The Gentle Traditionalist Returns: A Catholic Knight's Tale from Ireland

Three years ago, the Gentle Traditionalist introduced the skeptical, secular Geoffrey to the Catholic Mystery. Now a convert, Geoffrey struggles to see with his reason what his wife Anna intuits to her horror: the steady possession of a once-Christian West by the twin forces of Secular Materialism and Secular Spiritualism—the New Secular Religion and New Age Religion. In Ireland, land of saints and scholars, the transformation is rapid and devastating: over 1,500 years of faith evaporating in just 50 years. Meanwhile, Anna’s cousin Brigid, who grew up Catholic, is now entangled with Gareth LightShadow, a slick salesman of post-Christian enlightenment—and a smooth operator with the ladies. The situation is desperate.

Enter Gilbert Tracey (the Gentle Traditionalist), who deftly exposes the contradictions, confusions, and lies within LightShadow’s shallow creed “Spiritual But Not Religious,” which brackets out sin and the Cross. In the process—and with unexpected visits from the Chesterbelloc and the mysterious Emperor of Christendom, no less—we are taken behind the scenes to the little-known but deeply influential promoters of (in GT’s words) “Eastern Occultism Without Christ.” We are left with no doubts: something profoundly disturbing, an epochal shift, is under way, driven by giant political and economic interests. It is time to wake up, time to see clearly, time to act.

“Those who were charmed by Roger Buck’s previous books—well, prepare to be charmed again, but also warned and given plenty of food for thought. This book strikes a more somber note, but one tuned to the timbre of our times. Read it and tune in.”—THOMAS STORCK

“Roger Buck’s character, the “Gentle Traditionalist,” returns with a vengeance in this stand-alone sequel. Set against the backdrop of modern Ireland’s headlong flight from sanity, this book skewers the modern malaise with the kind of sanity we have come to expect from this author.”—CHARLES COULOMBE

“The Gentle Traditionalist Returns is a welcome visit from an old friend. Roger Buck’s delightful narrative—as the title assures us—gently leads the reader into a new and refreshing perspective on the Catholic Mystery. An absolutely refreshing read!”—MICHAEL MARTIN

“Once again, Roger Buck has shown himself to be a prophet in the tradition of Ezekiel; he is the watchman on the wall. Buck’s experience as a convert from New Age activism has uniquely fitted him for this vocation.”—GERARD O’SHEA

“The Gentle Traditionalist Returns is not only a compelling story, but a brilliant diagnosis of the spiritual malaise of modern society, written with gentleness, generosity, humour, pathos … and, above all else, love.”—MAOLSHEACHLANN Ó CEALLAIGH