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CULTIVATING SAINTS, SAGES, AND STATESMEN THROUGH THE GREAT TRADITION
OUR CIVILIZATIONAL CRISIS
We are in the midst of a civilizational crisis, perhaps the worst in the history of Christendom. But this time, we are not faced with plagues or wars that threaten our bodies. We are in danger of losing the soul of our civilization.
The crisis is threefold: it is within the Church, within the world, and the mode by which we pass down the Great Tradition.
First, in the Church—multiple generations of poor catechesis and faithlessness has led to pervasive ignorance of, indifference toward, and sometimes outright rejection of the Great Tradition among Catholics.
Second, in the world—the Great Tradition has virtually disappeared from the vast majority of modern education programs. Niche options are available to those who can afford it. But multiple generations have now been systematically robbed of their heritage.
Third, and finally, the Great Tradition is often contained in books that remain, as they have for millennia, bare text on a page. They lack beauty, and often fail to explain and provide context for their content, leaving uninformed modern readers in the dark. But in a time when formerly Christian societies have gone through a media revolution, bare text with no explanations, no context, and no beauty, is no longer captivating to a culture that has become irreversibly digital, electronic, and visual.
All of this has led to the practical death of the Great Tradition, and the result is multiple generations both in the Church and the world that have been orphaned from their heritage. The resulting misery and alienation is all around us. Our civilization retains a few remnants of the old “body” of Christendom, but it is quickly losing its soul, and with it its desire to go on.
WHAT IS THE GREAT TRADITION?
Christ came into the world at the inflection point St. Paul called “the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4).
The Jews were looking for the Messiah; the Greeks had gotten as far as unaided human reason could get through philosophy; and the Romans had pacified a barbaric world through the might of an Empire spanning three continents.
It was at this crossroads of revealed religion, philosophy, and civilization that Christ came into the world, forever uniting and fulfilling the genius of the Jews, the Greeks, and the Romans by the Incarnation of the Divine Word, the Logos, by Whom the entire universe was created and ordered.
It was at this crossroads that Christendom—the civilization born from the heart of the Catholic Church—came into being.
The Great Tradition is all that is True, Good, and Beautiful that preceded, and proceeded from, the heart of Christendom.
It is the tradition that formed Saints, Sages, and Statesmen.
It is the law of Moses, the prophets, the Scriptures, and the New Covenant of Jesus Christ that fulfilled them all. It is the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and every Sage in whose mind reason maintains her compass. It is the laws and institutions of Rome, and the arts of civilization. All of these prepared the way, and were indeed forever united and fulfilled by the Incarnation of the Son of God.
This in turn created the civilization of Christendom, from whose bosom was born Saints like Athanasius, Augustine, Francis of Assisi, and Thomas Aquinas; Sages like Boethius, Albert the Great, Pascal, and Hildebrand; Statesmen like Justinian, King Louis IX, St. Thomas More, and Blessed Charles; and the poetry of Dante, the art of Michelangelo, and the music of Mozart.
This Great Tradition ennobled and redeemed the human race. It enlightened minds, inspired hearts, and liberated families, nations, and empires from thralldom to Satan.
And can do so again.
OUR VISION & MISSION
Our Vision
The preservation and revival of the Great Tradition for future generations by adapting it from the bare texts of former ages into the most engaging and beautiful media of our time, utilizing all the artistic and digital tools available to us in the 21st century.
Our Mission
Creating a platform that recruits the greatest thinkers, teachers, artists, poets, musicians, and filmmakers to preserve and revive the Great Tradition through the creation of the most engaging and beautiful books ever made, and integrating them with all the audio, visual, and interactive tools of the digital world.
THE FIVE MASTERPIECES
The “Five Masterpieces” are the core endeavors of Eternal Christendom. Some are already in the beginning stages of development, and will be shared with the world very soon. Others will take years, and a great deal of resources, to build.
A “Masterpiece” is an outstanding work of artistry, skill, or craftsmanship. It includes art, architecture, film, literature, music, poetry, rhetoric, sculpture, and scholarship.
Our Vision and Mission are inspired by the masterpieces contained in the Great Tradition of Christendom.
These masterpieces were made possible by the radical, Gospel-centered generosity of Patrons who knew the key to obtaining eternal treasure was gifting it to Christ and His kingdom. Such Patronage empowered Saints, Sages, and Statesmen to use their God-given gifts to create masterpieces that not only formed even more Saints, Sages, and Statesmen, but continue to enlighten minds, inspire hearts, and fill souls with wonder to this very day. These masterpieces have inspired countless conversions to Jesus Christ and His Church.
We at Eternal Christendom believe that nothing less than a new era of Patronage can ensure the survival, indeed the revival of the Great Tradition. To that end, we seek Patrons to help us build these Five Masterpieces. Learn more by hovering over the icons below.
The Eternal Christendom Podcast will focus on sharing and defending the Faith by presenting the treasures of the Great Tradition, and delivering provocative, in-depth interviews of the world's most fascinating, truth-seeking people.
It will be hosted by our Founder, Joshua Charles—a convert, former White House speechwriter, and New York Times bestselling author.
Coming April 2024.
Eternal Christendom Audio will make the classics of the Great Tradition available for free across the largest platforms.
Internet audio has become one of the most popular and important mediums in the busy world of the 21st century.
Tragically, most of the Great Tradition remains unavailable in this vital medium.
Eternal Christendom Audio will change that. We will particularly focus on the works that have been most vital to the formation of Saints, Sages, and Statesmen, especially the Church Fathers.
Eternal Christendom Classics will publish the most beautiful, explanatory, and engaging set of classic books ever made. The Great Tradition will be brought to life by artists, illustrators, and the explanations of master teachers.
While this set will take years to build, our goal is to create a new gold standard.
Our prayer is that the generosity of Patrons will make these books available to anyone who desires them, without regard to socioeconomic status.
The Eternal Christendom Bible will be the most comprehensive Catholic apologetics Bible ever created. It will incorporate art, illustrations, charts, illuminated pages, in-depth commentary, along with stories and quotes from Church Fathers, Saints, and Church teaching over the last 2,000 years.
It will show that the Bible truly is a Catholic book, entrusted to the Church for faithful preservation and interpretation.
This will be the standard Bible for any Catholic who desires to dive deeper into the reasons we believe, and any non-Catholic of goodwill who is open to having the case for the Catholic Faith made directly from the pages of Scripture.
The Digital Cathedral, the final masterpiece, will be a dynamic online platform that will fully integrate the physical and digital realms in service of the Great Tradition.
This platform will incorporate all our content into an ever-growing library of audio, visual, and written content, fully integrated with our physical books through QR codes, and designed to engage people in the 21st century. It will feature the work of the greatest teachers, artists, filmmakers, and more, to bring the Great Tradition to life.
Eventually, the Digital Cathedral platform will be a hub for sharing the work of other great apostolates, empowering us to cooperatively reach as many souls as possible.
