Chesterton once observed of his perennial sparring partner, George Bernard Shaw, that he would need to live for 300 years to finally be able to accept Catholic faith. Might we apply that same rule to the late controversialist Christopher Hitchens?
A prolific writer of twelve books and five collections of essays, and a staple in such publications as The New Statesman, The Atlantic, Vanity Fair, The Nation, and any magazine that wanted an elegant display of rhetorical fireworks, Hitchens came across my radar screen in the late 1990’s as one of those man-bites-dog stories to which the only response is to pat the man on the head and say, “Good boy.” A committed socialist and left-winger, he was vociferous in his condemnation of President Clinton’s behavior, even contributing an affidavit for the Republican-led impeachment of that president.
Read Full Article »