When Hutchinson, Adler, and the team at Britannica undertook the work of compiling and publishing their 54 volume Great Books of the Western World (GBWW) set in 1952, they embarked on an ambitious and probably expensive undertaking to write the Syntopicon. Occupying volumes II and III of the commercially successful set of classic books, theContinue reading “A Brief Guide to the Syntopicon”
Category Archives: Great Books
[Video] Montaigne’s Blueprint for Education
Who better to inquire about education than a famed 16th century nobleman who inscribed excerpts of wisdom on the wooden beams of his library? Michel Eyquem de Montaigne (often called simply “Montaigne”) authored the heavily influential Essays, an outpouring of his natural philosophies, and had much to say on education. Check out the video below.Continue reading “[Video] Montaigne’s Blueprint for Education”
3 Ways to Systematically Read the Great Books
Approaching the great books of the West (or East for that matter) is a daunting task, especially for those with little experience in the arts and sciences that regularly sample this vast body of works. While there are a variety of lists of great books – all of them instructive to peruse in themselves –Continue reading “3 Ways to Systematically Read the Great Books”
[Video] 5 EASY Books of Philosophy
The great books often appear daunting, especially for novice or younger readers. Many of the books are long, containing hundreds of pages or several volumes. Even experienced readers can be turned off from difficult topics like philosophy or theology. Therefore, it is helpful to highlight some of the “easier” classics that may lead one toContinue reading “[Video] 5 EASY Books of Philosophy”
10 Great Libraries of the World
Before the advent of computers, libraries were the preeminent aggregators of human knowledge and art. Besides that of the church, no other building occupies such an exalted station in the opinion of civilized peoples. Libraries attract the curious, humble the studious, challenge the most acute, and foster a rare but welcoming tranquility. The library remainsContinue reading “10 Great Libraries of the World”
Great Books of Christianity: The Modern Era
The most challenging period in which to select the great books of Christianity is the modern era. The sheer volume of Christian literature produced in the last two centuries makes extracting out “the best” a difficult task. Moreover, books written closer to the present have not yet been sorted by the harshest critic of all:Continue reading “Great Books of Christianity: The Modern Era “
Great Books of Christianity: Reformation and Enlightenment
In our third installment of the Great Books of Christianity, we explore the works hailing from one of the most tumultuous times in Christian history: the Reformation. As new forms of Christianity spread throughout the West, theologians on all sides sharpened their pens and duked it out on parchment. The theological battles that raged foreverContinue reading “Great Books of Christianity: Reformation and Enlightenment”
Great Books of Christianity: The Medieval Period
Christianity is no stranger to the great books of the West and stands out among the great books as the inspiration for many of the foundational works of philosophy, literature, and science. Thus, there are a subset of great books in the West that aim to study Christianity itself. The Medieval period (~600 AD –Continue reading “Great Books of Christianity: The Medieval Period”
Great Books of Christianity: The Early Church
Perhaps no other topic has been written about in the West more than Christianity. In the past 2,000 years, tomes on the faith have been written by kings, monks, prophets, and laymen alike. One might conclude that no other faith has inspired, and been inspired by, great literature quite like Christianity. Therefore, in our nextContinue reading “Great Books of Christianity: The Early Church”
TW on YouTube: Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (part 1: The Threefold Office)
Despite numerous attempts to discredit the Christian elements in the Lord of the Rings, Tolkien himself admits his greatest work is indeed a Christian, even a Catholic, work. Here, I revisit an old video topic and cover the priest, prophet, and king elements in the figures of Frodo, Gandalf, and Aragorn. More videos on otherContinue reading “TW on YouTube: Christianity in The Lord of the Rings (part 1: The Threefold Office)”