shakespeare”
Lee Oser. Christian Humanism in Shakespeare: A Study in Religion and Literature. Washington DC: Catholic University Press, 2022. “Shakespeare may or may not have been a Christian…
Passion and Exodus: The Real Story Behind Easter
Throughout the Christian world, except in Germanic-language countries, Easter is known as Passover. The Passover, of course, is a Jewish holy festival—it marks the deliverance of the…
Our Debt to the Greeks: Roderick Beaton’s “The Greeks: A Global History”
Roderick Beaton. The Greeks: A Global History. New York: Basic Books, 2021. The Greeks started it all. Or at least part of it all. Greece occupies…
Saving Orthodoxy from Leo Strauss and Baruch Spinoza: A Review of “Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai”
Strauss, Spinoza & Sinai. Edited by Jeffrey Bloom, Alec Goldstein, and Gil Student. New York: Kodesh Press, 2022. Let’s begin with a story. As an undergraduate…
Reconstructing the Apostle Paul: Yoseop Ra’s “Paul, The Founder of Christianity”
Yoseop Ra. Paul, The Founder of Christianity. Eugene: OR, Resource Publications, 2021. I have said in another review on a recent book on the Apostle Paul…
Will the Real Apostle Paul Please Stand Up? David Christian Clausen’s “Meet Paul Again for the First Time”
David Christian Clausen. Meet Paul Again for the First Time: Jewish Apostle of Pagan Redemption. Eugene: OR, 2021. The Apostle Paul’s shadow looms large over Christianity…
Rediscovering the Humanities on Open With Erich Prince
VoegelinView editor Paul Krause joined Erich Prince, the editor of Merion West, on his podcast Open With Erich Prince to discuss VoegelinView, Eric Voegelin, the artistic and…
The Beauty of the Devil in Art? Noah Charney’s “The Devil in the Gallery”
Noah Charney. The Devil in the Gallery: How Scandal, Shock, and Rivalry Shaped the Art World. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2021. “Rivalry, scandal, and shock…
A Short Introduction to Roger Scruton: Roger Scruton’s “Confessions of a Heretic”
Roger Scruton. Confessions of a Heretic. Kendal, UK: Notting Hill, 2021. “Heretic might seem like a strong word to describe Roger Scruton,” writes Douglas Murray in…
Saving Russia’s Treasures from Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine shouldn’t cause us to lose sight of another battle: the gifts of Russia are not exclusive to that country and a dark…