Beatrice Institute Podcast

Unmachining: Reclaiming a Grounded Life

Increasingly, technology is dominating our lives.  How do we stay human in the midst of digital upheaval? What lessons can we glean from dystopian literature? Is there a heuristic we can adopt that helps us to discern which technology to use and which to reject? Can only a deistic story compete with the Machine story or are there secular alternatives? Peco and Ruth Gaskovski have been exploring these timely questions from a hopeful, practical perspective on their Substacks Pilgrims in the Machine and School of the Unconformed.   Join Grant, Peco, and Ruth as they explore these and more questions to encourage us to live unconformed lives in a digital age.

Exploring "Off-Liberalism" with Fred Bauer

Liberalism is often taken to be essentially about the promotion of radical individual autonomy, but might this understanding of liberalism be only one kind of liberalism? And, if so, why does that matter?  In this episode, Weston and Fred discuss the meaning of "off-liberalism," an understanding of liberalism that highlights how disparate historical, cultural, and philosophical sources contribute to what is often labeled as "liberal" today, complicating the idea that liberalism is essentially about maximizing personal autonomy.  Weston and Fred discuss the practical stakes of thinking about liberalism this way, the intersection of theology and political theory, and how these ideas can inform contemporary governance at a time of growing dissatisfaction with liberalism. Tune in for an enriching dialogue that blends philosophy, theology, and practical politics, offering fresh insights into the nature of liberal practices.   Read Fred's original article here: https://genealogiesofmodernity.org/journal/2021/9/23/diverse-roots-and-routes-of-liberty.

"Relearning How to Read" with Kathryn Mogk Wagner

Does it take a trained expert to read books in our own language? The heart of English departments around the world is the love of amateurs, yet that heart seems to be gradually shrinking, replaced more and more with cold technical literary analysis. Kathryn Mogk Wagner identifies this as the reason English Departments themselves are shrinking too.  Literary analysis is shutting out truth and reading for edification, turning instead to niche readings and unique techniques. Can a culture raised on suspicion re-learn how to read the great texts for truth not tetrameter? Is there a balance between reading holiness and historicity in a text? Can ivory tower English professors read a book for edification instead of interpretation? In this episode, Mogk Wagner teaches us to return to the roots of reading – to relearn how to read.  

Why Does Beauty Wound? with John-Paul Heil

You are marveling at a beautiful sunset, standing in awe before an Italian masterpiece, or gazing lovingly into the face of your beloved. These moments of beauty, however brief, impact our hearts, minds, and souls in a profound way. What exactly is occurring in these moments? John-Paul Heil offers insight through a reading and discussion of his essay "Ekstasis and the Chicken Truck," in which he offers insight into the nature of these experiences we all share, which are yet so individual to each of us. Heil explains the importance of attentiveness, offers a critique of Petrarch, and recounts how a truck full of frozen chicken led to a moment of transcendence.  

Can We Rebuild the American Trades?

What has become of the trades within our country? Where did the blue-collar workers go and what is the reason behind their disappearance? Is there anything we can do to rebuild and re-vitalize this crucial section of today's society? A co-founder of the College of St. Joseph, the Worker, Jacob Imam helps to answer our questions. Join Grant and Jacob as they discuss the root of America's trade epidemic and discuss the new college of St. Joseph, the Worker. This new school based in Steubenville, Ohio is quickly becoming the paradigm of trade education, combining a traditional liberal arts education with power tools. The best part of all? No debt. Tune in now to hear how they do it!