Classical Education

Loving Literature with author, Karen Swallow Prior

Classical Education

Show Notes

About the Guest Karen Swallow Prior, Ph. D., is a reader, writer, and professor. She is the author of The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis (Brazos, 2023); On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books (Brazos 2018); Fierce Convictions: The Extraordinary Life of Hannah More—Poet, Reformer, Abolitionist (Thomas Nelson, 2014); and Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me (T. S. Poetry Press, 2012). She is co-editor of Cultural Engagement: A Crash Course in Contemporary Issues (Zondervan 2019) and has contributed to numerous other books. She has a monthly column for Religion News Service. Her writing has appeared at Christianity Today, New York Times, The Atlantic, The Washington Post, First Things, Vox, Think Christian, The Gospel Coalition, and various other places. She hosted the podcast Jane and Jesus. She is a Contributing Editor for Comment, a founding member of The Pelican Project, a Senior Fellow at the Trinity Forum, and a Senior Fellow at the L. Russ Bush Center for Faith and Culture. She and her husband live on a 100-year-old homestead in central Virginia with dogs, chickens, and lots of books. Show Notes Adrienne Freas and Karen Swallow Prior enjoy discussing the idea of culture creation through great literature. Why not think of reading for enjoyment instead of just reading for an assignment? Enjoy more balance while gaining an enriching approach to literature.

Some Questions Include: How is the book, On Reading Well helpful for parents and teachers? What do you believe is helpful in your books and what do you hope teachers and parents will take away ? What is your view concerning critical theory in contrast with the idea of reading well? What are the implications for how we teach students? Resources and books mentioned: Artist Makoto Fujimura On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life through Great Books The Evangelical Imagination: How Stories, Images, and Metaphors Created a Culture in Crisis Moby Dick The Bible To Kill A Mockingbird Uncle Tom’s Cabin Jane Eyre Gerard Manly Hopkins poetry East of Eden ________________________________________________________ Let us help you discover what a beautiful education should look like. Subscribe to this Podcast on your favorite podcast app! Meet our Team, Explore our Resources and Take advantage of our Services! This podcast is produced by Beautiful Teaching, LLC. Support this podcast: ★ Support this podcast ★

_________________________________________________________

Credits: Sound Engineer: Andrew Helsel Logo Art: Anastasiya CF Music: Vivaldi's Concerto for 2 Violins in B flat major, RV529 : Lana Trotovsek, violin Sreten Krstic, violin with Chamber Orchestra of Slovenian Philharmonic

© 2023 Beautiful Teaching LLC. All Rights Reserved

More from Classical Education

Oct 23, 2026

About the Guest Jason M. Baxter is (PhD) is Professor and Executive Director of the Center for Beauty and Culture at Benedictine College. He is the author of ten books, including Why Literature Still Matters, a new translation of Dante, A Beginner’s Guide to Dante, and the best-selling Medieval Mind of CS Lewis. In his non-academic writing, he writes about why our technology-obsessed, digital culture desperately still needs the arts. You can order signed copied of his books off of his website (JasonMBaxter.com) and read his articles, like “How to Get Your Kids to Fall in Love with Literature," on his Substack, Beauty Matters.

Sep 28, 2026

ABOUT THE GUEST Brandy Vencel has been married to her husband, Josiah, for 25 years, and they have four children, an amazing daughter-in-law, and a sweet little grandson. Brandy is currently in her 20th and final year of homeschooling. She serves on the Auxiliary Board of AmblesideOnline (a free Charlotte Mason curriculum) and Board of Directors for Providence Classical Academy in Bakersfield, California. Brandy also runs Afterthoughts Blog (afterthoughtsblog.net) and the Charlotte Mason Think Tank (charlottemason.mn.co). One of her hobbies is being tired, which is to say: staying up extremely late in order to talk to her teenagers. Brandy is hostess of the Scholé Sisters podcast and co-author of the book Scholé Every Day: How to Become a Thinking Mom. HOW TO FIND BRANDY Retreat registration: https://scholesisters.com/prudence My almost-weekly, mostly CM newsletter: http://afterthoughtsblog.net/subscribe Scholé Sisters Podcast episode: History as a Center Cannot Hold

May 21, 2026

About the Guest Joshua Herring is the Curriculum Program Manager for the Rafiki Foundation, Director of the Logres Institute for Classical Liberal Studies, and author of Sons of Adam, Daughters of Eve: C.S. Lewis’s Images of Gender. He has taught 6-12th grade humanities, spend three years in high school administration, and built classical education programs at the college level. He loves helping teachers, leaders, and parents own their intellectual inheritance. Logres Institute Visit https://www.logresinstitute.org/, and apply for their programs after July 1. About Joshua's Conference https://theclassicalconsortium.com/southeastern-consortium/ On August 7-8, the 3rd Annual Southeastern Consortium of Classical Educators conference will gather at Christ the King Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Raleigh, NC to consider "Source of Joy" in teaching. Come hear from keynote speakers Patrick Whalen, Dale Stenberg, Scott Postma, and Josh Herring; experience joyful learning breakout sessions focusing on poetry, civics, science, theology, and more. Join other classical educators for a refreshing reminder of the truth that our God has given us joyful sources to draw from; begin the 26-27 academic year renewing your soul. Teachers and students - email Dr. Herring at [email protected] for a discount code!

May 7, 2026

About the Guest Autumn Kern is the host of The Commonplace, a place to help new homeschooling moms get their bearings in the classical, Charlotte Mason world. She explores the Classical Tradition on her podcast, releases practical philosophy videos on YouTube, offers ongoing education for mother-teachers in Common House, and, more recently, leads directed programmes of study under Mother Academia. She and her husband are raising their four children in an old 1700s Pennsylvania farmhouse, hoping one of these wardrobes will bring them face-to-face with Aslan.

Apr 23, 2026

About the Guest Mandi Gerth is a teacher and classical education consultant who lives in Dallas, Texas, with her husband and three of their five children. She currently serves as the Administrative Director of the Cowan Center at the University of Dallas. She holds a master of humanities degree from that institution with a concentration in classical education. Her first book, Thoroughness & Charm: Cultivating the Habits of a Classical Classroom, available exclusively from CiRCE Press, has quickly become one of their best-selling titles. In her definitive guide to classroom liturgy, she offers practical advice to the classical educator seeking a truly classical classroom while reminding the teacher of their high calling. Mandi provides practical and actionable ways to embrace the classical tradition and become a thinker worthy of imitation. Mrs. Gerth attends Church of the Holy Communion (REC), and for over twenty years, she and her husband have labored to build a family culture for their five children that values books, baseball, museums, home-cooked meals, and conversation about ideas. Show Notes Mandi joins Adrienne to discuss various themes in Mandi's book, Thoroughness and Charm. Adrienne noticed connections to Charlotte Mason's core principle that Education is an atmosphere, a discipline, and a life. All of these aspects merge into what an excellent and alive classroom looks like. Through anecdotes and experience, Mandi shares her passion and her story about the art of teaching. Some topics covered include: Why is it important to understand teaching as an art?-- What difference does it really make? How to create a common language in the classroom What are the differences between classroom liturgies and classroom catechisms How and why integrating subjects/disciplines is important How to live a "classical" life and model this for your students Resources and People Mentioned The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis Unbinding Prometheus by Donald Cowan (Essay, The Three Moments of Learning) Donald and Louise Cowan Center The Art of Teaching by Gilbert Highet Teach Like a Champion by Doug Lemov Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

See all episodes →