Great Books Club
"In reading great literature I become a thousand men and yet remain myself. Like the night sky in the Greek poem, I see with a myriad eyes, but it is still I who see. Here, as in worship, in love, in moral action, and in knowing, I transcend myself; and am never more myself than when I do." --C.S. Lewis
In a recent survey, international research data and analytics group, WordsRated, discovered that over 50% of Americans haven’t read a book in the past year (2022). Compared with other surveys, these results may seem low, but they are strict on what constitutes ‘reading a book’ (no audiobooks allowed!). The survey goes on to show that many who hadn’t read a book in the last year hadn’t read a book in the last several years, and some participants hadn’t read a book in over 10 years. One interesting finding was that the group that participants were least likely to fall into was someone who read only one book. They conclude by saying that if you can convince someone to read at least one book (all the way through!) they are more likely to read more books, and even to develop a habit of regular reading.
What does this have to do with the journey of faith? The Catholic intellectual tradition has long held great works of literature in high esteem, even those that are not explicitly Catholic. Stories are powerful and can help us discover what it means to be human and how to live the best life. These works introduce us to characters and places that we may not encounter anywhere else which naturally invites us to expand our minds to receive truth, goodness, and beauty through perspectives different than our own. The more we read great books, the more we can expand our minds and hearts to receive God.
Starting this semester, Savannah will be hosting The Great Books Club on works of fiction and spiritual autobiographies. This group a great opportunity to expand our personal perspectives, partake in meaningful discussions, and have fun! Whether you read every day, or it’s been a while since you picked up a book, we’d like to invite you to join us for discussions!
Our first book will be The Long Loneliness, the spiritual autobiography of Dorothy Day. We will be reading and discussing the book in three parts as designated by the author.
Schedule (Tuesdays, 6:30-8:00 PM):
Part 1 Searching: March 7
Part 2 Natural Happiness: March 28
Part 3 Love is the Measure: May 9
We will not be providing the books so you will need to either buy a copy or rent it from the library. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!