Dr. Jason Baxter, Associate Visiting Professor at Notre Dame and author of "The Medieval Mind of C. S. Lewis," dives into fascinating ideas. He discusses the transformative power of literature and the sacramental view of reality. The conversation explores medieval thought and its relevance today, the challenges of reading ancient texts, and the impact of C.S. Lewis on modern spirituality. Baxter also emphasizes the importance of genuine joy and deep engagement with classic literature, encouraging listeners to appreciate its layered meanings.
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A Living Author!
Angelina Stanford pre-ordered Jason Baxter's book, despite her "dead authors only" rule.
She was thrilled to find a clear, concise book about medieval cosmology to recommend to others.
insights INSIGHT
More Than Ourselves
Reading literature sharpens the "inner eye" and expands one's being, not just teaches moral lessons.
It's about becoming more than oneself, seeing with a "myriad eyes" while remaining oneself.
insights INSIGHT
Embodied Ideas
Literature embodies moral ideals, making them felt experiences, unlike abstract facts.
This "haptic experience" turns head knowledge into heart knowledge, as modern neuroscience suggests.
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The Divine Comedy is an Italian narrative poem begun around 1308 and completed around 1321. It is divided into three parts: Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The poem discusses the state of the soul after death and presents an image of divine justice, describing Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. It is an allegory representing the soul's journey towards God, drawing on medieval Catholic theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy. The work is considered one of the greatest in Italian literature and Western literature, and it helped establish the Tuscan language as the standardized Italian language.
The Wind and the Willows
Kenneth Grahame
The Wind in the Willows is a classic children's novel written by Kenneth Grahame. The story follows the adventures of several anthropomorphic animals—primarily Mole, Rat, Toad, and Badger—as they explore the riverbank and nearby Wild Wood. The novel highlights themes of friendship, nature, and the charm of rural life. It includes various adventures such as Toad's obsession with motorcars, a visit to the Wild Wood, and a climactic battle to reclaim Toad Hall from weasels and stoats. The book is known for its evocative descriptions of the countryside and its engaging characters[1][3][4].
Boethius's Consolation
Boethius's Consolation
Boethius
Surprised by Joy
C.S. Lewis
Beginner's Guide to Dante's Comedy
Beginner's Guide to Dante's Comedy
Jason M. Baxter
Dante's Comedy
Dante Alighieri
Until We Have Faces
Until We Have Faces
C.S. Lewis
The Weight of Glory
C.S. Lewis
Augustine's Confessions
Augustine
The Discarded Image
Stratford Caldecott
The Consequences of Ideas
The Consequences of Ideas
Richard Weaver
Bonaventure's Life of Francis
Bonaventure's Life of Francis
Bonaventure
Why Literature Still Matters
None
Jason M. Baxter
The abolition of man
C.S. Lewis
In 'The Abolition of Man', C.S. Lewis delivers a defense of objective value and natural law, originating from his Riddell Memorial Lectures at the University of Durham in 1943. Lewis argues that education should be conducted within the context of moral law and objective values, which he terms the 'Tao'. He criticizes modern attempts to debunk these values, warning that such actions could lead to a dehumanization of society, resulting in what he calls 'Men without Chests' – individuals whose emotions have not been trained to conform to reason. The book emphasizes the universal nature of traditional moralities across different cultures and warns against the dangers of moral relativism and the reduction of human beings to mere objects of scientific analysis[2][4][5].
Welcome back to The Literary Life podcast! Due to a scheduling conflict, this week we are re-airing a previous episode with Dr. Jason Baxter, author of the new book Why Literature Matters from Cassiodorus Press. Angelina Stanford, Cindy Rollins, and Thomas Banks sit down for a special conversation with Jason Baxter. Jason is a speaker, writer, and college professor who writes primarily on medieval thought and is especially interested in Lewis' ideas. You can find out more about him and his books at JasonMBaxter.com.
Our hosts and Jason discuss a wide range of ideas, including the values of literature, the sacramental view of reality, why it is important to understand medieval thought, the "problem" of paganism in Lewis' writings, and how to approach reading ancient and medieval literature.
To see all the books and get the full show notes for today's episode, visit our website for the complete show notes here: https://www.theliterary.life/250/.
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