June 8 marks the anniversary of George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. That a greater gap separates us from 1984 than 1984 from Nineteen-Eighty Four’s 1949 publication staggers.
The book, at least in terms of pundits’ invoking it, seems so very 2022 even if the script dictated that its peak as a cultural touchstone would occur in 1984. Continue Reading...
Latest Posts
June 02, 2022
‘A Catholic Pilgrimage Through American History’ worth taking
Kevin Schmiesing’s A Catholic Pilgrimage Through American History: People and Places that Shaped the Church in the United States is a surprisingly enjoyable book. Surprising, not because I expected his writing to be bad, because I had no idea who he was when I started reading. Continue Reading...
June 01, 2022
Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness reminds us who really is in control: Disney
I want to put before you three facts of importance for storytelling today, and for our self-understanding, which is what we want out of it. First, fantasy stories now dominate entertainment in Hollywood and beyond. Continue Reading...
May 30, 2022
‘What Shall Men Remember?’: Relearning the forgotten history of Memorial Day
Memorial Day has historically been a day set aside to commemorate the millions of Americans fallen in war. Although the day now involves celebrating America’s war dead regardless of color or creed, what many may not know is that Memorial Day’s origins are actually deeply linked to America’s struggle with racism. Continue Reading...
May 27, 2022
What G.K. Chesterton can teach us about rational discourse
This Sunday, May 29, marks 148 years since the birth of English author G.K. Chesterton. Although he was baptized into the Church of England, Chesterton’s family was not particularly devout and his faith didn’t develop until later in life. Continue Reading...
May 26, 2022
Finland is the bellwether for religious liberty in Europe
At the end of March 2022, Finnish member of Parliament Päivi Räsänen and Bishop Juhana Pohjola of the Evangelical Lutheran Mission Diocese of Finland were acquitted on charges of hate crimes—the apparent end to a trial that had drawn widespread international attention and expressions of concern over the erosion of religious freedom in Finland. Continue Reading...
May 25, 2022
The Awakening of Jennifer Van Arsdale: A novel take on conservative ideas
The year 2016 brought the progressive extreme of American politics into national discussion. Bernie Sanders and Democratic socialism became familiar phrases; Elizabeth Warren promised free daycare and free college; Andrew Yang’s one-issue focus made universal basic income seem plausible. Continue Reading...
May 24, 2022
Five charged in U.S. with spying on those critical of China
Five people, including a U.S. resident, have been charged with conspiracy and other charges related to espionage and a transnational repression scheme in a federal court in Brooklyn.
The indictment charges Shujun Wang, a U.S. Continue Reading...
May 24, 2022
With the arrest of a Catholic bishop, is Hong Kong now a police state?
In less than two years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has asserted almost complete control in Hong Kong. Other than possessing a generally open internet, the “special administrative region” is now like any other Chinese city. Continue Reading...
May 20, 2022
Price-gouging laws won’t help gas prices or consumers
Yesterday, Democrats successfully but narrowly passed an anti–price gouging bill in the House to address raging prices at the pump and to deliver on promises for successful climate-change legislation. Meanwhile, the Senate Natural Resources and Energy chair, Joe Manchin, continues to work toward a bipartisan climate and energy package. Continue Reading...