The Imaginative Conservative . Essays of the week - Is Western Civilization Dead?

 

Essays of the Week

Patiently Rebuilding the West by Winston Elliott “St. Benedict found the world, physical and social, in ruins, and his mission was to restore it in the way not of science, but of nature, not as if setting about to do it, not professing to do it by any set time, or by any rare specific, or by any series of strokes, but so quietly, patiently, gradually, that often till the work was done, it was not known to be doing.”  [MORE] Seeing Wonders by Glenn Arbery The eye is not merely passive. “Watch this,” somebody says, and the eye focuses. But on a deeper level, what can reveal the inner governance of our attention, which determines what we truly see?  [MORE] Is Western Civilization Dead? by Patrick M. Garry To assess accurately the state of Western Civilization, one needs to understand how the Western tradition, standing at the peak of its influence and popularity at the turn of the twentieth century, ended up in such a state of siege a century later... [MORE] Christmas With Capra: Classic Films for Our Troubled Times by Louis Markos If you want your children to know how one can discern his God-given purpose and calling in a self-centered world, be a patriotic American in a corrupt world, and be a man or a woman in a genderless world, then you need look no further than these three Frank Capra masterpieces... [MORE] Irrational Forces: Christopher Dawson on the Modern Age by Bradley Birzer Evil, according to Christopher Dawson, is a progressive force, and it has grown mightily over the centuries since the Reformation first tore apart the West. The Reformation led to secularization, and secularization led to the creation of a machine-like society, dehumanizing all citizens of the world. The modern world is the world of the anti-Christ, with humanity existing on the edge of the abyss... [MORE] The Rise of Totalitarian Democracy in America by Jerry Salyer With the publication of “Homo Americanus,” author Zbigniew Janowski has tentatively entered the dissidents’ camp, and does so by following in the footsteps of Southern agrarian professor Mel Bradford, who warned us several decades ago about “the heresy of Equality"... [MORE] A Hans and Franz Christmas Book List by David Deavel You remember Hans and Franz, the two bodybuilders depicted as cousins of Ahhhnold Schwarzenegger from Saturday Night Live and played by Dana Carvey and Kevin Nealon? One of their two most famous catchphrases was, “Hear me now, believe me later!” That’s my line for this list of book gift ideas... [MORE] From the Ghetto With Love by Joseph Pearce It is understandable that those forced into the ghetto or shepherded onto the reservation should feel anger. It is reasonable to expect that those who are forcibly marginalized will be resentful of those who have used force against them. But this is the way of the world. It is not the way of Christ, nor is it the way of the Christian... [MORE] The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politics—we approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.