In this interview, Fr. Longenecker answers my questions about his book Beheading Hydra: A Radical Plan for Christians in an Atheistic Age.
These are some of the topics we discuss:
‘There is an old saying, "The last thing the fish sees is the water." We are the fish.’ What is it about our water that we don’t see?
‘The human race has never before existed in a culture without any kind of transcendent points of reference.’ What do you mean by this and what are its implications?
If ‘arguing with a relativist is like wrestling with an octopus in oil in the dark,’ is there any point to it? Pascal said men hate the truth.
‘The two isms of sentimentalism and pragmatism usually rule the day.’ What are the most damaging manifestations of this?
Nothing affects society as much as sex does. What explains the contemporary confusion about manhood and womanhood?
You’ve said that men perceive traditional Catholic worship ‘as being dependable and rock solid—not emotional, subjective, and flighty.’ What’s behind the decline in religion among men and what can be done about it?
‘The enemies of the Church were given an inch, and they used "the spirit of Vatican II" to take ten thousand miles.’ What’s the most critical ground that was lost and how can it be recovered?
‘The deepest divide in Christendom is between those who follow the core gospel and those who follow the gospel of the antichrist.’ What is ‘the gospel of the antichrist’?
‘The battle with the multi-headed Hydra is as old as Eden, but in our age, the serpent has assumed a new and frightening level of global strength.’ What new mechanisms have facilitated this and what new challenges does it pose?
‘Engaging in battle by living radiant, Spirit-filled lives is the most effective way to engage in the combat.’ Some men are afraid to get married, afraid to have children and afraid to speak the truth. What do they need to do?
You can read more of Fr. Longenecker’s work at his blog.
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