Dwight Longenecker's Blog, page 23

Go to Hell!

OK. I admit it. The headline was an attention grabber. But during Lent a good read is Dante’s Inferno. My favorite translation used to be Dorothy Sayers, but I’ve been converted. I am really enjoying Tony Esolen’s translation. You can find it here. I’m sorry I first bought Esolen’s books in paperback. They are already coming apart. [Read More...]

Dante’s Inferno and Moral Judgements

People seem so confused about morality. Especially sexual morality. I’m reading Dante’s Divine Comedy as Lenten reading and when he encounters Francesca and Paolo in the second circle of hell where the lustful are swept around by endless whirlwinds–because they were swept away by the whirlwind of lust. Tony Esolen notes that it would have been easy [Read More...]

What Does it Mean the Church is “Apostolic”?

One of the lines I love most about the first Eucharistic Prayer is the prayer for the Catholic Church and all bishops who ‘preach the Catholic faith that comes to us from the Apostles.’ In the creed we profess “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic” Church, and in my discussions with non-Catholic Christians from Reformation communities, [Read More...]

Top Jesuit Being Jesuitical

The term “Jesuitical” was rooted in the Jesuits’ reputation during times of persecution for prevarication. They became experts in saying one thing and meaning another. It seems their reputation for intentional ambiguity, “nuanced” language and communication that resembles a smoke and mirrors conjuring act is stronger than ever. I’m not a fan of LifeSite News, [Read More...]

Conservative Anglicans are like ISIS??

A reader has alerted me to a statement by a British MP in which he equates conservative Anglicans to the Muslim terror group ISIS. In this article Tory politician Michael Fabricant thinks the Anglican church should get with the times. The longer the Anglican Communion shies away from modern liberal values, the greater the chance that [Read More...]

Romancing the Religion

OK. Here’s another book suggestion for Lent. My book The Romance of Religion picks up on the idea that religion is a great adventure. It is not pious or puritanical or pusillanimous or pussyfooting around. It is the stuff of all the great romances, the great adventure stories. It is full of great risks and great [Read More...]

Critiquing the Trump Cult

During the election cycle I was pretty outspoken in my dislike of both Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Since Trump’s election I’ve commented in (I hope) a balanced way here and here. One of the most disturbing things about Trump’s presidency is not Trump himself, but the seeming inability we have to treat the situation [Read More...]

Fifty Days With the Devil

Gargoyle Code tracks the emails between a senior tempter and his juniors, but the idea is updated and applied to Catholics. The letters also go from Shrove Tuesday to Easter Day so it makes a great Lent Book. Slubgrip Instructs is the sequel. The demon Slubgrip has been demoted to teach Popular Culture 101 in Bowelbages University. [Read More...]

Chasing the Creed

St Benedict says you should read a good book for Lent, and I agree. Therefore in these days  which run up to Lent I’ll be reminding you of some of my books which are available The Quest for the Creed is twenty short chapters on the Apostle’s Creed. It is written in an upside down Chestertonian [Read More...]

Ten Positive Pro Life Actions the Government Could Take

Pro life warriors are right to continue to campaign for the repeal of the disastrous Roe v Wade decision. I don’t think the government should try to solve all our problems, and the local community is the first place to get things sorted out, but there are some actions the government–at both the state and [Read More...]