Christians Reading Classics

Mere Orthodoxy
  • 5.0 (8)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Christians Reading Classics is a podcast about classic books being read through a distinctly Christian lens. Hosted by author and classicist, Nadya Williams, Christians Reading Classics introduces—or should we say—re-introduces listeners to classic works that have inspired generations. Interviewing experts who know these books well, the hope is to inspire listeners and awaken their imagination to God's world through literary, theological, and even children's works that have stood the test of time. Christians Reading Classics is a Mere Orthodoxy podcast. Find out more at mereorthodoxy.com

  1. 4D AGO

    Wuthering Heights with Evie Solheim

    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. — 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 — 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

    52 min

  2. FEB 26

    Uncle Toms Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe with Obbie Tyler Todd | America 250

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

    1 hr

  3. FEB 19

    Brave New World by Aldous Huxley with Katelyn Walls Shelton | America 250

    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. - 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 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

    52 min

  4. FEB 12

    The Education of Henry Adams with Leah Libresco Sargeant | America 250

    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. — 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

    39 min

  5. FEB 5

    Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass with Shilo Brooks | America 250

    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

    52 min

  6. JAN 29

    America 250: Books American Christians Should Read | Season 2 Preview

    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).

    8 min

  7. 11/06/2025

    Reading Ancient Pagans As Modern Christians

    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.

    19 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    The Scandal of the Christian Imagination

    As we wrap up season 1 of Christians Reading Classics, Nadya reflects on the scandal of the Christian imagination and the role of reading classic books in forming a nourished imagination.

    10 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
8 Ratings

About

Christians Reading Classics is a podcast about classic books being read through a distinctly Christian lens. Hosted by author and classicist, Nadya Williams, Christians Reading Classics introduces—or should we say—re-introduces listeners to classic works that have inspired generations. Interviewing experts who know these books well, the hope is to inspire listeners and awaken their imagination to God's world through literary, theological, and even children's works that have stood the test of time. Christians Reading Classics is a Mere Orthodoxy podcast. Find out more at mereorthodoxy.com

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