Orbán said that whereas Hungary paid a high price for protecting the Christian family model instead of providing "room for LGBT madness," much more would be lost by abandoning these principles.Continue reading
In a Facebook post, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán shared four books which he believes are worth a read this summer.
The four books suggested by the Hungarian Prime Minister are stacked one on top of the other in the photo, with the simple caption of “Books to read this summer.”
Two of the books correlate directly with the Prime Minister’s politics, Christianity the topic of one and China the topic of another. The other two books are a bit more politically ambiguous, one related to technology and the other to happiness in Denmark. (For the purpose of this article, their titles have been translated to their original English versions.)
Is Technology Making us Sick?: A Primer for the 21st Century
Ian Douglas’ Is Technology Making us Sick? revolves around humanity’s interaction with modern technology over the last thirty years. His analysis looks at topics such as social media and video games’ impacts on self-esteem, brain development, anxiety levels, loneliness, depression, and personal relationships.
The book suggests ways to safely use technology without falling victim to the negative effects of the internet.
Chinese Mind: Understanding Traditional Chinese Beliefs and Their Influence on Contemporary Culture
Boyé Lafayette De Mente (1928-2017) wrote widely on Japan, China and Korea, working in East Asia first for the US Army Security Agency (1948-1952) and then as a journalist. Chinese Mind provides an overview of China’s traditions, history, and culture, providing an understanding of China’s business and social relationships, as well as the impact of Western culture. According to Tuttle Publishing, it is “perfect for the classroom, tourists or outsiders living or doing business in China.”
The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation
Rod Dreher’s The Benedict Option is a New York Times bestseller. In it, the conservative author provides a rallying cry to Christians, arguing that they need to learn how to fight in a “dark age” of rapidly secularizing culture.
Dreher says Christians need to take a step back, all the way to Saint Benedict of Nursia. Like St Benedict, Christians need to “retreat” into exile from mainstream culture and “construct a resilient counterculture.”
The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the Worlds Happiest Country
Helen Russell’s The Year of Living Danishly is a lighthearted record of the author’s one year trip to Denmark, the country which is considered to be the happiest in the world. Russel, a journalist from London, shows what the Danes do right, what they do wrong, and what we as the readers can take away from her whole experience in rural Jutland.
In the featured photo, the selected suggestions from Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Featured photo via Viktor Orbán’s Facebook page