Tag: Kindred Organizations

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The Transformative Power of Leisure and Literature 

Well-Read Mom’s mission addresses several pressing needs: combating loneliness, cultivating leisure, and fostering meaningful discussions. We encourage women to read without guilt, even when there is no immediate utilitarian purpose, because there is a higher “work” at play – to take care of one’s heart— and to rediscover the joy of engaging with transformative literature.

The Role of Introspection and Imagination

Readers who engage with literature thoughtfully—not just to “get through the story” but to seek meaning—activate their imagination to decipher the book’s relevance to their lives. This form of reading encourages critical thinking, cultivates the moral imagination, and trains aesthetic appreciation. By weighing the proposals of literature against one’s education, formation, and religious sensibilities, readers develop a deeper understanding of themselves and the world.

The Transformative Power of Leisure and Literature

Joseph Pieper, a twentieth-century German philosopher, highlighted a fundamental issue in modern culture through his prophetic essay Leisure: The Basis of Culture. He underscored a crucial truth: we lack genuine leisure time. However, leisure is not simply idle time; it is a “receptive attitude of mind, a contemplative attitude, and it is not only the occasion but also the capacity for steeping oneself in the whole of creation.” Leisure provides space to think about the origins of things and the deeper meaning of life. Pieper’s insights reveal the transformative potential of leisure and provide a framework for understanding literature’s profound role in our lives.

 Ratio and Intellectus: Two Types of Work

Pieper distinguishes between two types of work: ratio and intellectus. Ratio refers to work that is measurable, observable, and ordered toward productivity—the kind of work essential for keeping society well-ordered. On the other hand, intellectus is a higher form of work that is not primarily driven by productivity but by cultivating our humanity. This metaphysical aspect of human existence requires thought, insight, receptivity, and intuition.

Leisure, therefore, is not a luxury but a necessary commitment. It allows us to step outside the demands of the workaday world and connect with deeper aspects of our being. By nurturing thought and contemplation, leisure fosters an environment where intellectus can thrive.

Reading as a Gateway to Leisure

Reading great books is vital for habituating leisure in Pieper’s sense of the word. When we immerse ourselves in literature, we encounter moments of introspection that allow us to step into the characters’ lives, reflect on their actions and choices, and see our lives in a new light. Through these encounters, literature engages us with the good, the true, and the beautiful.

However, not all literature holds equal value. As readers, we should approach books as consumers seeking entertainment and individuals seeking transformation. Quality literature invites us to ask profound questions: Why am I here? How ought I to live? What does a good life look like? How does an experience of beauty change my heart? By proposing concrete examples of how others have grappled with these questions, literature becomes an avenue for self-reflection and growth.

Friendship and Leisure

Over the past fourteen years, Well-Read Mom has grown tremendously, now serving over 11,000 worldwide.  We provide a yearly companion, a curated book list, discussion questions, and a methodology inviting introspection, fostering friendship, and support to begin and sustain a deep reading practice. Well-Read Mom is for all women, not just biological mothers, as we understand motherhood in the broad sense of helping to nurture life. 

Aristotle’s Nicomachean Ethics speaks of three types of friendship: friendships based on utility, pleasure, and the highest form—friendship based on the pursuit of a good life. Cultivating leisure creates the space for this highest form of friendship, as it prioritizes time not spent in utility but in contemplation and meaningful engagement.

Through the structure and support provided by Well-Read Mom, women have discovered how literature helps them form friendships rooted in the pursuit of truth, beauty, and goodness. Together, they explore literature that challenges and inspires them to live more thoughtful, intentional lives. We have discovered an interesting ripple effect: when women read more, men and children read more. These effects are not contained to the family but spill onto the larger community. 

Reclaim leisure

Joseph Pieper’s call to reclaim leisure as a cornerstone of culture remains profoundly relevant. By setting aside time for contemplation and engaging with transformative literature, we cultivate our humanity and foster deeper connections with others. Reading with introspection allows us to encounter life’s profound questions, opening us up to truth, beauty, and moral insight. By doing so, we take a significant step toward living richer, more meaningful lives.

Are you interested in learning more about Well-Read Mom?

Learn about our mission, vision, and method for reading literature to cultivate leisure and transform your life on our website: https://wellreadmom.com/

To find a community near you, click on our map feature: https://wellreadmom.com/find-your-community/

Colleen Hutt is the Director of Literary Evangelization for Well-Read Mom and Co-author of The Well-Read Life: Nourish Your Soul through Deep Reading and Intentional Friendship by Marcie Stokman and Colleen Hutt

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The Albertus Magnus Institute

From the time of its inception in 2020, the Albertus Magnus Institute has blessed many who are hungry for a liberal arts education. Setting out to make a liberal arts education accessible to all, we offer Great Books courses to adults from various walks of life and various educational backgrounds. These courses are live, online, and taught by some of the greatest minds in higher education– Drs. Anthony Esolen, Joseph Pearce, and Pavlos Papadopoulos, among them. Since 2020, we have offered 41 live courses that span from novels to Aristotle, logic to Euclid, from Shakespeare to Homer. 

As a board member, Senior Fellow, and instructor for AMI since the first round of courses four years ago,  I have seen personally the profound effects these courses have had on the Magnus Fellows, most of whom have never received a liberal arts education, and all of whom have joined us with a love of learning. 

When the 2023 Academic year began in August, the Magnus Fellowship had 904 of these hungry fellows. 

We offered ten courses this past academic year. Last fall we offered our first Latin course, Introduction to Ecclesial Latin with Father Peter Hannah; the third installment of Friendship and Freedom in the Lord of the Rings with Dr. Helen Freeh; Rousseau and the Moral and Diabolical Imaginations with Dr. Emily Finley, and my fifth philosophy course, Philosophy of Man. 

Early 2024 we offered four new courses: Professor Cortright taught our first course on Ancient Greek; and Dr. Hattrup of Thomas Aquinas College taught his first course with us (but not a new topic for him!) on Aristotle’s Categories. We welcomed Drs. Amy and William Fahey from Thomas More College to our fellowship and they offered courses on War and the Great Books and Northern Literature, respectively. 

Magnus Fellows were able to take part in these liberating courses at no charge to them. Stephen, who received a liberal arts education from Thomas More College said of the courses, “It has been far too long since I have been able to study, converse, and think deeply with a group on a single topic for an extended time. It was terrific fun and sorely missed. I’m glad that I get to do this without having to worry about school payments or stressful circumstances.”  A large number of our fellows are like Stephen,— students who received a liberal arts education from a great books school and want to continue that education. 

Though many of our fellows did receive a liberal arts education, an even greater number of them have come to us because, until now, they have missed out on the beauty of a freeing education. Raymond, who participated from the Philippines said, “It’s amazing how these AMI courses provide me the university education I wish I had, and I’m sure many of us feel the same!” And Claudia, who has taken six classes with us, does indeed feel the same: “Having received a public school education in a third-world country, learning all these things has enriched my life tremendously and filled in many educational gaps.” 

But from the beginning, the goal has been to offer these courses in a coherent and complete curriculum as well as “stand alone” courses. Earlier this year another fellow, Joe, said, “When there are enough courses to run the curriculum in sequence, in record — or even, if we dream, to run it live in sequence or even in cohorts — what a powerful influence on culture and faith this can be.”  

Our greatest success of the academic year was realizing this dream— a program that does just that— run the courses both in live sequence and in Cohorts. We launched this program earlier this fall and filled it with 26 registered fellows. For three years, students will meet once a week for eight weeks for four terms each year. In the spirit of 2 John, as friends who have become cooperators in a work of truth, fellows will complete a coherent liberal arts curriculum that will guide them toward becoming liberal artists.

Beginning this past September our first Cohort embarked on this three-year journey through the Trivium, Quadrivium, and Philosophical sciences utilizing the Great works of Homer, Plato, Aristotle, Euclid, St. Thomas Aquinas, and more. Through these texts these Cohort members will learn to contemplate the true, good, and beautiful in hopes that by the end of the three years they will be even closer to understanding the eternal Logos Himself. Dr. Hattrup and I are leading the Cohort during the first year, and we are presently closing our eighth week, having completed Homer’s Iliad, and just about to complete Homer’s Odyssey.

Our now 1,060 Magnus Fellows (Joe, Claudia, Raymond, and Stephen among them) have received different educations, have come from various parts of the world, and have joined the Fellowship for different reasons, but together they all believe in the value of a liberal arts education, and have come to the Albertus Magnus Institute to come one step closer to the truth that that sets us free. With God’s grace, we hope the coming year will continue to bless our fellows, new and old.