Mark Shea at his best

In a couple articles he wrote years ago, even before I began visiting his blog.  This one, from 2005, taking aim at the simplistic faith people have in the latest academic skeptic.   This one , from 2002, unpacking a historic understanding of traditions and Tradition.  It's worth noting that one is in the Imaginative Conservative, the only Conservative publication Mark references in a positive light, despite contributors to that publication advocating the very perspectives Mark calls down the hellfires of damnation on in other cases. Sad.  But the articles themselves remind me of happier times, when Mark Shea could truly unpack the Church's teachings with wit and restraint in such a way that this Protestant minster took notice.  You can see the positive, the affirming, the celebration of differences while desiring to explain them.  You can also see, without it being said, that this was a conservative Catholic making sure his faith wasn't compromised by holding to the wrong traditions. All that makes any apologist more than worth the money.

The Steve Martin article, FWIW, was one of the first I read, and it hooked me.  I still use Mark's example when I explain how much of the latest brilliance is really bunk.  It also had a hilarious picture from a Martin album from back in the day.  I thought the Martin cover gave it a special edge.

From the wit and wisdom of Mark Shea before he didn't change