Welcome to the essay page of the Orate Fratres blog. Below you will find a listing of the newest essays concerning a theology of the corporate body. This will include book review essays, theological essays, historical essays, and more. Please be sure to check back for new writings or, for lighter reading, drop by the Orate Frates blog.
The Essays of Orate Fratres:
Ordering Freedom and the Four Loves
The ancient language of the Church has always been a language of love, not of rights and freedoms. But what is the language of love? Read on for a deeper understanding of the four Greek loves: storge, philia, eros, and agape.
Philia Love and the Liturgy
With a renewed understanding of philia, this essay examines what effect it could have on the life of the Church, particularly as it shapes the liturgy and the apostolic fraternity of the all male-priesthood.
Review: The Origins of Political Order
What are the three requirements of a nation? What role should religion and family play in the building up of a strong national life? Are there any higher forms of association that can bind men together in duty and love under the Father?
Remembering the 4th of July
We may typically remember the 4th of July, 1776, but we should also remember the great men of our nation who also worked toward freedom of men to act in obedience as sons under the Father.
When Farmers Fight for Freedom
Ancient Greek history is often taught by telling the story of Athens, Sparta, and the Macedonian tyrant Alexander. The most important Greek leader, however, was a Theban named Epaminondas - and with his citizen army of farmers, he vanquished tyranny and helped form the first Greek nation.
Review: Saving Christianity from Empire
Theologian and politician Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer offers his vision of social and political change by way of faith and not merely through a sociopolitical process devoid of faith. This faith however is one of non-violence. But will this vision harken us back to the days of Martin Luther King, Jr. or create a new idol?
Review: The Enemy at Home
In the book The Enemy at Home, author and debater Dinesh D’Souza speaks of what he calls the “cultural imperialism” of the secular left. In other words, America does not seek to conquer Middle Eastern countries with military might but rather with its cultural depravity. The true imperialists are thus the secular leftists, not the traditional conservatives.