C.S Lewis was concerned about the why the pagan mythologies resembled several elements of Christianity. But a walk with J.R.R. Tolkien one day transformed his understanding of these myths. Why did the gods and heroes of Osiris, Balder, Adonis, and others have similar story arcs to the Gospel account of the dying and rising of Jesus?

Is civilization guaranteed? As Edward Gibbon’s The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire shows, cultures decline amidst warning signs like inflation, political instability, and complacency.To avoid the fate of the Roman Empire, we must reject presentism and prioritize cultural transmission. The Byzantine Empire and ancient China show that longevity requires active maintenance and shared cultural identity. By studying the Great Man Theory and figures like Alexander the Great or Napoleon, Gen Z can gain the pattern recognition needed to solve modern challenges and ensure civilization's survival.

Thomas Carlyle’s Great Man Theory is a controversial historical lens that argues world history is merely the biography of a select few figures. From Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great to Napoleon and Shakespeare, elite figures use creative genius and willpower to shape civilization. Carlyle’s "top-down" history contrasts Herbert Spencer’s social history and Howard Zinn’s "history from below." But Great Man theory is more than just history. Machiavelli and Plutarch believed it could be used to achieve real world success.

In C.S. Lewis' masterpiece The Screwtape Letters, he makes an unsettling prediction: public education will decline as the middle class is hollowed out. He blames the pursuit of perfect equality and unfettered democratic tendencies which suppress the desire for greatness.

How can we save Western Civilization? What can the average person do to alter the course the West is on?

Is history cyclical? Do crisis events follow a pattern? These are the questions Neil Howe and William Strauss answer in their Fourth Turning theory. In America, there have been 3 crisis eras already: American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II — so what's next?

Was Giambattista Vico a misunderstood prophet? He broke civilizations into 3 stages: the Age of the the Age of Gods (piety/theocracy), the Age of Heroes (honor/aristocracy), and the Age of Men (rationality/democracy). Which of these are we in? And how does it affect us?

Thinkers for the greater part of Western history have consistently pointed out virtue as the primary aim of education. But the wave of the Industrial Revolution ushered in a new aim for education founded in utilitarianism. In what ways has this shift in schooling methods altered education today? How did classical schools educate the youth better? And how can we implement these strategies today?

Reminder: You can support us by unlocking our members-only content:

✔️ Full premium articles every Tuesday + Free content on Thursdays

✔️ The entire archive of content: Western history, literature, and culture

✔️ The Great Books lists (Hundreds of titles that influenced Western thought)Join to start reading and support the mission today 👇

Christianity didn’t cause the Dark Ages. It ended them.

Christianity is often blamed for the so-called “Dark Ages”. But when the true causes of the darkness of this period are explored, Christianity instead rises as a champion for a new age of recovery and rebuilding.

The unifying spirit of the Church and the preservation of ancient learning and literature by monastics were two key factors that helped reorganize Europe after the fall of Rome.

The Roman Empire — despite its persecution of early Christianity — in many ways accelerated the spread of the new religion. The Roman Empire provided a stable geopolitical situation where peace, safety, and their vast infrastructure helped Christianity spread quickly. Further, the structure of the Roman family itself, the empire’s initial ambivalence toward new religions, and the general spiritual unrest at the time created the conditions for the rapid spread of Christianity throughout Rome.