... yesterday to launch a book on philosophy by Australian author John Young. Find out more about the book by clicking here and scrolling down to look for "The Scope of Philosophy".
A warm evening, and drinks in a pleasant Chelsea house and garden , with lots of talk and people lingering late. John Young spoke very well and opened up the whole subject of philosophy - we found ourselves talking about things like natural law, the importance of truth, and the relationship between faith anmd reason, all rather Ratzinger- and Woytila-ish. It was the first summery event that I have attended, and it went well.
Today I had the pleasure of supper with John and we talked of many things - notably of the Harry Potter novels, of which he is an enthusiast - I warmly share his view that their message is entirely positive and that the books have done much good in nourishing a generation. I like the happy message about family life (the Weasleys), the call to sacrifice and courage in a good cause, the rallying together of allies against an evil foe...and I like the fact that the books are fat and are a good read, that they demand attention over a long period, and that they offer whole new words like Quidditch which then become part of the young readers' lives.
We also talked theology, Mulieris Dignitatem, women in the New Testament, the relationship between faith and culture, the significance of myths and fairy tales, the wrongfulness of Jansenstic trends in Catholic thinking, and more...
I am off early tomorrow morning (Sat) to Walsingham, joining a traditional pilgrimage organised by Aid to the Church in Need...
1 comment:
What do you see as Jansenistic trends in Catholic thinking?
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