Not Forgotten: Elegies For, and Reminiscences Of, a Diverse Cast of Characters, Most of Them Admirable Paperback – 19 Jan. 2021

It's a present and I'm sure he will like it

George Weigel is a public intellectual (which he explains in this book) who is best known for hisbiographies of Pope St. John Paul II. This one resembles another Catholic George, Fr. Rutler, whohad one called "Dead People I Knew When They Were Alive". Weigel is quite a socialite and knewmost of these people, but a few were known only from a distance. Weigel's interests in ideas andpeople involve a mix of religion, politics, culture, diplomacy, science, literature etc.This book will give you a sense of Weigel's take on the world. As Paul Ricoeur put it, the person'sown self is developed through the experience of others. Catholics and others who are familiarwith Weigel will find a familiar voice. But if you don't know George, I would recommend beginningwith Cube and the Cathedral. That will give you an idea of how he thinks and whether you identifywith it. As elsewhere, his reflections promote democracy, human rights, diplomacy, and an activistforeign policy. Weigel is a "neocon" both theologically and politically. Theologically, his viewscome out in Ironies of Modern Catholic History. Politically, he explains the deep influence of NormanPodhoretz, Midge Decter, Irving Kristol, and Gertrude Himmelfarb, who are the deepest innercircle of the neocons. (Bill Kristol is the son of Irving and Gertrude or Bea Kristol). He doesn'tlike applying political labels to theology or ecclesiology, and I get that, but most of the debateshere can be described in those terms. He has a quirky, nerdy sort of intellectual humor, yourmileage may vary.For most Weigel fans, the connection will be with Catholic matters. And so there are reminiscences of Cardinal Avery Dulles, Cardinal Francis George, Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, Andrew Greeley, Paul Mankowski, James Schall, Michael Novak, and the convert from Lutheranism Richard John Neuhaus, as well as the Lutheran sociologist Peter Berger. Novak and Neuhaus are particularly important for the neocon social thought of the past three or four decades. Foreign leaders include Vaclav Havel, Anwar Sadat and a number of lesser known figures (at least to me) in diplomacy and other affairs. Weigelremembers the singer Pete Seeger and athletes like Frank Robinson, Jackie Robinson, Earl Weaver, Johnny Unitas (not a full article but in relation to others). In the realm of science there is the legendary Albert Einstein, where Weigel defends his intuition that "God doesn't play dice" that kept him from further developments in quantum physics. In literature there are Tom Wolfe and Flannery O'Connor (who was also a theologian of sorts).The other great topic is politics, and there are Charles Krauthammer, Pat Moynihan, SargentShriver, Scoop Jackson, Lindy Boggs, Cokie Roberts, Henry Hyde, and of course William F. Buckley.Weigel is a fairly standard conservative, and notes the importance of the early 90s when the UNwas going to define abortion as a human right. He is more of a globalist than I am, so this is reallya central topic to him. The Clintons seem to get under his skin more than Obama, where for meit's the opposite (well, at least for Bill).The vast majority of these were personal acquaintances, and there are a lot of interesting stories.For instance, I thought, what can I find out new about Fr. Neuhaus? Well, he likes goofy comediestoo including Talladega Nights and Ricky Bobby. For conservative Catholics, all the usual suspectshave books out, Scott Hahn, Peter Kreeft, Abp. Charles Chaput. I'm sure these are all worthwhile.Chaput, for instance, had good reflections on nationalism, patriotism and populism that show hewas in tension with Trumpism, but certainly got the anti-elitist aspect. But I can't read or review themall. What changed my mind here was the memory of our mutual friend Leonard Klein, such a wonderful mentor for my classmates in the seminary.Weigel isn't big on the Benedict Option, and vice versa. But surely he and Rod Dreher agree as much as they disagree about our contemporary problems, and should discuss them.