Dr. R.J. Snell explores the contemporary Western world's struggle with disenchantment, loneliness, and lack of purpose, exemplified through Elena Ferrante's fiction. He contrasts this with the Christian concept of personhood, derived from Trinitarian theology, which emphasizes communion and the diffusion of goodness. Snell suggests practical ways to recover a sense of communion and meaning, particularly through observing the Sabbath and engaging in study and storytelling.

This lecture was given on October 18th, 2024, at Thomistic Institute in New York City.

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About the Speaker:

R. J. Snell is Editor-in-Chief of Public Discourse and Director of Academic Programs at the Witherspoon Institute in Princeton, NJ. He has been a visiting instructor at Princeton University, where he is also executive director of the Aquinas Institute for Catholic Life. He's written books and articles on Natural Law, Education, Bernard Lonergan, Boredom, Subjectivity, and Sexual Ethics for a variety of publications.