Fighting Minas Morgul: A Manifesto of Ancient-Future Christianity

The Way of the Men of the West in the Shadow of the Empire

Introduction

If you’re reading this, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude. Thanks to all of you, my recent essay titled “Evangelicalism is Minas Morgul” became one of my most popular pieces ever. While I did lose some subscribers because of it, the essay also attracted a wave of new subscribers. This tells me I’m connecting with the right audience. So, if you’ve been following along, thank you, and if you’re just discovering my work, welcome. I value each and every one of you.

I also want to say this. I believe that one of the reasons why it resonated so profoundly is because it put a finger on the pulse of what’s happened to the West. Our once revered ivory tower institutions, reminiscent of Minas Ithil, once a stronghold of the Men of the West, have been infiltrated by Nazgûl-like figures and transformed into something akin to Minas Morgul. These institutions, once bastions of right-order and champions of God’s Kingdom, have become outposts of chaos, perpetuating reality-warping Dark Sorcery.

We’ve witnessed trusted teachers, previously recommended and respected, transform into chaos wizards drawn into primordial darkness, wielding ideologies of chaos from the abyss itself.

This has had a confusing, disorienting effect on people (which is a good indicator you’re in the midst of a significant change). I’ve seen all sorts of reactions as a result. I’ve seen men take the blue pill and also become pawns on Minas Morgul’s chessboard by becoming a part of the New Mainline or deconstructing entirely. I’ve seen men take the red-pilled and who have looked to join arms together with the Men of the West. I’ve seen men take the black pill and lose hope entirely and joined Islam because Western Christianity has become so effete and ineffectual.

I am a part of the Men of the West. However, if I’m honest, it’s clear to me that we don’t have a real way forward.

From my observation, there are little groups that have their own ways forward.

There’s a faction striving to conserve something that’s largely already lost. I’ve observed individuals investing significant time, energy, and resources into exposing this dark takeover. The challenge lies in the fact that Minas Morgul operates outside conventional rules. Their values diverge sharply from yours. To effectively expose Minas Morgul, one would need to reveal their betrayal of their own stated objectives. Yet, as Tolkien cautioned, “it is perilous to study too deeply the arts of the Enemy, for good or for ill.”

Another faction wants to “RETVRN” to the Shire and just live quiet, peaceful, traditional lives. I find this strategy admirable and necessary in some ways, but this quietist strategy will also not work. If you think that the Black Lands is going to let you set on the margins in quietude, you’re mistaken. They’re gathering forces to prepare for a scourging.

That leaves us with the question: How shall we then live?

This essay builds upon my previous work where I discussed the need for a positive path forward. We require a way forward that unites Men of the West, along with hobbits, dwarves, and elves, in a unified stance against the impending threat of the dragon. This vision should be rooted in our rich ancient heritage while confidently propelling us into the future. I noticed in the comments a recurring theme of people desperately seeking direction. Some expressed sentiments like “we’re observing and waiting,” “we will need our own fellowship like those in Middle-earth,” and “standing alongside you.”

For those who are aligned with this vision, I have crafted a manifesto that is both Traditionalist and Futurist — a manifesto on Ancient-Future Christianity. It is a public declaration, a call to arms, for the Men of the West who are living in the shadows of the empire of nothing.

A Manifesto of Ancient-Future Christian Culture

For around a few years or so now, I have been thinking about and writing about the need of something like a Protestant Rivendell. A place where the lost lore of our enchanted tradition can live on. A homely house by Protestants and for Protestants. Lately, I’ve been thinking about the kind of culture something like this would demand. Here’s what I’ve come up with. In order to bring this Ancient-Future Culture into being, we must better describe what it is and what it is not.

Ancient-Future Culture is anchored in the wisdom of the past while embracing a forward-looking perspective. As pious followers of Christ, we are bound by duty — to our Lord, to our forebears who have gone before us, and to those who will follow after us to uphold right-order in the face of the imminent threat posed by the dragon and his Dark Sorcery.

Ancient-Future Culture submits to Christ as Lord, acknowledging Him and His Word as the fount of light that enables knowledge and reason (Col. 2:3). Submission to Christ fosters distinction, differentiation, and order. That means that what His Word says is what goes — there is no wiggling out of it.

Ancient-Future Culture regards the symbol of the tree as an ideal. A righteous man is likened to a tree (Ps. 1). He is deeply rooted, impervious to frost, reaching toward heaven to bring life back down to earth. He provides shade, abundant fruit, and sustenance to all. The tree signifies leadership, a symbol associated with Kings and the Men of the West for a reason. The Christian faith has many symbols, but this particular one is a potent ideal for the Men of the West in our time.

Ancient-Future Culture is inspired by the heroic, archetypal past found in the lives of the Saints in Great Tradition (Heb. 12:1). We are inspired by men who stood contra mundum against the dragons of his day like Saint Athanasius, men who drove the Irish serpent of Paganism into the sea like Saint Patrick, and men who slayed dragons like Saint George. The challenge of Ancient-Christian Culture is to remix the past and synthesize it into a vision of the future. It is a vision that is both Traditionalist and Futurist.

Ancient-Future Culture reveres the potency of common prayer and liturgical practices, endeavoring to infuse these traditions with contemporary voices. We draw wisdom from our ancestors' voices and strive to use ours to lead future generations towards God (Proverbs 23:10). Some of the most powerful cultural artifacts we have from our ancestors are their prayers and liturgics.

Ancient-Future Culture dives into themes of light prevailing over darkness, order triumphing over chaos, truth dispelling falsehood, goodness overcoming evil, beauty transcending ugliness, courage conquering fear, temperance reigning over passions, justice prevailing over evil, wisdom dispelling folly, faith dispelling doubt, hope triumphing over despair, and charity prevailing over hatred (Col. 2:3; Phil. 4:8). Exploring these themes publicly is filling the world with an exploration of the transcendentals, cardinal virtues, and theological virtues.

Aesthetically, Ancient-Future Culture aims to uplift, characterized by gravitas, luminosity, highness, nobility, action, and vitality. By creating artistic works that embody these elements, we are moving people to value light, heaven, right order, action, and life.

When Ancient-Future Culture dives into themes of darkness, chaos, and vice, Ancient-Future Culture does so in the context of identifying their opposites and providing constructive solutions. While Minas Morgul represents a formidable adversary, it is a dragon to be subdued and confronted — never worshipped or glorified. Ancient-Future Culture does not revel in the abyss. It is perilous to delve too deeply into the arts of the Enemy, for good or ill.

Ancient-Future Culture is not primarily a polemic. It is the positive act of creation that is bringing into being an ancient-future ideal. This act of creation embodies our ideals and aspirations, breathing life into a vision that honors our heritage while propelling us towards a future infused with hope and purpose.

Conclusion

As I conclude, I want to share with you a vision that is taking shape. I’m in the process of creating a fellowship, a meeting ground for an alliance. While crafting this manifesto, it became clear to me that there is a pressing need for a new movement or institution that can unite and empower those committed to preserving traditional Christian values while embracing a forward-looking perspective.

The time is now.

Rise up, Men of the West. Rise up, guardians and keepers of the sacred fire. Like pious Aeneas of old, you are duty-bound by your Creator — the Triune God — to carry your father (your past), your son (your future), and the sacred order of heaven, and to plant them in a new land.

Just as Rome emerged from the ashes of Troy to surpass Greece, so we will be planted anew, sowing the seeds of an Ancient-Future Christianity movement. We will not only establish new institutions and a vibrant culture but also illuminate the world with our values and ideals. Our art will inspire, our communities will flourish, and our way of life will beckon others to join our cause.

And when all the forces are finally gathered, the Black Tower will crumble before us, heralding the dawn of a new age in Church History — the age of the Renewed West. Together, we will reclaim and redefine what it means to be Men of the West, forging a legacy that echoes through eternity.

Every age has its dragon to conquer. Saint Athanasius stood contra mundum, facing his, Saint Patrick confronted his amidst the wilds of Ireland, and Saint George valiantly defeated his. In our time, the Black Tower looms before us, but we stand ready to confront and conquer this modern adversary, drawing strength from Christ and the courageous examples of those who came before us.