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…
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…
Libidinal Heights: Love, Lust, and Redemption in Emily Brontë’s “Wuthering Heights”
Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights is considered a passionate love story, a “tale of love that is stronger than death,” centering around the generational story of Catherine Earnshaw,…
From Florence and Back Again: Alessandro Barbero’s “Dante: A Life”
Alessandro Barbero. Dante: A Life. Translated by Allan Cameron. New York: Pegasus Books, 2022. Dante Alighieri is the most famous Italian of all time. He is…
A Catholic Wrestles with Modernity: Thomas Behr’s “Social Justice & Subsidiary”
Social Justice & Subsidiarity: Luigi Taparelli and the Origins of Modern Catholic Social Thought. Thomas Behr. Washington DC: Catholic University of America Press, 2019. “In the…
Why “The Oresteia” Still Matters
It is said that the Oresteia is the ancient world’s Divine Comedy, with some justification. Originally a four-part play, only three pieces of the movement survive: Agamemnon,…