The University Bookman

Reviewing Books that Build Culture

Defending the Christian Faith

“In 100 Tough Questions For Catholics: Common Obstacles To Faith Today… David G. Bonagura, Jr. gives bite-sized answers to dozens of big questions about the faith.”

Geopolitics and the Making of the Modern World

“Brands’s book should find a ready audience among those interested in developments in the international scene over the last century. It is particularly effective in dealing with the threat that China’s emerging power and influence pose to the West today…”

The Context for Human Dignity

“While the twentieth century was still sporadically marked by remnants of Christian influence and dominance, the twenty-first has seen the final divorce of the secular and sacred, and the consequences are evident. What Leo XIII warned of, the evils he battled, have been let loose, paradigmatically captured by Artificial Intelligence which poorly imitates and devalues that which makes us essentially human… We would do well then to read Hittinger’s book in reflecting on how to face these challenges.”

Between Greatness and Hubris

“At the core of [the book] is the notion that while America is an exceptional nation, we are not immune from the perils that beset past countries and empires.”

When Virginians Ruled (or, Against Political Nostalgia)

by Adam L. Tate | Apr 30, 2023

“Like previous critics of the Jeffersonians Henry Adams and Forrest McDonald… Gutzman highlights the perils of the ideological political style.”

The Inspiration We Need

by Thomas Griffin | Apr 23, 2023

“In sharing their beautiful journeys towards becoming Catholic, these theologians teach us that conversion is not a ‘process’ in the manner of producing a machine. Rather, choosing to embrace the Lord is the climactic moment of a love story that features God as the lover and us as the beloved.”

A Very American Historian

by Chuck Chalberg | Apr 23, 2023

“,,,the South had something to teach other Americans, especially those Americans of the twentieth century who had an ‘oversized faith in American progress, American prosperity, and American invincibility.’ At least that was the idea of this ‘idea man’ as he dwelt on both the ‘irony’ and the ‘burden’ of southern history.”

Arguing the Unarguable Thing

by Nicole M. King | Apr 16, 2023

“If one considers oneself to be pro-life, but is going by a ‘gut feel’ more than by facts, this book might be of considerable value.”

Why We Need Beauty

by Lee Trepanier | Apr 16, 2023

“This is an erudite and beautifully written book about a neglected thinker who deserves more attention in this age of ugliness and vulgarity.”

What Makes a Classic?

by John Tuttle | Apr 9, 2023

“Just what constitutes a classical work? Style, setting, language, acclaim…what are the criteria?”

Where Is Home?

by Ashlee Cowles | Apr 9, 2023

“…’Who will keep our stories alive, no matter where we go?’ Perhaps that is a question even more poignant than ‘Where is home?’ especially for those who are either dispossessed of a homeland or simply feel rootless in a thousand small ways as they struggle to navigate this dizzyingly complex world.”

Russell Kirk vs. Fusionism: A Conflict in Name Only?

by Jason Jewell | Apr 9, 2023

“Kirk called ideology the ‘negation of prudence’ and the ‘foe of imagination.’ Both prudence and imagination are key ideas in Kirk’s political thought. For him, prudence is the preeminent political virtue, and all good politics is inspired by the moral imagination.”