Many men have been christened successors to C.S. Lewis, but Fr. Dwight Longenecker has a strong case. Both men cover similar subjects (faith and morals) in a similar way (crisply and wittily). Both men studied at Oxford University and were devout Anglicans. And just as Lewis brought the lofty ideas of Christian theology down to the common man, so Fr. Dwight does with Catholicism.
Every day at his blog, Standing On My Head, Fr. Dwight deals with heavy topics like atheism, evil, philosophy, and faith, but maintains a simple and humorous style. That’s part of what makes his site one of the Internet’s top 100 most influential Christian blogs.
In addition, Fr. Dwight is the author of many books. Hie latest is titled Catholicism and Pure and Simple, which I reviewed yesterday, a rollicking overview of the Catholic faith.
Fr. Dwight recently sat down with me to discuss several things including his conversion to Catholicism, today’s most dangerous philosophies, the impact of C.S. Lewis, and his favorite Catholic books.
Watch or download our interview below:
Video
Watch the video here (20 minutes)
Audio
[audio:http://brandonvogt.com/wp-content/uploads/InterviewFrLongenecker.mp3]
Download the interview here (20 minutes)
Topics Discussed
1:26 – How did you end up in the Catholic Church?
5:37 – What are the most dangerous “ism’s” today?
11:41 – What has C.S. Lewis taught you, especially in regards to evangelism?
16:14 – What are your top three must-read Catholic books?
Fr. Dwight’s Recommended Books
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
- The Everlasting Man by G.K. Chesterton
- The Rule of St. Benedict by St. Benedict
Excerpt
Q: What are the most dangerous “isms” today?
Of the ones I find most insidious and dangerous, the first is sentimentalism. Sentimentalism is when we try to make judgements based simply on our own feelings. We say, “Oh, that feels bad” or “Oh, that’s cruel” or “We can’t say something unkind or nasty” and so we make judgements based on our feelings. This happens even with positive feelings: “Oh, that’s so nice” or “He was so kind and so generous” or “All we’re really looking for is warm acceptance of who we really are.” While all these things may be good, they’re not the sole criteria for judgement and truth.
Sentimentalism is rife in our society. So many people make their decisions according to how they feel about things and what their emotions are.
Follow Fr. Dwight through his website, DwightLongenecker.com and also through his blog, Twitter, and Facebook. You should also join me and many others by subscribing free to his weekly e-newsletter, FaithWorks.
And if you liked this discussion, you’ll find several more on my Interviews page. Subscribe free via feed reader or email and ensure sure you don’t miss future interviews.
What do you think is today’s most dangerous “ism”?