Tolkien Expert Talks about the Christian Meaning of Progress
Professor Joseph Pearce delivers the lecture “The Meaning of Progress” at Benedictine College.
In early September 2018, professor/author Joseph Pearce came to Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. The biggest thing in town is the campus and the relative schools run with the assistance of the Benedictine monks. Kicking off the weekend a bit early one Friday evening, several departments of the college hosted Mr. Pearce who was to deliver a speech on the topic of progress. This was not the first time he spoke at Benedictine.
A devout Catholic man and convert, Pearce has been involved in producing and hosting numerous TV and video productions geared toward a Catholic audience. He specializes in covering the literary landscape of history.
He is an expert of the lives and works of G.K. Chesterton, J.R.R. Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis, all of whom had strong Christian viewpoints. As an expert in literature and literary historical figures, he enjoys frequently referring to them. He likes standing on the shoulders of geniuses.
In the early development of his lecture, he relied heavily on reading from an article he wrote for The Imaginative Conservative. Entitled “Who’s on the Right Side of History?,” the article, and thus parts of the live lecture, touch upon the various views which can be taken of the past, of history itself. Directly below you can view the video recording of the lecture and follow-up Q&A:
Pearce restated that the future of humanity is unknown and therefore one cannot form a view of its methods and goings-on. But he assures us that if we continue along our fallen path, that is the path of sin, we cannot expect any future to be brighter than the past with all its man-made catastrophes and problems.
Progress, Pearce argues (with G.K. Chesterton to back him up), could be considered the “mother of problems.” He further affirmed that problems are not always bad. He presented at least two different viewpoints people tend to take when dwelling on or discussing history.
Some seem to think the past was nothing but a glorious golden era where everything was simple, enjoyable, and in its place. Others have the exact opposite idea; this second class of individuals sees the past as utterly rotten, barbaric, and mostly unnecessary.
Joseph Pearce suggests a middle-of-the-road stance, not adopting either extreme. He says the bloodthirsty and barbaric happenings of the past were not glorious and should not be repeated. In other words, we should learn from the mistakes of the past. But at the same time, we should appreciate the works of art, architecture, and literature seen throughout history. We should remember the lives of the saints who rose up amid dark and troubled times and be inspired by their righteous example.
The speech was an enlightening one. Pearce does have a wonderful sense of humor about him which he pulls out as often as his analog watch! It was a pleasure speaking with him after the lecture. He even signed some of his books for my brother Joseph and me. The last thing he leaves one with is “God bless you.” It’s a very comforting send-off. It was an invigorating and insightful event, and even more so, it was enjoyable.
Editor’s Note: This article was originally published on OIAI’s home site here.
