Culture
Articles addressing the mainstream culture and status quo through the lens of the True, the Good, and the Beautiful
Personalism is the philosophical response to the individualism and the collectivism that brought Western societies in the last century further away from God. Personalism basically says that each human person is alteri incommunicabilis, inherently unique and self-determining, with a dignity of deserving nothing less than love. Personalism says that the person is an end in himself or herself, and that the person is a good towards which the only proper and adequate attitude is love. Personalism beautifully addresses the truth of our humanity via faith and reason, and can thus be understood in Christian circles and secular circles alike.
Le Nouvel Esprit strives to contribute to the New Evangelization by sharing the truth of personalism regarding mainstream culture, which is paradoxically susceptible to both individualism and collectivism.
Our articles are organized into the following themes:
Articles
The Church in the Modern World
The Challenges that Catholics Face Inside and Outside the Chuch
By Guillermo Moreno
The political and moral tug of war within Christian circles continues amid the 2020 Presidential Elections, due to one of the most conspicuous presidencies in U.S. history. This article addresses the ongoing moral debate of who to vote for president.
By Jeremy Hausotter
The author claims that the real problem blacks face today is not police brutality itself, even though this is a problem that needs to be addressed, but rather that what we are witnessing is a manifestation of the end towards which a culture progresses to when it has abandoned God and embraced the culture of death.
By Guillermo Moreno
Theocracy occurs when religion and politics are confused. Theocratic propaganda uses religion to coerce individuals into a political ideology where religion governs polity, as if the government of this world is the point of God's revelation. Liberation theology radicalizes people into "social justice warriors" who see themselves as the harbinger of a religious-political utopia. Analogously, apologists of the Society of Saint Pius X and other radical offshoots promote a radical, traditionalistic Catholic identity that naturally excludes those, including Catholics, who do not submit to their brand of Tridentine theocracy under their own control. This article is the beginning of the dissection of the natures of political governance and ecclesiastical authority, and the temptation of political messiahship as a manifestation of the Culture of Death.
By Jeremy Hausotter
Ever wonder what is the Catholic Church's teaching on marijuana? Look no further. Broken up into five parts and about 70 pages, it should leave the reader with a better understanding of what is at stake than what you will find elsewhere. Published 1/1/2021.
The Culture of Life
Theology of the Body, Chastity, and a Paradigm Shift in Approaches to Relationships
By Guillermo Moreno
The term "culture of life" is predominantly used in opposition to abortion, but it is not limited to that. This article addresses how nature and faith show that we are all called to love. In so doing, persons are respected according to their respective dignity as man and woman. This culture is one that lives according to God's design and according to what God says, and the people of this culture attain the peace and joy that can only come from Him.
Film, Music, and Literature Today
By Guillermo Moreno
A direly needed documentary for our time, The Dating Project offers a critique of the hook-up culture that is parallel if not synonymous with the culture of death. Above all, it also proposes to viewers traditional dating as the solution to the hook-up culture. Following the lives of five singles whose ages range from 18-40, this film engages the questions of love and relationships and answers with a message of truth and hope for members of the dating pool. Family-friendly and faith-friendly, The Dating Project is a must see for all young adults. It is a fitting documentary for both faith-based and secular audiences. Published 2/14/2021.
By Jeremy Hausotter
The Marvel films are an unparalleled cinematographic event that has become a financial powerhouse with 23 movies and many more upcoming. It is good to stop in the midst of its dazzle and action scenes to ask: what does the MCU have to say about the world? Every piece of art or those which claim to be art speaks about the world and the MCU films are no different. This article examines the themes of God, morality, race, metaphysics, and the occult as depicted in the films. Published 7/28/2020.
By Guillermo Moreno
In 1973, Our Lady appeared to Sister Agnes Sasagawa in Akita, Japan, and revealed to her a message of a great chastisement if humanity does not repent and turn to God. In 2019, Sister Agnes has allegedly received a new message that seems to allude to a catastrophic event within forty days if humanity does not repent. Some believe this chastisement is the COVID pandemic. The purpose of this article is to review the Akita messages and this COVID interpretation. Published 4/11/2021.