Christians Reading Classics

Latest Episodes:

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand with David Kee Mar 26, 2026

Show notes

Nadya Williams and David Kee discuss Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged — its origins, philosophy, and enduring relevance for American Christians. Kee, a business professor at Harding University who teaches the novel, traces Rand's objectivism, the tension between individualism and collectivism, and what a Christian engagement with her work requires.

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Christians Reading Classics is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.

Apply for Beeson Divinity School's Ph.D program by April 1 for Fall 2026 admission here: https://bit.ly/BeesonDivinityPhD

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Chapters

00:00 - Introduction and Reading from Atlas Shrugged
01:10 - Guest Introduction: David Key
02:00 - David's Background: From Geneva to Entrepreneurship to Academia
08:10 - Defining a Classic
10:56 - How David First Encountered Atlas Shrugged
13:04 - Who Was Ayn Rand?
25:03 - Teaching Atlas Shrugged to Business Students
32:27 - Individualism, Collectivism, and the Christian Worldview
39:11 - The Mystery of John Galt
44:10 - Elevating the Entrepreneur
52:35 - Why Christians in America Should Read This Book
53:25 - What Classic David Wishes He Had Written

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen with Beatrice Scudeler Mar 18, 2026

Show notes

Jane Austen's most underrated novel is also her most serious. In this conversation, books editor Nadya Williams and essayist Beatrice Scudeler explore what Mansfield Park has to say about virtue, vocation, wealth, and the formation of character -- and why Fanny Price, the novel's quiet, overlooked heroine, may be Austen's most carefully drawn moral portrait.

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Get the ebook Spiritual Formation for the Family at http://mereorthodoxy.com/family.

Apply for Beeson Divinity School's Ph.D program by April 1 for Fall 2026 admission here: https://bit.ly/BeesonDivinityPhD

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Chapters

00:03 -- Opening: Austen reads the opening lines of Mansfield Park; Nadya introduces the episode and season premise
01:48 -- Defining a classic: what makes a work speak across centuries without losing its rootedness in its own time
05:29 -- Why Mansfield Park for America's 250th: Austen, evangelical Christianity, and the values that crossed the Atlantic
08:48 -- The plot: Fanny Price, the Bertrams, and what happens when the Crawfords arrive from London
13:35 -- The problem of Fanny Price: why modern readers resist her, and why Lionel Trilling diagnosed the real issue in the 1960s
19:57 -- Fanny as a sympathetic character: what it means to be 10 years old, sent away from your family, and expected to be grateful
25:09 -- The absent adults: Sir Thomas, Lady Bertram, and the novel's indictment of parenting by principle without presence
27:09 -- Was Fanny autobiographical? The case for Jane Austen as observer, introvert, and moral compass
33:15 -- What money buys: education, time, space for contemplation -- and what it cannot buy
39:07 -- Marriage as formation: why Austen's vision of marriage is still revolutionary, and what we've lost by privatizing it
41:16 -- Why Mansfield Park may be Austen's best: constancy, prudence, and the virtue of being the quiet center that holds everything together
48:45 -- Closing question: what classic would Beatrice have written? Anne Bronte's The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

The Nichomachean Ethics by Aristotle with Sabrina Little | America 250 Mar 12, 2026

Show notes

Nadya Williams and Sabrina Little explore Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics — its account of virtue as habit, the teleological shape of a good life, and how athletics and daily practice form character. Little connects Aristotle to Aquinas, parenting, and her own work as an elite ultramarathoner and philosopher.

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Apply for fall 2026 admission to Beeson Divinity School's MDiv (or M.Div., your choice) and be considered for a full-tuition scholarship.: https://bit.ly/OurRisenLord — Chapters

00:00 - Introduction
02:35 - What is a classic?
03:51 - Why the Nicomachean Ethics for American Christians?
07:19 - Aristotle's aims: eudaimonia and virtue
10:24 - The contemplative life vs. the practical life
13:38 - How college life trains students in virtue
18:13 - Advice for first-time readers of Aristotle
22:27 - The Examined Run: athletics and moral formation
28:29 - Teaching virtue to young children
32:03 - Would Aristotle recognize our struggles today?
34:57 - Aristotle and women
36:07 - What classic do you wish you had written?

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

Wuthering Heights with Evie Solheim Mar 05, 2026

Show notes

Nadya Williams and Evie Solheim discuss Wuthering Heights, what makes it a gothic classic, why Emily Brontë's moral ambiguity still provokes, how the novel speaks to a generation starved for romance, and why the new film adaptation trades subtlety for TikTok-style spectacle. Also: Anna Karenina, Virginia Woolf, and Greta Gerwig's Narnia.

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Get the Mere Orthodoxy ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, at http://mereorthodoxy.com/family

Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.

Get 30% of the Baker Book of the Month, R30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity: Inspiring True Stories from the Early Church Around the World, by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.com/pages/mere-fidelity

Apply for Beeson Divinity School's Ph.D program by April 1 for Fall 2026 admission here: https://bit.ly/BeesonPhD

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Chapters

00:11 – Opening reading from Wuthering Heights and intro to the Brontë sisters
01:54 – Welcome to Season 2 of Christians Reading Classics; introducing Evie Solheim
03:25 – What makes a classic? Timelessness, breaking the mold, and the canon
06:35 – Plot summary: key characters, places, and the structure of the novel
08:43 – The gothic genre: origins, elements, and its American descendants
10:22 – Southern Gothic: Flannery O'Connor, Faulkner, and True Detective
13:12 – How we first meet Cathy — and the unreliable narrators telling her story
16:28 – Advice for first-time readers: Emily Brontë's biography and creative world
19:43 – Virginia Woolf's essay on Wuthering Heights and what it means to write like that
22:56 – Why Wuthering Heights resonates with Americans today: romance, apps, and longing
27:21 – The new film adaptation: competing with TikTok, not other movies
31:43 – Comparing Wuthering Heights to Gone with the Wind: land, love, and star-crossed tropes
36:28 – Good cinematic adaptations: Greta Gerwig's Little Women vs. Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights
41:10 – Is Wuthering Heights amoral? Reading Heathcliff's fate through a biblical lens
47:29 – Closing question: the classic Evie wishes she had written — Anna Karenina

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe with Obbie Tyler Todd | America 250 Feb 26, 2026

Show notes

Nadya Williams and Obbie Tyler Todd explore Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as part of season two's focus on classics American Christians should read for America's 250th. They discuss the Beecher family's influence, the Fugitive Slave Law as the book's impetus, Stowe's deeply scriptural approach to critiquing slavery, the Christ-likeness of Uncle Tom, and why the novel's theological vision — not merely its abolitionism — gave it such enduring power.

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Get your copy of Mere Orthodoxy's ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/family

Apply for fall 2026 admission to Beeson Divinity School's MDiv (or M.Div., your choice) and be considered for a full-tuition scholarship.: https://bit.ly/OurRisenLord

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Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Uncle Tom's Cabin 02:21 Defining a Classic 06:57 The Importance of Uncle Tom's Cabin for Christians 12:06 The Beecher Family Legacy 20:45 Harriet Beecher Stowe's Impact on American Sentiment 27:43 Introducing Uncle Tom's Cabin to New Readers 29:59 Moral Complexity of Slavery 32:17 The Christian Perspective on Slavery 35:32 Character Development and Redemption 38:50 Contrasting Narratives of Slavery 46:01 Evangelical Reception of Uncle Tom's Cabin 50:45 International Reception and Impact

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley with Katelyn Walls Shelton | America 250 Feb 19, 2026

Show notes

Nadya Williams and Katelyn Walls Shelton discuss Aldous Huxley's Brave New World — its haunting parallels to embryo selection, reproductive biotechnology, and pleasure-maximizing culture — and what Christians should make of a novel that reads less like dystopian fiction and more like this morning's news.

Apply for a full-tuition scholarship for Beeson Divinity School's M.Div program that begins Fall 2026 here: https://bit.ly/OurRisenLord

Chapters

00:00 — Introduction & what makes a classic
05:00 — Brave New World mirrors our world: embryo selection, Orchid, Gattaca
07:16 — Why Christians in America should read this book
14:19 — Plot overview: hatcheries, Bernard, Lenina, John the Savage
23:40 — Life in the World State: conditioning, sexuality, soma, death
35:40 — Huxley's own contradictions: Doors of Perception and his LSD death
39:17 — Current reproductive biotechnologies: embryo grading, gene editing, artificial wombs
49:43 — Closing: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula Le Guin

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

The Education of Henry Adams with Leah Libresco Sargeant | America 250 Feb 12, 2026

Show notes

Nadya Williams, Books Editor for Mere Orthodoxy, talks with Leah Libresco Sargeant, author of The Dignity of Dependence, about Henry Adams's The Education of Henry Adams—specifically the chapter "The Dynamo and the Virgin." They explore Adams's experience of the sublime at the 1900 Paris World Fair, his unresolved spiritual longings, what his Unitarian background reveals about American Christianity, and how Leah's work on embodiment and dependence offers a striking counterpoint to Adams's life of the mind. Plus: Leah's classic pick, Flatland.

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Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.

Get 30% of the Baker Book of the Month, 30 Key Moments In Church History: Inspiring True Stories from the Early Church Around the World by Mark W. Graham, by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.com/pages/mere-fidelity

Apply for a full-tuition scholarship for Beeson Divinity School's M.Div program that begins Fall 2026 here: https://bit.ly/beesonscholarships

Chapters

00:00 – Introduction & Background on Henry Adams
03:44 – Memoir as a Genre
06:27 – Why Read Adams for America's 250th
09:21 – The Dynamo and the Virgin Explained
13:18 – Adams's Faith and Spiritual Longings
20:34 – Technology, Awe, and False Worship
26:45 – Tips for First-Time Readers
28:24 – The Dignity of Dependence
37:31 – Classic You Wish You'd Written

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with Shilo Brooks | America 250 Feb 05, 2026

Show notes

Dr. Shilo Brooks joins Nadia Williams to explore Frederick Douglass's Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), examining how this 60-page masterwork remains profoundly relevant for understanding liberty, education, and authentic Christianity. Brooks illuminates how Douglass's self-taught literacy became an act of spiritual and intellectual liberation—proving that "education and slavery are incompatible." The conversation traces Douglass's journey from Maryland plantation to becoming America's greatest orator, while addressing his critique of slaveholding Christianity versus genuine faith and the enduring lessons on what liberal education requires for sustaining free citizenship.

Chapters:

00:05 Opening: Douglass's Unknown Birthday
04:14 Why This Book Is a Classic
09:49 Target Audiences: Then and Now
13:47 Adjusting to Freedom
16:32 Teaching Himself to Read (Illegally)
19:51 Education and Slavery Are Incompatible
23:04 Convincing Students That Reading Changes Lives
27:36 The Cast of Characters: Slaveholders and Fellow Slaves
33:11 The Wrestling Match with Covey
37:15 Teaching Bible School to Fellow Slaves
40:18 How Did He Become Such a Beautiful Writer?
42:21 Douglass's Theology and Providence
45:48 Noble Ambition: Brooks's Forthcoming Book
50:25 Classic Books I Wish I'd Written

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

America 250: Books American Christians Should Read | Season 2 Preview Jan 29, 2026

Show notes

In this preview episode for Season 2 of Christians Reading Classics, host Nadya Williams sets the stage for an ambitious exploration of books that American Christians should read in honor of America's 250th birthday in 2026.

Opening with Thomas Jefferson's 1771 letter to Robert Skipwith about building his Monticello library, Williams frames the season around a central question: What role do books play in forming the American Christian imagination? Jefferson argued that fiction and classical works are "useful" because they "fix us in the principles and practice of virtue"—exercising our moral dispositions like muscles until they become habits.

This season examines how classic books—both American and those that shaped American thought—enrich our imagination while alleviating modern anxiety. As Williams puts it, "reading classic books really is the intellectual equivalent of touching grass."

Upcoming episodes include:

Frederick Douglass's Narrative with Dr. Shiloh Brooks
Henry Adams's The Education of Henry Adams with Leah Libresco Sargent
Aldous Huxley's Brave New World with Caitlin Walls Shelton
Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin with Obie Tyler Todd
Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics with ultra-marathoner and virtue philosopher Sabrina B. Little (including discussion on teaching virtues to children)

Key Themes

How classic books form a "library of the mind" that shapes souls and affections
The timeless, good, true, and beautiful qualities that define a classic
How books grow with us, revealing new insights with each reading
The relationship between reading and virtue formation

About the Host

Nadya Williams is Books Editor at Mere Orthodoxy and author of Christians Reading Classics (Zondervan Academic).

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

Reading Ancient Pagans As Modern Christians Nov 06, 2025

Show notes

Nadya Williams explores the myth of Tantalus and its implications on the nature of success and temptation. She delves into how Tantalus' horrific actions reflect the seductive nature of victory and the potential consequences of testing divine powers. Nadya highlights the duality of success as both a reward and a burden, emphasizing the need for caution in the pursuit of greatness.

Listen and read The Daily Liturgy by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/daily-liturgy

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