The best of intellectual conservative thought, every Thursday
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CATEGORY: GREAT THINKERS (10 min)

The Theology of Tolkien and Chesterton 


What does fiction-making have to do with God’s creation? For G.K. Chesterton and J.R.R. Tolkien—a lot.
 

Carlos Perona Calvete sits down with Alison Milbank in the European Conservative to find out how art, imagination, and theology were inseparable for two of the greatest authors of the 20th century.  
 
Good art, she says, “should take you away from your normal understanding of how things work, of how words work . . . You’re suddenly seeing it differently.”
 
Tolkien and Chesterton used myth-making to discover the mystery of God’s creation—and their work is still bringing that mystery to life in reader's imaginations.
 
If you’re a fan of either of these great writers (and, honestly, how could you not be?), you won’t want to miss this deep dive into their economic ideas . . . moral imaginations . . . and use of fantasy.
 

Dig in right here
 

Read Now »

Freedom in American Political Thought: An Online Summer Course—Applications Deadline This Sunday, May 15


The Intercollegiate Studies Institute and the Institute for Religion, Politics, and Culture at Washington College have partnered to present Freedom in American Political Thought.

This political science course transfers 4 credits to colleges and universities nationwide. The course runs from May 31 through June 24, 2022—so you’re getting more than a semester’s worth of credit in under a month!

Applications close May 15, so
apply today!

You will also hear from a number of guest speakers, including:
  • Wilfred M. McClay, award-winning historian and author of Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story
  • Arthur Milikh, executive director of the Claremont Institute’s Center for the American Way of Life
  • Cara Rogers, assistant professor of history at Ashland University
  • Thomas G. West, professor of politics at Hillsdale College and author of this course’s core text, The Political Theory of the American Founding
Enrollment is limited to ensure a personalized, highly interactive, and in-depth seminar. Partial scholarships are available for qualified candidates.
 
Apply Now »

CATEGORY: LIFE (19 min)

8 Reasons to Overturn Roe


To hear pro-choice advocates talk, you’d think overturning Roe v. Wade is some heinous violation of the Constitution.
 
Nothing could be further from the truth.
 
Writing in The Imaginative Conservative, Thomas Ascik takes stock of
the legal case against Roe.
 
It turns out there’s ample grounds for Roe’s reversal—in legal theory and practice, in Supreme Court precedent, and in our system of government.
 
Ascik walks you through eight reasons, but perhaps the most surprising is this: There's a huge gap “between what the Supreme Court thinks abortion is and what the state governments think.“
 
Roe was grounded, Ascik
points out, on some ideas almost nobody believes . . . and on precedents the Supreme Court has already overturned!
 
You’ll need to
read this article to get the full story.

 

Read Now »
Because our student editors and writers are bravely bringing conservative ideas to their campuses, we’re highlighting their efforts here.

What Do I Do In College? via the Princeton Tory

GoFundMe Stops Donations to College Student Expelled for Refusing Booster via the Chicago Thinker

 
CATEGORY: POP CULTURE (26 min)

Life and Death as Conan’s Creator


Have you read any Robert E. Howard lately?

You may not know the name—but you should.

And not just because he created Conan the Barbarian and practically invented the “Sword and Sorcery” fantasy genre.

You should also know Howard because he lived a fascinating life—and a tragic one, as Bradley Birzer shows
in this Modern Age article.

The Philosopher of Pulp Fiction

If all you know about Conan comes from Arnold Schwarzenegger, you should definitely read Birzer’s piece.


You’ll see how Howard’s nihilistic philosophy and experiences in early 1900s Texas influenced his ideas about:
  • religion
     
  • sexuality
     
  • modernity
     
  • masculinity
     
  • big business
     
  • decadence
. . . and how it all contributed to the tragic end of his life.

And the story goes well beyond Robert E. Howard.


Read the article now to see how a new, brutish philosophy was evolving during a time when technological advances and new economic realities left many Americans feeling they were living in a smaller world.


 
Read Now »
Thought of the Day:

“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.”

—Ronald Reagan (from his High School yearbook)

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Who We Are, What We Do


Too many college students feel isolated or attacked for questioning the ever-narrowing range of debate on campus.

We introduce you to the American tradition of liberty and to a vibrant community of students and scholars so that you get the collegiate experience you hunger for.

 
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