John C. Wright on the Catholic Church

“If Vulcans had a church, they’d be Catholics.” -John C. Wright

Dean Koontz is a Catholic convert

I’ve never read any of Dean Koontz’s books, but my wife is a huge fan of his, so I am familiar with some of his work. My wife has been telling me for years that I would enjoy his books, but for whatever reason I’ve never gotten around to reading any.

Anyways, I was pleasantly surprised to stumble upon this interview Beliefnet did with Dean Koontz. The interview explores such topics as his conversion to Catholicism, the loss of loved ones, and his use of spiritual themes in his books.

The whole interview makes for interesting reading, but here is just one of the questions from the interview, which I found particularly interesting.

What’s your least favorite thing about being a Catholic?

How Vatican II threw away so much tradition. It’s only beginning to come back. The Latin Mass and all of that was a great loss, something that is embraced and promoted for hundreds upon hundreds of years and then disappears overnight in an attempt to satisfy an urge toward trendiness. It was a great loss to the church, and I think it still is.

You can read the full interview over at Beliefnet: Dean Koontz: Angels, Demons, and Our Mysterious World.

The Man Who Was Thursday by The Mercury Theatre (Radio Program)

I found this old radio performance of the the G. K. Chesterton novel, The Man Who Was Thursday. Like anything else, it’s not as good as the book, but they’re still very fun to listen to–especially if you enjoy old radio programs. Did you know that Orson Wells was a big fan of G. K. Chesterton?

Presenting The Orson Wells Players in a 1938 Mercury Theater Radio Production of:
The Man Who Was Thursday
by G. K. Chesterton

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Pretty funny interview of John Zmirak by the Catholic Guy

Here is a funny two part interview of John Zmirak, co/author of several books such as “The Bad Catholic’s Guide to Wine, Whiskey, & Song.” The interview is performed by Lino Rulli who is a three-time Emmy award winner. You may know him for his work as a producer on such films/documentaries as “Champions of Faith” and “The Last Flagraiser.” Both men are very funny.

Part 1

Part 2

Basic Instinct author converts to Catholicism

Another famous writer converts to Catholicism. This time it is the writer of such disturbing screenplays as Basic Instinct and Jagged Edge.

The article on Joe Eszterhas over at toledoblade.com is a mini conversion story, but it isn’t like any I have ever read. Mr. Eszterhas had a “road to Damascus” type conversion. He is a firm believer in the Real Presence and the truth of the Catholic Church, but his opinion of the priestly abuse scandal is completely unsweetened. It may even offend some. It certainly bothered me. But I enjoyed reading his conversion even if it was a little rough. Basically, (pun intended), we just recruited another evangelist.

Joe Eszterhas is now working on a new book.

“In Crossbearer: A Memoir of Faith, to be published Sept. 2 by St. Martin’s Press, Mr. Eszterhas describes how his life got turned around during the summer of 2001.”

The article is a quick interesting read. Check it out if you have time. I’m looking forward to the book.

Review of Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana

I just finished reading Anne Rice’s second Jesus novel, “Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana.” The book begins with Jesus as a simple carpenter in His late twenties. It finishes with Jesus beginning His public ministry.

This one took me longer to read than the last one. It’s not really a longer book. It might actually be shorter, but some nights I just had a hard time picking it back up. One of the plot threads of the book just didn’t sit well with me. I’ll explain below the image, but I want to warn you that what I’m about to write is kind of a “spoiler.”

We know that though Jesus is 100% God, He is also 100% human (for more detail see Arianism and Nestorianism). We know that humans are tempted. We also know that Jesus was tempted—it’s in the Bible. Yet when the Jesus of Anne Rice’s novel is tempted by a beautiful girl, I find it tough to read.

Is it plausible? Sure. We know Jesus was tempted before. And in this novel, as in the biblical accounts, Jesus never gives in to the temptation. But it still bugged me a little. I guess, plausible or not, I just don’t like viewing my Lord that way. It doesn’t fit my image of Him.

So, unlike the last novel in the series, in this one, I maintained my guard throughout the entire book.

I had some other complaints too. I really didn’t like the portrayal of James. There is a part of him that seems right, but he ultimately comes across as a jerk. Also, there are times when Jesus seems…I want to say reckless, but I’m not sure that’s the right word.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. There are really a lot of good things about the book. I like how Mrs. Rice depicts Jesus’ self-realization. I thought the account of His baptism by John the Baptist was really good—I cried when I read it. Also, like the last book, I enjoyed delving into a part of Jesus’ life we don’t know much about. But most importantly for me, I enjoyed spending time contemplating the God-man, Jesus Christ.

Though I have my complaints, I’m glad I read it. But I can see this one rubbing some (maybe many) people the wrong way.

Fr. Dwight Longenecker interviews Anne Rice

First Things has posted an interview of Anne Rice by Fr. Longenecker. If you like reading conversion stories, are interested in Anne Rice’s artistic point of view, or just like reading about Catholic celebrities, this interview may interest you.

“As you did your research, what was your impression of modern biblical scholarship?

As I plunged into modern Bible scholarship, I assumed the skeptics would be right, but I soon discovered that their “late date” theories of gospel creation were flimsy, full of assumptions, and that a dislike of Jesus ran through many of their arrogant and pompous books. The field came across to me as a huge scandal. There were believers and non-believers claiming to be Jesus scholars, and the skeptics, the famous Jesus Seminar, had been throwing out some outrageous nonsense to get the attention of the public. I have never seen sloppier scholarship in any field of study than what I saw in so-called biblical scholarship.

I soon realized that the skeptical scholars had very little evidence at all of their extravagant theories and they were anti-supernaturalists…”

The full article, Interview with an Ex-Vampire Novelist, can be found at First Things website.

Review of Christ the Lord Out of Egypt

I mentioned in my previous post that I was afraid to read Christ the Lord Out of Egypt. And despite the good review from Dr. Kreeft, I maintained my guard though the first half of the book. I didn’t want to have some goofy “Gnostic Jesus” slipped under my radar. By the end of the book, I had dropped my guard. There is some artistic license, but nothing that seemed contrary to reasonable possibility. In fact, I really enjoyed the book.

The story itself is not big on plot. It’s more of a “year in the life” type of story. But I like that. I already know Jesus’ plot. I don’t want someone making up a new one. There are some plot threads about self-discovery and things, but all in all it’s about getting to know the boy Jesus and his family. It’s meditative.

Anne Rice’s portrayal of St. Joseph and the Blessed Mother are very real. She maintains their saintliness while solidifying their humanity. Her portrayal of Jesus is also very good. I felt like I was uncovering the Jesus I’ve always wanted to know, but I also felt like I was uncovering the boy I could have been, had I not been tainted by original sin and personal sin. I know that may sound strange, but I guess what I’m trying to say is that the character of Jesus in the novel was very relatable but not because I was like Him at age 7 (no, I was a sinner), but because a part of me was—my childlike innocence.

My only criticism of the book is that the narrative has an uncomfortable phrasing and cadence. But after awhile, I got used to it and thoroughly enjoyed the book. So, the bottom line is, I recommend the book. I think it’s a great way to meditate on our Lord and the Holy Family.

I was afraid to read Anne Rice

When I first heard about Anne Rice’s reversion back to the Catholic faith, I was very happy to hear it. When I heard she had also written a novel depicting the early childhood of our Lord, I was afraid to read it.

I was afraid that it would be…I don’t know…blasphemous? Maybe I was prejudging her based on her “new age quasi atheistic” past. But that wasn’t my biggest concern.

My real fear was that she might do a really good job, but mistakenly put in heretical ideas, which I might not be wise enough to pick up on. But then I read something on Anne Rice’s website, a review of her second Jesus novel by Dr. Peter Kreeft. Here’s a sample.

“I have found it hard to persuade people to read Anne Rice’s two ‘Jesus novels’ (this one is a sequel to her Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt), even though I think they are masterpieces. That’s because what they set out to do, most people would label impossible…

Anne Rice’s ‘Jesus novels’ are fictional biographies from the first-person viewpoint of Jesus Himself. Hard enough to write about Him in the third person, but in the first? Yet they are modern realistic historical novels, and their Jesus is the real Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible and the Church. There are no heresies and no Katzantzakis-style corrections or ‘revisionisms’ of the Gospels…”

Certainly if Anne Rice’s Jesus novels got the thumbs up from Dr. Kreeft, I could feel safe reading them…right?

Well, it turns out, I did. I’ve only just finished reading the first novel, Christ the Lord Out of Egypt. I really enjoyed it.

I started the book by reading her Author’s Note at the back. In the note she goes into  detail about her research and her journey—not just writing the book, but also her own conversion story. For some reason, her story—her conversion story—made me feel even more comfortable reading the novel. She is in love with Jesus and His Church. And she feels called to write for Him and about Him.

I’ll post a review of the book tomorrow. I didn’t want this post to get any longer than it already is.

Review of The Man Who was Thursday

I finally read The Man Who was Thursday by G.K. Chesterton. I say finally because it contains so many elements of great interest to my own character that I should have read it long ago. I think, had I read it as a teenager, it may have set me on the right path sooner. Or maybe I should say, it may have prevented me from stumbling off the path to begin with.

The book makes sense of things that I once felt were at odds, but never believed they should be. Why can’t a poet or an artist be less than reckless? Can’t one love God and his trees? Why should obedience imply lack of soul or imagination?

I struggled deciding how to write a review of this book without giving away the plot. I don’t want to say too much, but I can say that it’s an exhilarating and suspenseful read. It’s intelligent and yet whimsical. It’s political, but only as so far as to point the reader to something greater. It also seems clear to me that Chesterton put much of himself into this book. It shows in the characters and in their warmth and intelligence. And, as a fan of Chesterton, that made the experience even more special to me.

There are many elements of the story that I relate to and want to share, but I don’t want to spoil it for anyone who has, like me, made the foolish but unintentional decision to not read the book years ago.

SPOILER WARNING!
If you are interested in reading a far more detailed review of this book, please read
Lecture X: The Man Who Was Thursday By Dale Ahlquist. But be warned, he does giveaway some of the plot details.