Peter Robinson interviews Fresno State Classicist Bruce Thornton about his new book Decline and Fall: Europe's Slow Suicide.
Filmed on March 06, 2008
Bruce S. Thornton is a professor in the classical studies program at California State University, Fresno.
In his new book, Decline and Fall: Europe’s Slow Motion Suicide, Bruce Thornton asserts that Europe has turned its back on the Western tradition to which it owes its greatness. It has abandoned pride in the nation, discarded traditional Christianity, and, in so doing, is without unifying values, ideals, and beliefs. But if Europe is still democratic, and if it still embraces the free market, why should anyone care that Judaeo-Christian religious beliefs are slipping away. The answer lies in the coinciding rise of radical Islam. (35:45)
Guests:
Bruce Thornton
Bruce S. Thornton is a professor in the classical studies program at California State University, Fresno. His latest book, Decline and Fall: Europe’s Slow Motion Suicide, follows (among others) Bonfire of the Humanities, Greek Ways: How the Greeks Created Western Civilization, Humanities Handbook, and Eros the Killer: The Myth of Ancient Greek Sexuality. He has written numerous essays for a wide variety of publications, including National Review Online, Heterodoxy, the National Herald, the Washington Times, the Los Angeles Times, Helios, and the American Journal of Philology.
