A fascinating article by James Pinkerton. Somehow I sense I will be reading more of his pieces in The American Conservative. In The Once and Future Christendom Pinkerton argues that Tolkien’s strategy for the Shire is the strategy that the West is to take in combating the evils of Islamic expansionism. What any reader will find intriguing is that Pinkerton’s model does not include neo-conservative tactics, but rather, a religious tactic of unity and a new Christendom; or what he calls a neo-Constantinian vision.
In one of the great epics of Western literature, the hero, confronted by numerous and powerful enemies, temporarily gives in to weakness and self-pity. “I wish,” he sighs, “none of this had happened.” The hero’s wise adviser responds, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide.” The old man continues, “There are other forces at work in this world … besides the will of evil.” Some events, he adds, are “meant” to be, “And that is an encouraging thought.” Continue Reading…
