Author Archives: Andrew Stuttaford

Putin’s Church

The Aviationist reports: A Tupolev Tu-214SR, used as a communication relay aircraft often dispatched by the Russian Air Force to accompany Putin’s presidential aircraft or other Moscow’s VIPs on their trips, has departed from St. Petersburg and it is currently … Continue reading

Posted in politics, Religion | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

“Rank Humility”

Writing in The Spectator, Tom Hodgkinson reviews John Cornwell’s history of the Roman Catholic ritual of confession. I haven’t read the book, and Cornwell can sometimes go too far in his criticism of the Catholic church, but this caught my … Continue reading

Posted in Religion | Tagged | 1 Comment

Happy Easter!

I’m not entirely sure that this card from 1915 (“thundering Easter greetings”) is in keeping with the spirit of the season, but Happy Easter nonetheless… H/t: GERArmyResearch

Posted in history | Tagged | 1 Comment

The (Re)birth of Ivan Ilyin

Cross-posted on the Corner. Here’s a thought-provoking take on, if you like, “Vladimir Putin, conservative”, from John Schindler. The piece covers too much ground to be summarized in a few excerpts, so I’ll focus on just one aspect of it, … Continue reading

Posted in politics | Tagged , | Comments Off on The (Re)birth of Ivan Ilyin

As We Await the End Times

Cross-posted on Ricochet. The art of writing a first paragraph is said to lie in the ability to draw the reader in. I would say that Lily Lynch’s remarkable new piece in The Balkanist passes that test very well indeed: … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged , , , , , | Comments Off on As We Await the End Times

Superstition, Updated

There’s nothing new about the notion of wrapping food in myth or taboo, but our species can be inventive when it comes to finding new ways to do it: The Copenhagen Post reports: Diets low in fat, carbohydrates and sugar … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged , | Comments Off on Superstition, Updated

Two Faiths

While there are perfectly good scientific reasons for accepting the theory of AGW, the certainty, the fervor and the moralizing displayed by some in the climate change crusade look very much like a form of religious belief. Under the circumstances … Continue reading

Posted in culture, Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Two Faiths

Apocalypse Now?

Here’s a happy reminder that the Middle Ages, as that old crank Carl Jung once wrote, “live on… merrily”. The Washington Post has the glorious details: Could a series of “blood moon” events be connected to Jesus’ return? Some Christians … Continue reading

Posted in Religion | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Apocalypse Now?

God and Mr. Putin

Pat Buchanan, writing in Human Events, appears to suggest that Vladimir Putin may, so to speak, be on the side of the angels: In his Kremlin defense of Russia’s annexation of Crimea, Vladimir Putin, even before he began listing the … Continue reading

Posted in politics | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Il Faut Cultiver

Every man, said Frederick the Great, must get to heaven in his own way. Fair enough, but this ‘workshop’ (once a word with positive associations, but now….) is probably not for me: Sacred Gardens Workshop May 2014 : a practical … Continue reading

Posted in culture | Tagged | Comments Off on Il Faut Cultiver