Essay
Catholicism and the American Founding
Natural Law, common law, Natural Rights, and localism—all so dear to the Founding—existed in 1776, simply put, because of the Catholic Church. […]
Articles by Bradley J. Birzer
Essay
Russell Kirk: Conservative, Convert, Catholic
Editor’s note: This essay was originally posted on July 31, 2014, and is re-posted to mark the 100th anniversary of Kirk’s birth. Ordinarily Providence works through men and women—through St. Gregory, through St. Joan. Saints […]
The Dispatch
10 Things You Should Know about Catholics and the American Founding
Editor’s note: This essay originally appeared on CWR on July 3, 2016. In my essay “10 Things You Should Know About the American Founding” I focused on some little-known facts about the American Founding in […]
Father Marvin R. O’Connell, requiescat in pace
On August 19, 2016, Father Marvin R. O’Connell passed away in South Bend, Indiana. Author of a number of critical studies—biographical as well as historical and philosophical—O’Connell taught in the history department of the University […]
Books
The Protestant who wrote the greatest book about American Catholicism
“I am amused that so many of the reviews of this book begin with the statement: ‘This book is hard to classify.’ Then why bother?”—Willa Cather, 1927 Willa Cather’s novel—or “narrative” in the style of […]
Books
The Story of Kullervo and the origins of Tolkien’s legendarium
Looking back on his time in World War I—something he hated to discuss—J.R.R. Tolkien revealed that he had written some of the first parts of his massive legendarium under less-than-ideal circumstances. He had conceived The […]
History
“Order”: The Brief and Extraordinary Life of a Catholic Movement
Almost no one remembers the short-lived journal, Order, as it appeared over eighty years ago and only lasted four issues. But the journal, which appeared the late 1920s, set off a chain of events that […]
History
10 Things You Should Know About the American Founding
In 1776, numerous individuals, families, committees, congregations, localities, and states had already proclaimed their independence, and almost no remaining imperial structure could continue to operate with any legitimacy in what would very soon become 13 […]
History
10 Things You Should Know About the American Founding
In 1776, numerous individuals, families, committees, congregations, localities, and states had already proclaimed their independence, and almost no remaining imperial structure could continue to operate with any legitimacy in what would very soon become 13 […]
Film & Music
The Music of Glass Hammer: An Appreciation
A scratchy LP, probably on a phonograph player from the 1930s or so, begins playing and a man clears his throat. Horns and woodwinds slowly swell and unveil, coming into tune in the background, finding […]