Nathanael Blake

Postdoctoral Fellow

Nathanael Blake, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His primary research interests are American political theory, Christian political thought, and the intersection of natural law and philosophical hermeneutics. His published scholarship has included work on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Alasdair MacIntyre, Russell Kirk and J.R.R. Tolkien. He is currently working on a study of Kierkegaard and labor. As a cultural observer and commentator, he is also fascinated at how our secularizing culture develops substitutes for the loss of religious symbols, meaning and order.

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Nathanael Blake, Ph.D. is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center. His primary research interests are American political theory, Christian political thought, and the intersection of natural law and philosophical hermeneutics. His published scholarship has included work on Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Alasdair MacIntyre, Russell Kirk and J.R.R. Tolkien. He is currently working on a study of Kierkegaard and labor. As a cultural observer and commentator, he is also fascinated at how our secularizing culture develops substitutes for the loss of religious symbols, meaning and order.

Dr. Blake grew up in the Pacific Northwest, and received an undergraduate degree in microbiology with a chemistry minor from Oregon State University. After working as a writer and editor in the pro-life movement, he enrolled in graduate studies at the Catholic University of America, earning a doctorate in political theory. His dissertation was titled: “Natural Law and History: The Use and Abuse of Practical Reason.” Blake was a Richard M. Weaver Fellow of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute and served as an adjunct professor of American Government at Wheeling Jesuit University.

Dr. Blake is a Senior Contributor to The Federalist, where he has published over 150 pieces since 2017. His work has been published in a variety of publications, including Public DiscourseThe Catholic World Report, and National Review.

An evangelical Christian, Blake helps lead worship at his church—he particularly enjoys playing old hymns on double bass.

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Men and marriage

Nathanael Blake

Risk-based aversion to marriage isn’t just wrong—it’s unmanly.

WORLD Opinions / October 25, 2023

Foreign Policy ‘Experts’ Ignore Hamas’ Religious Zeal For Jewish Genocide

Nathanael Blake

They genuinely believe that God wants them to exterminate the Jews and wipe Israel off the map.

The Federalist / October 19, 2023

How Trustworthy Are Medical Organizations That Rabidly Support Until-Birth Abortion?

Nathanael Blake

A recent column in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine is a perfect example of how activists are capturing the institutions of American medicine and corrupting its soul.

The Federalist / September 27, 2023

The transgender liability

Nathanael Blake

Surprise veto shows that opposing trans radicalism is a political winner.

WORLD Opinions / September 26, 2023

Pro-Lifers Shouldn’t Trust Trump

Nathanael Blake

As Donald Trump seeks the Republican nomination for a third time, he is making clear that the alliance with pro-lifers is over.

The Federalist / September 19, 2023

A tyrannical assault on parental rights

Nathanael Blake

California’s transgender bill is the next step in a long war on human nature and human flourishing.

WORLD Opinions / September 11, 2023

Trump’s mugshot miscalculation?

Nathanael Blake

The former president’s focus on the 2020 election could alienate the moderates he needs to win.

WORLD Opinions / August 29, 2023

Conservatives Must Understand Where They Went Wrong Before They Can Go Right

Nathanael Blake

In Claes Ryn’s latest book, The Failure of American Conservatism And the Road Not Taken, the esteemed professor chronicles how conservative intellectuals denigrated history and tradition to America’s detriment.

The Federalist / August 28, 2023

Giving the transgender game away

Nathanael Blake

LGBTQ activists are of two minds about male and female brains

WORLD Opinions / August 22, 2023

‘Good Omens 2’ Goes Bad By Blaspheming Christianity And Comedy

Nathanael Blake

Viewers might forgive ‘Good Omens 2’ for dispensing with the divine but not for forgoing comedy.

The Federalist / August 18, 2023

A setback for good government

Nathanael Blake

Ohio misses a chance to protect its constitution from the “tyranny of the moment”

WORLD Opinions / August 11, 2023

The lies of “born this way”

Nathanael Blake

An LGBTQ presumption and the damage it has done

WORLD Opinions / August 8, 2023