The Stories of the Story-Tellers
One of the most infuriating things about the current history wars is the proclamation that history is “about facts.” Anyone trained in history, especially historiography, knows that…
Why Read Plato, Nietzsche, and Strauss?
Plato, Friedrich Nietzsche, and Leo Strauss need no introduction to students of philosophy, especially students of political philosophy. Although these three figures are well-known and well-read, have…
The Bible and Jane Eyre: A Match Made in Heaven
I have always loved books, and my love of literature has grown over time. Occasionally I joke with English students that my love of literature was preserved…
The Other Dante
Dante is generally known as the poet of Christendom for his monumental epic The Divine Comedy. If people are aware of additional writings from Dante, it is…
Shakespeare’s Allegory of the Fall of Man: Notes on Macbeth and Christian Artistry
Macbeth is a short play compared to the rest of Shakespeare’s masterful canon. That doesn’t take away from this masterpiece of tragedy—though it has caused some to…
Plato: The Poet-Philosopher
Today, “more scholars argue…that Plato’s philosophy is interwoven with myth.” Even though popular misperception casts Plato as an enemy of the poets, the reason for Plato’s criticism…
Eliot’s Muse
“Each of the women in Eliot’s life brought out a facet of the enigma he presented.” Four women were in the public spotlight during Eliot’s life: Vivienne…
Dance of the Sky
As I look up at the stars That sing to me from afar, I dwell in that spirit divine Giving life to this soul of mine. My…
Luke as Historian
The world of biblical analysis seems to have two poles in the public imagination. One popular, generally atheistic, and horribly ignorant: the gospels were written—this analysis goes—long…
Was the Apostle Paul Really the First Reformer?
Any student of New Testament studies will be familiar with the names F.C. Baur and J.B. Lightfoot. Baur was a nineteenth German-Hegelian theologian and biblical critic who…
Inspiration and Tragedy in Jena
On the eve of the “end of history,” Napoleon and his Grande Armée rolled into the small but rowdy university town of Jena. A professor of philosophy,…
Nino Scalia, The Making of an Originalist
Few names are more significant in conservative legal philosophy than Antonin Scalia, or Nino as he was known to his friends. The first Italian-American Supreme Court justice,…
Rescuing Origen of Alexandria
“To say that Origen of Alexandria has been a critical figure in the history of the Christian tradition would be an understatement.” Who was Origen of Alexandria?…
Through the Eyes of Jared Kushner
“So you want us to accomplish something you couldn’t by doing it the same way you did it?” – Jared Kushner “I never planned to write…
The Wisdom of Hobbes or the Theatrics of Joe Biden?
“President Biden stands before a divided Congress and a polarized nation,” the pundits declared minutes leading up to the president’s entry into Congress. It seems like any…