The Complexity of Self-Reliance

In this week's episode, Father Mike and Father John take up the concept of self-reliance, one that has made its way into the Catholic spiritual lexicon but not found in the tradition. To do so, they will bring the Transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson, who champions the term, into conversation with the Catholic novelist Sigrid Undset. As a male companion to "Kristin's Resentment" (episode #288, May 2017), their hope is to draw out the deeper meaning of self-reliance in Undset's Olav Audunssøn without spoiling the plot!