Matt Thorne, Author at Catholic Herald

Matt Thorne

The secular relics of the High Priest of Pop

December 14, 2017

Prince was a deeply religious man, although his beliefs developed throughout his life. Born into a family of practising Seventh Day Adventists, his time spent at a local church gave him the interest in Bible study that shaped his life and work, eventually leading him to become a Jehovah’s Witness. Since his death in 2016,

The most shocking act of Dylan’s career

November 29, 2017

From a 21st-century perspective, it seems extraordinary that a rock star announcing a new-found belief in Jesus could ever have been controversial. Most popular hip hop and R&B stars end their album acknowledgements with a thank you to God, and even alternative musicians with an interest in the darker side of life (such as Nick

A grave tale marred by cop show shenanigans

July 06, 2017

Crimes of the Father by Thomas Keneally, Sceptre, £18.99 Novelists generally fall into two categories: those who need to research their books and those who believe that going to the library or using journalistic techniques is cheating. Some novelists, notoriously, change approach midway through career, like the late Beryl Bainbridge, who used up all her

Can artists thrive in the internet age?

May 25, 2017

Move Fast and Break Things By Jonathan Taplin, Macmillan, £18.99 The problem with most books on culture, creativity and media trends is that they’re generally written by authors with a good sense of business (and personal brand management), but no real understanding of what it means to be an artist. They focus only on the

Bible translation is no longer a risky business

May 19, 2016

The Murderous History of Bible Translations by Harry Freedman Bloomsbury, £20 Harry Freedman’s new book is tremendous fun. It will probably be best enjoyed by readers with Greek, Latin and a strong knowledge of history. But even the most erudite reader might feel frustrated at what has been lost to the world. For instance, the

‘Adapt or perish’ in a soulless tomorrow

March 31, 2016

The Industries of the Future by Alec Ross Simon and Schuster, £20 Religion, Alec Ross suggests in his intriguing new book, plays an important part in shaping our attitudes to robots. The ancient Shinto religion, practised by four-fifths of the Japanese, includes a belief in animism, which holds that objects have spirits. This means, Ross

‘Adapt or perish’ in a soulless tomorrow

March 31, 2016

The Industries of the Future: By Alec Ross, Simon and Schuster, £20

A hand-grenade of horror from India

September 24, 2015

Sleeping on Jupiter BY ANURADHA ROY, MACLEHOSE PRESS , £16.99 Winning a major literary award can still transform an author’s life, but longlists and shortlists are mainly of value to readers. Although the reader who limited himself to reading Man Booker Prize-winners would come away with a curious sense of the literary landscape, over the

Book review: The painter, the scientist and their curious world

June 18, 2015

A book on Johannes Vermeer and Antoni van Leeuwenhoekr is a reminder of a time when theology, arts and science went hand in hand

Book Review: How Hitchcock’s films were shaped by Jesuits

April 16, 2015

An even-handed study of Alfred Hitchcock's cinema highlights the great director's Catholic worldview

Book Review: Why Evelyn Waugh wanted Thomas Merton to shut up

April 02, 2015

The English literary master first championed the spirited Trappist monk and then grew tired of him

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