Czechoslovakia

Passing the Baton
Passing the Baton

As the generation that grew up in and saw the collapse of the USSR, Generation X is uniquely positioned to lead the US as it drifts into the second Cold War.

Marksism: Memorial Day, Czech Anti-Hatred, Russian Orthodoxy & Just War

Providence editors Mark Tooley and Marc LiVecche discuss Abigail Lindner and Eric Patterson’s article on G.K. Chesterton and war memorials, Lubomir Ondrasek’s piece on Czech leader Vaclav Havel’s warning against hatred, and Lee Trepanier’s counsel for how Russian Orthodoxy, lacking the Just War tradition, can oppose injustice with church teaching on personhood.

Extending Love in Response to Hatred and Humiliation
Extending Love in Response to Hatred and Humiliation

“Truth and love must prevail over lies and hatred!” is how Václav Havel ended his speech to a crowd of freedom-longing people gathered in Prague on December 10, 1989. This statement was one of the slogans of the Velvet Revolution and embodied the overall spirit of this unparalleled historical event.

Choosing Courage at the Time of Cowardice, Opportunism, and Adversity - Václav Havel
Choosing Courage at the Time of Cowardice, Opportunism, and Adversity

The courage of Václav Havel was grounded in a sense of responsibility for promoting ideals and values that transcend material goods, confront human decadence, and endure beyond our earthly existence.

Living in Truth Amid Ideological Falsehood and Political Hypocrisy
Living in Truth Amid Ideological Falsehood and Political Hypocrisy

Living in truth was Václav Havel’s basic answer to the problem of falsehood, one of the defining characteristics of the ideology and regime that ruled Czechoslovakia until 1989.

Václav Havel: A Prophet to America
Václav Havel: A Prophet to America

The prophet Václav Havel wants Americans to know that there is an important connection between remembering God and living in freedom.

Freedom in America: Long Taken for Granted, Now in Need of Defending
Freedom in America: Long Taken for Granted, Now in Need of Defending

Someone like me who once lived in a totalitarian society finds it surprising and troubling that so many American churches have defined their mission as “to work for peace and justice in our world” but have neglected the defense of freedom as an essential part of their public ministry.

A Christmas Tribute to America
A Christmas Tribute to America

In short, America—and good, decent people who live here—has allowed me to become who I am and gave me everything I have. I doubt my story would be possible in any other country, but even if it was, it happened here.

Afterthoughts on the Farewell Address: Washington's Wisdom
Afterthoughts on the Farewell Address: Washington’s Wisdom

In this convicting article, originally published in Christianity and Crisis on March 8, 1943, Editor Howard C. Robbins decries isolationism as the ideology of less prosperous and influential times. He exhorts the United States to assume the responsibility demanded of a large nation-state and work to “end international anarchy.” Evoking the spirit of George Washington’s Farewell Address, Robbins pleads the United States to embrace a central role in international politics. Furthermore, he implores the American public to follow in Washington’s footsteps by shedding partisan politics.