Catholic fiction is an elusive thing. It evades all easy attempts at definition. It’s not fiction about Catholicism. It’s not fiction that promotes Catholicism. And, to make matters worse, Flannery O’Connor, perhaps the foremost American Catholic fiction writer, said that Read more…
Kings in the ancient world viewed themselves as sons of particular gods, patron deities of their realm, and, therefore, divine in their own right. Sometimes conceived through ritual acts, rulers, regardless, viewed their coronation as a moment of adoption, when Read more…
A good story is like Belgian chocolate. Everybody likes it. And, further, most everyone can agree it’s worthwhile. True, there are nay-sayers out there whose dads never read The Lord of the Rings to them, but enjoyment (and endorsement) of Read more…
I approach Catholic culture by integrating a variety of disciplines: theology, history, culture, and art. Following the proposal of Christopher Dawson for The Study of Christian Culture as the anchor of Catholic education for our time, my goal is to Read more…
There are two kinds of allegories. There are loose allegories and strict allegories. That’s a bold statement. What, exactly, is an allegory? It’s a work of art (visual, literary, or plastic) that points to something beyond itself. Take, for example, Read more…
One of the most common statements in relation to the recent papal election concerned the inappropriateness of political labels in the Church. While it may be true that they shouldn’t belong in the Church, it doesn’t follow that they do Read more…
From the beginning, the Bishop of Rome exercised influence beyond the Eternal City, becoming a rock of doctrinal orthodoxy that would help the universal Church weather many storms. Rome was never an ordinary city in the history of the Petrine Read more…
I just discovered that I have an unexpected Name Day on May 19th. Catholics celebrate their Name Day as another birthday in honor of the patron saints on feast days of the one after whom they are named. There are Read more…
On this day of Pope Francis’s funeral, first of all we pray for the repose of his soul. Everyone would acknowledge, no matter the side on which they would land, that Francis’s Pontificate was controversial and divisive, particularly in matters Read more…
During Lent, the Church calls us to prayer, almsgiving, and, perhaps most prominently, fasting. What does Lenten fasting and penance look like? Well, besides the lenient strictures of abstaining from meat on Fridays and eating a little less on Ash Read more…