Michael O'Brien (Canadian author)

Last updated
Michael O'Brien
BornMichael David O'Brien
1948 (age 74–75)
Occupation
  • Author
  • essayist
  • lecturer
NationalityCanadian

Michael David O'Brien (born 1948) is a Canadian author, artist, and essayist and lecturer on faith and culture. Born in Ottawa, he is self-taught, without an academic background. [1] [2] He writes and speaks on Catholic themes and topics, [3] [4] [2] and creates the cover art for his novels in a neo-Byzantine style. [5] [6] He lives with his family in Combermere, Ontario, Canada. [2]

Contents

O'Brien's books have been published in a number of foreign languages, including Croatian, Czech, French, German, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Spanish, and Swedish. [7]

Early life

O'Brien was born in Ottawa and lived in Kugluktuk (then known as Coppermine) from ages 12 to 16. He attended a residential school in Inuvik, where he says he was abused by a dormitory supervisor. He graduated from grade 12 at St Patrick's College High School only with difficulty. [8] As a youth, he was agnostic, leaning towards atheism, until his conversion to Catholicism when he was 21. He began to draw and paint shortly after, and had a successful gallery exhibition. Five years later, at the urging of his wife, he began to turn his artwork towards religious subjects. In 1994, at the age of 46, he began to write. [1]

Works

Fiction

Children of the Last Days series

Non-fiction

O'Brien's articles and lectures focus on his belief that Western civilization is in severe decline as well as heading towards a "New Totalitarianism". [21] [ better source needed ] A significant amount of his writing appeared first in Nazareth Journal, of which he was founding editor. [2]

O'Brien's book A Landscape with Dragons: The Battle for Your Child's Mind– described as controversial by its publisher – presents his concern that contemporary children's literature and culture has strayed from Christian ethics to a more pagan ideology where good and evil is not strongly defined. The book features O'Brien's examination of fantasy works ranging from C. S. Lewis's The Chronicles of Narnia and J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to Anne McCaffrey's Dragonriders of Pern . One of the book's central claims is that any story in which dragons are presented sympathetically rather than as forces of evil is implicitly anti-Christian because of the traditional use of the dragon as a symbol for Satan. [22]

O'Brien has been critical of J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, comparing it unfavourably with the work of Tolkien. [23]

O'Brien's non-fiction works include:

Publishers

Much of O'Brien's non-fiction, and some of his fiction, has been published by Justin Press, a Catholic publishing house in Ottawa founded in 2009. [27] The majority of his fiction, and some of his non-fiction, has been published by Ignatius Press, a Catholic publishing house founded in 1974 in San Francisco. [28]

Other books by O'Brien have been published by Wiseblood Books [29] and one of its imprints, Divine Providence Press. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Book of Revelation</span> Last book of the New Testament

The Book of Revelation, also erroneously called the Book of Revelations, is the final book of the New Testament. Written in Koine Greek, its title is derived from the first word of the text: apokalypsis, meaning 'unveiling' or 'revelation'. The Book of Revelation is the only apocalyptic book in the New Testament canon. It occupies a central place in Christian eschatology.

Christian eschatology, a major branch of study within Christian theology, deals with the doctrine of the "last things", especially the Second Coming of Christ, or Parousia. Eschatology – the word derives from two Greek roots meaning "last" (ἔσχατος) and "study" (-λογία) – involves the study of "end things", whether of the end of an individual life, of the end of the age, of the end of the world, or of the nature of the Kingdom of God. Broadly speaking, Christian eschatology focuses on the ultimate destiny of individual souls and of the entire created order, based primarily upon biblical texts within the Old and New Testaments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tiburtine Sibyl</span> Roman Sibyl

The Tiburtine Sibyl or Albunea was a Roman sibyl, whose seat was the ancient Etruscan town of Tibur.

Laurence Michael Yep is an American writer. He is known for his children's books, having won the Newbery Honor twice for his Golden Mountain series. In 2005, he received the biennial Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal for his career contribution to American children's literature.

<i>Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH</i> 1971 novel by Robert C. OBrien

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH is a 1971 children's science fiction/fantasy book by Robert C. O'Brien, with illustrations by Zena Bernstein. The novel was published by the New York City publishing house Atheneum Books.

The Odes of Solomon are a collection of 42 odes attributed to Solomon. The Odes are generally dated to either the first century or to the second century, although a few scholars have suggested a later date. The original language of the Odes is thought to have been either Greek or Syriac, and the majority of scholars believe it to have been written by a Christian, likely a convert from the Essene community to Christianity, because it contains multiple similarities to writings found in Qumran. Some have argued that the writer had even personally seen the Apostle John. A minority of scholars have suggested a Gnostic origin, but this theory is not widely supported.

Ignatius Press is a Catholic publishing house based in San Francisco, California, US. It was founded in 1978 by Father Joseph Fessio, a former pupil of Pope Benedict XVI. Ignatius Press also produces The Catholic World Report, Homiletic and Pastoral Review, Ignatius Insight and the blog Ignatius Insight Scoop. It is named after Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order.

In Christian eschatology, historicism is a method of interpretation of biblical prophecies which associates symbols with historical persons, nations or events. The main primary texts of interest to Christian historicists include apocalyptic literature, such as the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation. It sees the prophecies of Daniel as being fulfilled throughout history, extending from the past through the present to the future. It is sometimes called the continuous historical view. Commentators have also applied historicist methods to ancient Jewish history, to the Roman Empire, to Islam, to the Papacy, to the Modern era, and to the end time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Papal supremacy</span> Doctrine that the Pope has supreme power over the whole Church

Papal supremacy is the doctrine of the Catholic Church that the Pope, by reason of his office as Vicar of Christ, the visible source and foundation of the unity both of the bishops and of the whole company of the faithful, and as pastor of the entire Catholic Church, has full, supreme, and universal power over the whole church, a power which he can always exercise unhindered: that, in brief, "the Pope enjoys, by divine institution, supreme, full, immediate, and universal power in the care of souls."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woman of the Apocalypse</span> Figure described in Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation

The Woman of the Apocalypse is a figure–often considered to be a reference to the Virgin Mary in Catholic theology–described in Chapter 12 of the Book of Revelation.

Louis Bouyer, CO, was a French Catholic priest and former Lutheran minister who was received into the Catholic Church in 1939. During his religious career he was an influential theological thinker, especially in the fields of history, liturgy and spirituality, and as peritus helped shape the vision of the Second Vatican Council. Along with Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, Hans Urs von Balthasar, and others, he was a co-founder of the international review Communio. He was chosen by the pope to be part of a team to initiate the International Theological Commission in 1969.

The Apocalypse of Elijah is an early Christian work written in the Coptic language commonly held to be a documentation of the oral presentation of multiple original and classical manuscripts. Presented in part as the direct word of the Hebrew God, Yahweh, to the biblical prophet Elijah, from where its name is derived, the text includes a short commentary on some early Christian fasting and prayer disciplines, a prophetic message about the kingdoms of Assyria and Egypt, and accounts of the presentation of the antichrist, his encounters with Elijah and Enoch, and his ultimate demise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Beast (Revelation)</span> Character in the Book of Revelation

The Beast may refer to one of two beasts described in the Book of Revelation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antichrist</span> Figure in the Bible

In Christian eschatology, the Antichrist refers to people prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus Christ and substitute themselves in Christ's place before the Second Coming. The term Antichrist is found four times in the New Testament, solely in the First and Second Epistle of John. The Antichrist is announced as the one "who denies the Father and the Son."

The concept of the Antichrist has been a vigorous one throughout Christian history, and there are many references to it and to associated concepts both in the Bible and in subsequent ecclesiastical writings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Church Fathers</span> Group of ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers

The Church Fathers, Early Church Fathers, Christian Fathers, or Fathers of the Church were ancient and influential Christian theologians and writers who established the intellectual and doctrinal foundations of Christianity. The historical period in which they worked became known as the Patristic Era and spans approximately from the late 1st to mid-8th centuries, flourishing in particular during the 4th and 5th centuries, when Christianity was in the process of establishing itself as the state church of the Roman Empire.

<i>Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist</i> 1950 book by Walter Kaufmann

Nietzsche: Philosopher, Psychologist, Antichrist is a book about the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche by the philosopher Walter Kaufmann. The book, first published by Princeton University Press, was influential and is considered a classic study. Kaufmann has been credited with helping to transform Nietzsche's reputation after World War II by dissociating him from Nazism, and making it possible for Nietzsche to be taken seriously as a philosopher. However, Kaufmann has been criticized for presenting Nietzsche as an existentialist, and for other details of his interpretation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dale Ahlquist</span> American author

Dale Ahlquist is an American author and advocate of the thought of G. K. Chesterton. Ahlquist is the president and co-founder of the American Chesterton Society and the publisher of its magazine, Gilbert. He is also the co-founder of Chesterton Academy, a Catholic high school in Minneapolis.

Historicism is a method of interpretation in Christian eschatology which associates biblical prophecies with actual historical events and identifies symbolic beings with historical persons or societies; it has been applied to the Book of Revelation by many writers. The Historicist view follows a straight line of continuous fulfillment of prophecy which starts in Daniel's time and goes through John of Patmos' writing of the Book of Revelation all the way to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malachi 4</span> Fourth chapter of the Book of Malachi or the Old Testament

Malachi 4 is the fourth chapter of the Book of Malachi in the Hebrew Bible or the final chapter in the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. This book contains the prophecies attributed to the prophet Malachi, and is a part of the Book of the Twelve Minor Prophets.

References

  1. 1 2 Larminat, Astrid De (November 15, 2012). "Michael D. O'Brien, un prophète venu du Canada". Le Figaro (in French). Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Tischler, Nancy M. (2009). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Fiction: From C.S. Lewis to Left Behind. ABC-CLIO. ISBN   978-0-313-34568-5.
  3. ↑ Gyapong, Deborah (2017-08-21). "Man needs beauty out of hunger for God, says author". Catholic Register. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  4. ↑ "Artist and novelist Michael O'Brien to keynote at conference" . Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  5. ↑ Beeler, Killian (2014-01-28). "StudiO'Brien: the contemporary Catholic artist | The University News". The University News. University of Dallas. Archived from the original on 2020-12-04. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  6. ↑ "New Book Features Religious Art of Michael O'Brien". ZENIT - English. 2020-02-20. Retrieved 2020-04-19.
  7. ↑ Bastien, Richard. "Biography of Michael O'Brien details a creative life full of joys and sorrows". Catholic Education Resource Center. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  8. ↑ Harvey, Bob (23 November 1997). "Valley home to 'Canada's Dostoyevsky'". Ottawa Citizen . pp.  1, 2.
  9. ↑ "Review". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  10. ↑ "Bestselling Catholic Fiction Writer Michael O'Brien releases 'Theophilos'". The Catholic Advance. Wichita, Kansas. 2010-05-21. p. 12 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Review". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2020-04-18.
  12. ↑ Kreeft, Peter (December 2013). "Voyage to Alpha Centauri". The American Spectator. 46 (10): 3 – via Gale Literature Resource Center.
  13. ↑ Salai, Sean (2014-07-16). "Writing for the Eschaton: Q&A with Author Michael D. O'Brien". America - The Jesuit Review.
  14. ↑ Woodard, Joe (1996-07-15). "A disturbingly immediate Apocalypse: If its thesis is wrong, a new Canadian novel may one day rank as a religious classic". Alberta Report / Newsmagazine. 23 (31) – via EBSCO.
  15. ↑ Coren, Michael (September 1997). "At Large - Far from the Madding Crowd". Books in Canada .
  16. ↑ Cavallin, Clemens (2022-12-19). "Tragedy and the Cross: The Role of Suffering in Michael D. O'Brien's Novels". The European Conservative.
  17. ↑ Pearce, Joseph (2023-02-19). "Father Elijah in a Nutshell". Crisis Magazine.
  18. ↑ Hudak, Melissa (1997-02-01). "Strangers and Sojourners". Library Journal. 122 (2): 66 – via Gale Literature Resource Center.
  19. ↑ Mort, John (June 1, 1998). "Eclipse of the Sun". Booklist. 94 (19–20): 1728 – via Gale Literature Resource Center.
  20. ↑ Sibley, Robert (2001-02-22). "The Apocalypse has begun". Report / Newsmagazine (Alberta Edition). 28– via EBSCO.
  21. ↑ "Book Review: The Family and the New Totalitarianism", Ricochet (September 9, 2019)
  22. ↑ Good, Laurel (June 21, 2012), "Landscape with Dragons", The Imaginative Conservative .
  23. ↑ Miesel, Sandra and O'Brien, Michael "Tolkien and Rowling: Common Ground" (letter to editor and response) Catholic Education Resource Center
  24. ↑ Bowles, Anastasia (1994-05-09). "How the dragons got so friendly: An artist warns of the merging of good and evil in children's literature and film". Alberta Report / Newsmagazine. 21 (21) – via EBSCO.
  25. ↑ Baker, Marilyn (Winter 2015). "William Kurelek: painter & prophet". Manitoba History (77): 46–47 – via EBSCO.
  26. ↑ Wald, Jeffrey (March–April 2019). "Wake-Up Call: The Apocalypse: Warning, Hope & Consolation by Michael D. O'Brien". Touchstone: A Journal of Mere Christianity. 32 (2): 57–58 – via EBSCO.
  27. ↑ "About" Justin Press website
  28. ↑ "About Us" Ignatius Press website
  29. ↑ Wiseblood Books website
  30. ↑ Divine Providence Press website

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.