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)”
Category Archives: Great Books
TW on YouTube: 3 Reasons You Should Own Physical Books in the Digital Age
In our most recent Youtube video, we break down why, in an age of online censorship, you should consider owning physical literature as opposed to using digital readers like Kindle. Our aim has always been to spark interest in the classics and challenge our readers to delve into these works by whatever method suitsContinue reading “TW on YouTube: 3 Reasons You Should Own Physical Books in the Digital Age”
ThinkingWest’s Top 5 Reads of 2022
2022 has been an excellent year for ThinkingWest. We’ve grown our Youtube channel, multiplied our view counts, and increased our social media presence. These metrics are helpful because it shows the great support we’ve received from those that have made it all possible: our ThinkingWest readers. However it’s easy to get caught up in metricsContinue reading “ThinkingWest’s Top 5 Reads of 2022”
ThinkingWest on YouTube: 12 Great Books of Western History
In this episode, I highlight a dozen of the most influential works of history, spanning from the Ancient Greeks to the 20th century. While many more works could be included, particularly from the authors of antiquity, I attempted to draw from authors across diverse time periods and to cover a breadth of history. For example,Continue reading “ThinkingWest on YouTube: 12 Great Books of Western History”
12 Great Books of Western History
Much of what we know of the past three thousand years relies largely on the great historians of the millennia. Through excellent scholarship, tedious compilation, clear prose, and entertaining color commentary (sometime at the expense of accuracy), these historians and their famous works have shaped the western world’s ideas about its development. Though the bulkContinue reading “12 Great Books of Western History”
6 Horror Classics to Make Your October Spookier
It’s officially Halloween season, which means scary movies, trick-or-treating, and costume parties. If you’re a book-lover, then it might also include picking up a spooky novel to enjoy around a fireplace while sipping a warm beverage (pumpkin spice latte perhaps?). Lucky for you, we have some suggestions on which books might be perfect for that.Continue reading “6 Horror Classics to Make Your October Spookier”
6 Classic Book Collections for Your Kids
Getting your kids to read books is important. Getting your kids reading the right books is even more important. Yet, selecting appropriate reading material for children has become increasingly difficult in our modern society. With the introduction of ideologically driven literature in schools and other public institutions, one can be at a loss for whichContinue reading “6 Classic Book Collections for Your Kids”
The Importance of Fairy Tales for Children
For the past year, I’ve been reading stories from classic children’s anthologies (many printed in the 1940s – 1960s era) to my kids before bed. One such collection of stories is from a series called Childcraft, which I find so aptly named since reading good stories is so critical in “crafting” children to be virtuous,Continue reading “The Importance of Fairy Tales for Children”
4 Reasons to Own Physical Books in the Digital Age
We at ThinkingWest have dedicated this website to exploring the content contained in the Great Books. Our aim has always been to spark interest in the classics and challenge our readers to delve into these works by whatever method suits them best. With the rising popularity of audiobooks, digital E-readers like Kindle, and free onlineContinue reading “4 Reasons to Own Physical Books in the Digital Age”
Gateway to Philosophy: 5 Great Books to Get Reading
Mark Twain once said, “A classic is something that everybody wants to have read and nobody wants to read.” Glancing through book lists like the Great Books of the Western World or The Harvard Classics, it’s hard to argue with Twain’s sentiment. The great books often appear daunting, especially for novice or younger readers. Many ofContinue reading “Gateway to Philosophy: 5 Great Books to Get Reading”