A native of England, Joseph Pearce is Director of Book Publishing at the Augustine Institute, editor of the St. Austin Review, series editor of the Ignatius Critical Editions, senior instructor with Homeschool Connections, and senior contributor at the Imaginative Conservative.
The internationally acclaimed author of many books, which include bestsellers such as The Quest for Shakespeare, Tolkien: Man and Myth, The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, C. S. Lewis and The Catholic Church, Literary Converts, Wisdom and Innocence: A Life of G.K. Chesterton, Solzhenitsyn: A Soul in Exile and Old Thunder: A Life of Hilaire Belloc. Joseph Pearce is a world-recognized biographer of modern Christian literary figures. His books have been published and translated into Spanish, Portuguese, French, Dutch, Italian, Korean, Mandarin and Polish.
Pearce has hosted two 13-part television series about Shakespeare on EWTN, and has also written and presented documentaries on EWTN on the Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings.
Pearce has participated and lectured at a wide variety of international and literary events at major colleges and universities in the U.S., Canada, Britain, Europe, Africa and South America. He is also a regular guest on national and international television and radio programs, and has served as consultant for film documentaries on J.R.R. Tolkien and Alexander Solzhenitsyn.
Talks / Presentations:
-The Meaning of Progress: Or Why Progressives are Enemies of Progress: Does human society really progress? If so, how does it progress and what constitutes true progress. Professor Pearce illustrates that there is no progress without virtue and without a due respect for the wisdom of the ages. In turning their backs on the lessons of the past, and the truths of religion, today’s “progressives” are responsible for the decline of civilization and the rise of human misery in the modern world.
-The Catholicism of The Hobbit: Tolkien’s classic book The Hobbit is now being released as a movie by Pater Jackson, the producer who made the movie versions of The Lord of the Rings. Professor Pearce, the author of a book on the hidden meaning of The Hobbit, explains why the book is as “fundamentally Catholic” as is The Lord of the Rings.
-Unlocking the Catholicism of The Lord of the Rings: Tolkien described The Lord of the Rings as “a fundamentally religious and Catholic work”. Joseph Pearce unlocks the Catholic symbolism that allows Tolkien’s epic to be read and understood on the deepest level of religious significance.
-From the Hell of Hatred to the Well of Mercy: Joseph Pearce relates his own personal conversion story. Hear him tell the story of his journey from the hatred of racism in a white supremacist organization, the hatred of anti-Catholicism with the Loyalist terrorist groups in Northern Ireland, and his two prison sentences for inciting racial hatred. Learn how he came to a belief in Christ and His Church.
-The Catholic Cultural Revival: Many of the greatest works of literature over the past two centuries have been written by Catholics, many of whom were converts to the Faith. Discover these great works of literature in this introduction to the Catholic Cultural Revival and learn how to teach these priceless jewels of culture to your children.
-The Quest for Shakespeare: Revealing his Catholicism: Shakespeare is arguably the greatest writer who ever lived. Now the secular culture is facing the shocking evidence that the Bard of Avon was a lifelong Catholic who resisted the anti-Catholic persecution of Elizabethan England and who weaved his Catholicism into his plays and poems. Discover the evidence that proves beyond any reasonable doubt that Shakespeare was a Catholic.
-The Evangelizing Power of Beauty: Converting the Culture: In an age which has turned its back on faith and reason, on the treasures of truth to be found in theology and philosophy, the power of beauty has become one of the greatest weapons in evangelizing the culture. Discover how the beauty of Catholic art and culture can win souls for Christ and His Church.
-Solzhenitsyn: One Man’s Triumph over Big Government and Secular Fundamentalism: The great Soviet dissident Alexander Solzhenitsyn defied the might of the communist empire and played a crucial role alongside John Paul II in the ending of Marxist tyranny in eastern Europe. Professor Pearce met Solzhenitsyn in Moscow and wrote a bestselling biography of the great Russian Nobel Prize Winner. Pearce explains why Solzhenitsyn’s life and work provide priceless lessons for today’s beleaguered culture.
-The Humour and Humility of G. K. Chesterton: Champion of Orthodoxy: As the author of a best-selling biography of Chesterton, Professor Pearce is uniquely qualified to explain why Chesterton was described by Pope Pius XI as a “defender of the Faith”.
-The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde: Vilified by fellow Victorians for his sexuality and his dandyism, Oscar Wilde is often hailed today as a “progressive” sexual liberator. Professor Pearce, author of The Unmasking of Oscar Wilde, strips away the many masks that Wilde wore to show the real man and his deepest aspirations and desires. This powerful and controversial talk uncovers how Wilde’s “heart of stone” was broken by the two year prison sentence and probes the deeper thinking behind his many works, including the lingering influence of his love affair with the Catholic Church.
