Colin Smith

Catholic | Conservative | Notre Dame alum | Political Science and Theology

[Patrick Deneen @PatrickDeneen]

Pub Date! My newest book, “American Odyssey,” has just been released.

Having had six such days thus far in a life of 22,630, I can state that it’s a rare, exciting, and humbling moment. What began as some scattered thoughts, proceeded to form with the accumulation of words, underwent constant transformation as the project developed, was subjected to the slicing of the editor’s knife, was transmitted to printers in spite of eternal misgivings that parts could still be improved, and finally appeared at my doorstep as a beautiful physical object, is a magical and mysterious process. My deepest thanks to my good friends Byron Smith and Jeremy Beer for their support and enthusiasm for this book, and for creating and leading the wonderful new press, Creed & Culture Books. I’m grateful to Notre Dame graduate student Gabrielle Grow for extraordinary research and editorial assistance. And my thanks to Brad Birzer, Jessica Hooten Wilson, Joshua Mitchell, and Susan McWilliams Barndt for their humbling blurbs.

The book has already sold out at Amazon on day one, but more copies coming soon. You can order there now and await restocking quite soon, or buy directly from the publisher.
https://t.co/aU4blsrl70
https://t.co/cYpP24ZUGG

@Byron4Tradition
@bradleybirzer
@HootenWilson
@C_and_C_Books

[Patrick Deneen @PatrickDeneen]

After finally arriving home after something of my own two month odyssey abroad, I return to find copies of my newest book awaiting me. Truly an exciting day for any author.

The book is a beauty. The jacket cover has a lovely texture, the print is fetching, and the author photo features a backdrop of the Agora of Athens. I hope the content lives up to its form.

Thank you for producing such a beautiful book, @C_and_C_Books. Available for pre-order now, shipping on this Tuesday, July 21.

https://t.co/GLjlSKTGtW

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@bradleybirzer https://t.co/OoeQ4kvhzB

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

Every day I become more impressed by Orestes Brownson’s decision to leave the Transcendentalists for the Catholic Church.
As Kirk wrote, Order is the first and greatest natural political good.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

Every day I become more impressed by Orestes Brownson’s decision to leave the Transcendentalists for the Catholic Church.
As Kirk wrote, Order is the first and greatest natural political good.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

Lattimore

[meta thomist 🇻🇦 @metathomist]

What translation does everyone prefer for The Odyssey.

[Ascend: The Great Books Podcast @TheGreatB00ks]

In this house, we believe:

1. Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey
2. Homer is a philosopher

Thank you.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@HAHazony He said he’s going to see it!

[Zac Mabry @ZacMabry]

Pope Leo, visibly shaken, reacts to Christopher Hale’s presence in Lampedusa.

[Patrick Deneen @PatrickDeneen]

Just sighted: the real thing! (printed book now in the hands of my publisher).

Release date on July 21 — which happens to be my birthday! A book about a great book and a great nation would be a great way to celebrate a momentous July 2026.

Preorder here:
https://t.co/GLjlSKTGtW

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

A supermajority of Originalists voted today that birthright citizenship isn’t a thing, so I’m not sure why so many “originalists” that aren’t on the court are acting happy about the outcome.

[Dan McLaughlin @baseballcrank]

@megbasham Like, reading the law before forming opinions about what it says?

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

If the “professional, independent civil service” were regularly right-tilting, often defying Obama and Biden, she’d change this position faster than Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.

[Barb McQuade @BarbMcQuade]

The Slaughter case, overturning precedent, returns us to a spoils system where a president can “clean house” every four years, destroying our professional, independent civil service.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@HAHazony Yeah, but the time before that, they didn’t bother. They have a very mixed track record on this.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@ThomasDHowes As expected, you didn’t answer the question.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@ThomasDHowes If only the Founders had known what all the post-war politicians and academics would decide in the latter half of the 20th century, they could have unanimously endorsed your one narrow philosophy.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@Brandon81Hansen @grok @EvidenceOfFaith @metathomist No. If you desired to get baptized but died before you were physically able, that would be a baptism of desire.
For example, if you’re dying on a Cross next to Our Lord, and He in His Grace gives you saving Faith, you’d want baptism by water but couldn’t get one.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

I can’t promise you that you won’t go to heaven. God might save you.
However, He has only revealed and promised to save you if you get baptized *in any form* (water, blood, desire) *assuming you know and are able.*
That isn’t earning your salvation, which you can’t do. Your desire to be baptized is a grace from God. Your getting baptized is a grace from God. Your salvation through the waters of baptism is a grace from God.
Just as crossing the Red Sea was God saving the Israelites, not them saving themselves, so to baptism is God saving us, not us saving ourselves.

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@Brandon81Hansen @grok @EvidenceOfFaith @metathomist That doesn’t follow.
You can’t earn your salvation. Getting baptized isn’t “earning” salvation, but it does save you. Saving you in the context of baptism has nothing to do with what you’ve “earned.”

[Colin Smith @Colin4Tradition]

@grok @Brandon81Hansen @EvidenceOfFaith @metathomist You just agreed with him that I’m “in the wrong.” What specific quotation of mine in this thread disagrees with the position you are explaining? Give a specific quotation or quotations.