We Americans draw upon the traditions of the Five Cities, as Russell Kirk famously put it: from Jerusalem, the ancient Jewish tradition of Moses, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Joseph; from Athens, the philosophy of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle; from Rome, the republican tradition as articulated by Cicero and Cato, as well as the Christian tradition of Augustine, Aquinas, and Benedict of Nursia; from London, the idea of the common law and ordered liberty; and of course, from Philadelphia, the principle of representative government and rule by the people.
As we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary of independence, today we also mark the 16th anniversary of our founding as a journal. Like St. Benedict, whose Feast Day is tomorrow, we build for the long term, drawing on thousands of years of tradition. That is our mission at The Imaginative Conservative: To preserve and pass on the wise teaching of those who have built Western culture, grounded in the True, the Good, and the Beautiful.
This is not easy in a world that emphasizes cleverness over wisdom, success over responsibility, that knows the price of everything and the value of nothing. Yet, we remain dedicated to sharing truth so that all may live in peace, joy, and hope. They will know us by the love we have for one another. Let us offer our praises to God through our words, our music, our art, and our charity.
Please join us in our mission by making your donation today.
Rest assured that every gift, large or small, joins with our labor and prayer to restore the best of the Western Tradition. All donations may be made annually or in monthly contributions.
We are truly grateful for the generous financial support of our readers, who help us serve the City of God, as we seek to offer the teaching of the Beatitudes. Our faith anchors us and reminds us that we serve in this world the God we yearn to see face to face in the next… and to hear from Him the welcome, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
Sincerely,
W. Winston Elliott III
Publisher
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The Imaginative Conservative is sponsored by The Free Enterprise Institute. Your donation to the Institute in support of The Imaginative Conservative is tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. (To make a donation by mail please contact us at Aline.Roach@TheFreeEnterpriseInstitute.org).
The top image is “Ships of Christopher Columbus at Sea” (1927), by N.C. Wyeth, and is in the public domain, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
