Catholic William F. Buckley, Jr.

William F. Buckley, Jr. was a prominent conservative American political commentator who was known for his rhetorical brilliance and frequent wit. In his eighty-two- plus years, he founded National Review, wrote fifty-five books, thousands of columns, hosted hundreds of Firing Line television shows, and became recognized as the founder of the modern conservative movement. The first major conference on William F. Buckley, Jr. was convened by the Portsmouth Institute, in 2009, specifically to explore the role William F. Buckley, Jr.'s Catholic faith played in the formation of his thought and work. This volume of the Portsmouth Review, edited by Portsmouth Institute director James MacGuire, contains the proceedings of that conference with contributions by James L. Buckley, Peter Flanigan, Father George Rutler, Maggie Gallagher, Kathryn Jean Lopez, Roger Kimball, Joseph Bottum, E.J. Dionne, Lee Edwards, Clark Judge and Neal Freeman. There are additional articles by Christopher Buckley and Doms Damian Kearney and Paschal Scotti O.S.B.

William F. Buckley, Jr., though blessed with an impervious faith, was not always predictable in his Catholic views. He resisted reforms of Vatican II, questioned many of the Church’s teachings, and was the first to confess that he was no theologian. With all this in mind, The Catholic William F. Buckley Jr. is an essential resource for understanding what animated and inspired one of the great public intellectuals of the second half of the 20st century.

The Portsmouth Institute is an annual conference and retreat for all those interested in Catholic life, leadership, and service in the twenty-first century. The conference is convened at the prestigious Portsmouth Abbey School. Past conferences have covered a range of topics, such as The Catholic Shakespeare and Newman and the Intellectual Tradition. Visit www.portsmouthinstitute.org for information on upcoming conferences.

James P. MacGuire is the director of the Portsmouth Institute, a longtime publishing, television and new media executive, and the author or co-author of ten books.