Photo credit: Jorge Barrios.
The picture above is intended to induce holiday cheer, and possibly petit-mal seizures. Also because I haven’t gotten my own tree up yet.
Under the tree, a few links, just for you.
At First Things, Joe Carter points us to an interesting article from First Principles, on the true worth of the Puritans and Puritanism.
At City Journal, Andrew Klavan has a short story. Not Christmasy.
Mike Gray at The American Culture links to a Telegraph report on a debate on religion, between Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens.
And Standpoint has an excellent (what else?) review of a new book about Chesterton, with an appreciation, by the inestimable Paul Johnson. I forget who pointed me to it.
He continued: “Religion forces nice people to do unkind things, and also makes intelligent people say stupid things.”
So said Christopher H.
Maybe “religion” does, but not God, say I. Don’t get me started!
Thanks for giving me something “else” to read. My tree isn’t up, either – because I don’t have one!
Blessings,
Marilyn
I’ve seen the Klavan short story on their list, but the link wasn’t live until now. Thanks for pointing it out.
Thanks for the links. Klavan’s article was great, and it’s always nice to see someone else talking about Chesterton.
Even if the article (alas) had more fact-errors than even Chesterton would allow. (I own the two-volume set of St. Francis and Thomas Aquinas, which he says doesn’t exist, and a handfull of tomelike volumes from his (shockingly inexpensive) complete collected works–a mammoth undertaking done in academic style by Ignatius press, which while not offering full facsimiles (an immensely expensive prospect) does contain many of his wonderful illustrations.)
So Chesterton is more accessible than many give him credit for; he just doesn’t get read. Or at least, not often enough.
He also says the Father Brown stories have never been done on TV. But the BBC did a series with Kenneth More back in the ’80s.
There was the Tom Bosley, American version of Father Brown that came out in…what?… the 80s or 90s?? I always thought it was rather poor fare….
but, then, I can be a bit negative, given the chance…………
That’s a mistake, though an understandable one. Bosley played Father Dowling, “based” on a very fine series of mysteries about a priest in rural Illinois, by Ralph MacInerny. However, the TV priest and the priest of the novels were so very different that the TV version was actually a little more reminiscent of Father Brown. But not all that much.
Speaking of links, Lars, here’s an idea for you, from Instapundit:
http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/111034/