Second Spring: A Journal of Faith and Culture

I often look back on my Oxford days with a sigh, one not so much of nostalgia as of mild regret. You see, I had not yet returned to the Catholic faith then, and though I was studying patristics and writing a thesis on St. Augustine, my Reformed faith challenged and stretched with each perusal of the Fathers, I would not discover the richness of the faith at Oxford until I was firmly back on North American shores. It was only here, after my reversion some five years ago, that I would discover the heritage that has included Evelyn Waugh, Ronald Knox, Cardinal Newman, Hilaire Belloc, G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and other notable Catholics. And I almost wince to think I had cycled nearly every day past the church many of these men frequented, and I wholly ignorant of the fact…

These thinkers were invaluable in fostering the Catholic faith in England, and abroad, and there are those today who continue their tradition.

The Oxford-based Centre for Faith and Culture, maintained by St. Thomas More College in New Hampshire, is directed by two graduates of Hertford College: Stratford and Léonie Caldecott (who are also attached to the journals Communio and The Chesterton Review). It issues a journal of—as its title aptly indicates—Catholic faith and culture, focusing on Catholic orthodoxy through the Christian humanist tradition. Here you’ll find works from authors like Lorenzo Cardinal Albacete, philosopher G.E.M. Anscombe, founding member of the Inklings Owen Barfield, Archbishop Charles Chaput, ethicist and philosopher Russell Hittinger and many others.

The Journal is currently offering a 50% discount on all subscriptions. One can subscribe at this link.

On a related note, the Caldecotts have also been involved in founding Ressource, a new company devoted to publishing Catholic materials and providing conferences, art instruction, and pilgrimages to the faithful. Some enticing pilgrimages on offer: Marian Shines of Austria, and Grail Quest: The Adventure of the Eucharist, with visits to Oxford, Winchester, Glastonbury, and Tintagel. [Update: Mr. Caldecott has informed me that pilgrimages are currently on hold.]