-
Archives
- August 2019
- July 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- February 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
-
Meta
Author Archives: Andrew Stuttaford
Ideologies of Undivided Devotion
From Yuri Slezkine’s magnificent The House of Government’, a Saga of the Russian Revolution, a book centered around the idea that Bolshevism was, at its heart, just another millenarian sect, if a peculiarly malevolent one: “Of the seventeen prisoners, thirteen, amongst … Continue reading
Posted in history, politics, Religion
Tagged Christianity, Communism, Karl Radek, Millennial Cults
Comments Off on Ideologies of Undivided Devotion
China: Holy See No Evil
Cross-posted on the Corner: It’s no great secret that Roman Catholic ‘social’ teaching, normally seen as a form of corporatism, is a touch difficult to reconcile with free market economics, even more so in the era of Pope Francis, a … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Bishop Sorondo, China, Roman Catholicism, Vatican
Comments Off on China: Holy See No Evil
Pope Francis: Probably Not The Best Man To Be Attacking ‘Fake News’
Pope Francis has been attacking ‘fake news’ again, not for the first time (my emphasis added): The term “fake news” has been the object of great discussion and debate. In general, it refers to the spreading of disinformation on line or … Continue reading
Posted in Church & State
Tagged conspiracy theories, Fake News, Pope Francis
Comments Off on Pope Francis: Probably Not The Best Man To Be Attacking ‘Fake News’
Oprah: The Queen of Unreason
The Oprah moment may have faded for now, but I have little doubt that it will return, in which case this Slate piece by Kurt Andersen (and, no, I don’t agree with his jibe about Reagan) will be one that … Continue reading
Posted in culture, politics, Science & Faith
Tagged New Age, Oprah Winfrey, superstition
Comments Off on Oprah: The Queen of Unreason
Oprah and McMartin Preschool ‘Retrials’
Cross-posted on the Corner. In a post yesterday, I mentioned the contribution made by Oprah Winfrey to the ritual satanic abuse witch hunts of the 1980s. One of the most notorious cases of that era was the McMartin preschool trial, and … Continue reading
Posted in culture
Tagged Oprah Winfrey, Satanic ritual abuse, superstition, witchhunts
Comments Off on Oprah and McMartin Preschool ‘Retrials’
Oprah, Subjective Truth and Salem 2.0
Cross-posted on the Corner: Over on the homepage Philip Devoe rightly laments Oprah Winfrey’s fondness for pseudoscience and New Age ‘thinking’. It would only be fair to also mention the role she played in the 1980s Satanic ritual abuse panic. … Continue reading
Posted in culture
Tagged Oprah Winfrey, Satanic ritual abuse, superstition, witchhunts
Comments Off on Oprah, Subjective Truth and Salem 2.0
Bolsheviks, Millenarians and the Reformation
Writing in the Hedgehog, from, it seems (but perhaps that’s just me), a hard left perspective, Eugene McCarraher takes a look at the millenarian aspects of Bolshevism, and, more specifically its connection with the Reformation: Shortly after the Bolshevik victory, … Continue reading
Posted in culture, history, Religion
Tagged Christianity, Communism, Millennial Cults, Reformation, Thomas Muntzer
Comments Off on Bolsheviks, Millenarians and the Reformation
Bolsheviks and other Millenarians
If I had to choose one book to read about the Bolsheviks this year it would be The House of Government: A Saga of the Russian Revolution by Yuri Slezkine. Writing in the New York Review of Books Benjamin Nathans … Continue reading
Posted in culture, history
Tagged Bertrand Russell, Communism, Millennial Cults, Nikolai Berdyaev, Russia
2 Comments
“Natural Rights” and Other Myths
Writing in the American Conservative, Will Collins reviews Against the Grain, “James C. Scott’s new history of humanity’s transition (devolution may be the more appropriate term) from hunting and gathering to sedentary farming challenges the very foundations of this narrative. After finishing … Continue reading
Posted in culture, history
Tagged natural law, noble savage, Rousseau
Comments Off on “Natural Rights” and Other Myths
Halloween, Elsa and the Index Simulacrorum Prohibitorum
Cross-posted on the Corner. Kyle has already discussed the controversy over Halloween Moana here, concluding as follows: The Left used to insist on seeing people as individuals, not as members of groups. The goal used to be that kids of different … Continue reading