Owen Barfield, “the first and last Inkling,” greatly influenced the writings of J. R. R Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. He also greatly influenced the anti-abortion movement, writing tirelessly in defense of the unborn, Jonathon Van Maren writes: “His anti-abortion advocacy can be seen as an extension of the Inklings’ collective worldview into the post-Christian era that Lewis so presciently predicted.”

For further reading: For a refresher on the Inklings—the informal literary society that included Barfield, Lewis, Tolkien, and Charles Williams—read Bianca Czaderna’s brief review “Who Were the Inklings?” (2015). For more on little-discussed member Williams, read “Haven’t an Inkling” (March 2016) by A. N. Wilson.

Orthodox Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, died suddenly last month. Rabbi Gil Student, who worked closely with him, writes that Hauer exemplified rare grace for those who disagreed with him: “America is drowning in a culture of outrage. It is hard to even remember when public debate was about persuasion rather than performance. Rabbi Hauer modeled another way. His presence and demeanor were his arguments: that strength and compassion can coexist, that moral clarity and openheartedness can reinforce each other.”

For further reading: Hauer wrote in these pages about the importance of Jewish education in “Protecting Orthodox Jewish Schools” (2022): “Some Jewish schools, as well as the people who teach and learn in them, don’t conform to the images of education in the minds of most twenty-first-century Americans. But our society should support these minority communities in their pursuit of their way of life.”

Upcoming Events

• November 11, 2025: The Future of Higher Education, a discussion with Mark Bauerlein and Mark Regnerus | Irving, TX. Register here.
• January 9, 2026: Second Annual Neuhaus Lecture at the New College of Florida | Sarasota, FL. Details coming soon.

Until next time.
 

VIRGINIA AABRAM

Newsletter Editor