24. Orthodoxy & Acedia - Some Books, Part 9

06/29/23 • 49 min

As James and Difff start to wrap up their series on some great books, they discuss two works of cultural criticism that have significantly impacted them. James discusses G.K. Chesterton's Orthodoxy, and in particular the chapter 'The Ethics of Elfland' and its relation to the purpose of classical education. Difff then introduces the topic of acedia in R.J. Snell's book, Acedia and Its Discontents: Metaphysical Boredom in an Empire of Desire. Acedia, the despairing refusal to be one's self and the disgust at human limitation and being, is the modern condition, and combatting it is one of the highest callings of a classical liberal education.

Check out Difff's other podcast: Chiron, conversations about the past to help make sense of the present.
And James' other podcast: The Art of Inquiry, inquiries into the nature of the world and humanity with expert level guests passionate about their field.
Music: 'Inspiring Dreams' by Keys of Moon | https://soundcloud.com/keysofmoon
Creative Commons CC BY 4.0

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23. Fr Stephen David - St John of Kronstadt Academy

Difff and James speak with Father Stephen David, who is the founder of St John of Kronstadt Academy, a new Orthodox Classical school starting in Brisbane in January 2024. They discuss how Fr Stephen became interested in classical education, and why he decided to start a school, despite having no background or training in education.
St John of Kronstadt Academy has been granted accreditation and plans to start in January 2024. You can find more information at https://www.stjohnacademy.com.au/

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25. Narration & Latin: a conversation with Dr Laura Eidt

Difff speaks with Dr Laura Eidt from the University of Dallas about the new Latin program she is writing for teaching Latin to young children through stories. The conversation covers the reasons for teaching Latin as well as methods for effective instruction. They also discuss the importance and power of narration as a pedagogical approach for classical teachers.
Dr Laura Eidt has taught in the German, Spanish, Comparative Literature, and Humanities programs at the University of Dallas since 2006, and is Director of the Humanities Program and Faculty Advisor for the K-12 Classical Curriculum Team.
You can find out more about the Latin through Stories program here:
https://k12classical.udallas.edu/k-5-latin-curriculum/preliminary-access/