Episode 40: Motherhood, Vocation, and the Life of the Mind

Episode 40: Motherhood, Vocation, and the Life of the Mind

In this episode of the ClassicalU Podcast, Jesse Hake speaks with Jessica Hooten-Wilson [https://jessicahootenwilson.com/about/] about her forthcoming book on Christian women whose lives and work have often been neglected because they are “too Christian for the feminists and too feminist for the Christians.” Hooten-Wilson looks to women at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as models for overcoming false divides between home and work, motherhood and the life of the mind, and Christian faith and women’s public voices. Through figures such as Anna Julia Cooper, Dorothy L. Sayers, Edith Stein, Mother Maria of Paris, Kate Bushnell, and Julian of Norwich, she explores how narrative portraits can illuminate deeper questions of Christian anthropology, virtue, vocation, and formation. The conversation highlights the need for classical Christian educators to recover women’s stories within the living tradition, not as additions for novelty’s sake, but as models of human flourishing worthy of imitation. Hooten-Wilson also reflects on silence as contemplative stillness rather than speechlessness, motherhood as both biological and spiritual, and the way women’s voices strengthen homes, schools, churches, and culture. The episode closes with practical suggestions for introducing students to women in the tradition through texts by Julian of Norwich [https://amzn.to/42JyDjp], Perpetua [https://amzn.to/49kapzV], Christine de Pizan [https://amzn.to/4d2VECK], and others. You can find more of Jessica Hooten-Wilson work through her substack [https://jessicahootenwilson.substack.com/] and her podcast [https://jessicahootenwilson.com/podcast/].  Suggested Reading & Resources: * The Black Intellectual Tradition [https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/the-black-intellectual-tradition?_pos=1&_sid=c3ddeac4a&_ss=r&_su_rec=sA7hzsFPVPs--Day8GdfpTJaNNTR3EtiW5nZEKkJuUdug9BMQqYGRYOguPaODtwvpIEnL6TZLRKZSN1_s-vAyxOSaloPEkHDFNJiVTSRDWoweXyAE0swZswQH7ZP5ed1i1Pc2OCO_nhwAwGCK6FZXTFfffgy_qPqNf3RWOZwAWKalQxPK3w0lJRY1r9mLAakUOXxHFflfP9Xq_cXcbc1Er0kMfeUaO3qxfotRAy-XRcNj_5c-Qd_7rtPqsCJdyUqukH1IxNm7CMh5q32MU4VdW45xyU&_su_rec_id=6750205d-b5b1-4286-828d-1e6acf6ba02e-1777831080] by Dr. Anika Prather, Dr. Angel Adams Parham, et al. * The Passion of Perpetua [https://amzn.to/4ncm1eo] by Mia Donato et al.  * The Book of the City of Ladies [https://amzn.to/4dk0fSq] by Christine de Pizan * The Man Born to Be King [https://amzn.to/4n3Z10O] by Dorothy Sayers * The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place Complete 6-Book Set [https://amzn.to/4n3p2xi] by Maryrose Wood * Flannery O'Connor's Why Do the Heathen Rage?: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at a Work in Progress [https://amzn.to/4tgu7DY] by Jessica Hooten-Wilson * Reading for the Love of God: How to Read as a Spiritual Practice [https://amzn.to/3PkcDsm] by Jessica Hooten-Wilson  * The Scandal of Holiness: Renewing Your Imagination in the Company of Literary Saints [https://amzn.to/4ukSHo3] by Jessica Hooten-Wilson Suggested ClassicalU courses: * Women in the Liberal Arts Tradition [https://classicalu.com/course/4eee364d-b19a-4ded-ab6d-85d90444495b?from=%2Fcourse-finder%3Fsearch%3DWomen%2Bin%2Bthe%2BLiberal%2BArts%2BTradition] * The Black Intellectual Tradition and the Great Conversation [https://classicalu.com/course/f1d74d43-befa-4030-8fbc-185947a9617c?from=%2Fcourse-finder%3Fsearch%3Dblack]

Episode 39: AI and the Loss of Human Formation with Dr. Brian Williams and Jake Tawney

In this episode of the ClassicalU Podcast, Jesse Hake—joined by guests Dr. Brian Williams [https://templeton.eastern.edu/brian-williams] and Jake Tawney [https://www.encounterbooks.com/authors/j-jacob-tawney/]—explores the pressing question of AI and human formation in the classroom. Framed by the classical vision of education as the formation of the whole person, the conversation challenges the assumption that efficiency, output, or technological adoption should drive educational practice. Drawing on philosophy, theology, and classroom experience, Tawney and Williams argue that AI risks not only replacing essential learning processes but also reshaping students’ understanding of what it means to be human. Echoing insights from thinkers such as Neil Postman in Amusing Ourselves to Death [https://amzn.to/4t60y8E], George Grant in Technology and Justice  [https://amzn.to/4ssZMTe]and Technology and Empire [https://amzn.to/4uMiwhM], and Jacques Ellul in The Technological Society [https://amzn.to/4uFcmA5], they examine how modern technologies subtly form habits, attention, and culture. The discussion highlights how AI differs fundamentally from human thought—operating through pattern prediction and persuasion rather than truth-seeking and embodied understanding—while raising concerns about dependence, identity, and the loss of higher-order thinking. At the same time, the conversation points toward a hopeful alternative: classrooms rooted in wonder, dialogue, and embodied learning that cultivate intellect, virtue, and community. These themes resonate deeply with the vision of classical Christian education found in ClassicalU courses such as The Scholé Way [https://classicalu.com/course/7e8a2f6d-651d-4af3-920d-cbc446bbf023?from=%2Fcourse-finder%3Fsearch%3DThe%2BSchol%25C3%25A9%2BWay] and The Monastic Tradition of Education [https://classicalu.com/course/b89ba101-9215-4549-a3e9-e10e8d9ec8ad?from=%2Fcourse-finder%3Fsearch%3DThe%2BMonastic%2BTradition%2Bof%2BEducation] by Dr. Christopher Perrin, as well as John Amos Comenius: A Visionary Reformer of Schools [https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/john-amos-comenius-a-visionary-reformer-of-schools?_pos=1&_sid=863fc8b41&_ss=r] by Dr. David I. Smith, all of which emphasize contemplation, attention, and the formation of student loves. They also align with the broader tradition of technology critique found in George Grant’s essay “The Computer Does Not Dictate How the Computer Should Be Used” [https://amzn.to/41za9Jb] and Craig M. Gay’s Modern Technology and the Human Future: A Christian Appraisal [https://amzn.to/47KgLrG]. In a cultural moment shaped by distraction and technological acceleration, this conversation reinforces the enduring value of slow reading, rich discussion, and embodied community as the surest means of forming students who can think clearly, love rightly, and live wisely. With gratitude to Joelle Hodge [https://classicalacademicpress.com/pages/joelle-hodge] for convening this conversation and to Great Hearts Academies [https://www.greatheartsamerica.org/] for recording it.

Episode 38: Be Still and Know: Reclaiming Attention, Time, and Wonder in Christian Education

In this episode of the ClassicalU Podcast, Jesse Hake speaks with Dr. Patrick R. Manning about his book Be Still and Know: Contemplative Practice for Christian Schools and Educators [https://amzn.to/4u1JQIv]. Drawing from the deep wells of the Christian contemplative tradition—from the Desert Fathers and Mothers to Benedictine, Ignatian, and Dominican spirituality—Manning argues that contemplation is not foreign to Christian education but central to it. He explores how reframing time, cultivating attention, and building intentional rhythms of silence and prayer can transform classrooms into “attention sanctuaries” in an age dominated by distraction. The conversation addresses pressing concerns such as student mental health, shrinking attention spans, and the pressures of productivity culture, offering both theological grounding and practical strategies for school leaders and teachers. In dialogue with themes familiar to classical educators—such as those explored in ClassicalU courses The Scholé Way [https://classicalu.com/course/7e8a2f6d-651d-4af3-920d-cbc446bbf023?from=%2Fcourse-finder] and The Monastic Tradition of Education [https://classicalu.com/course/b89ba101-9215-4549-a3e9-e10e8d9ec8ad?from=%2Fcourse-finder%3Fsearch%3DThe%2BMonastic%2BTradition%2Bof%2BEducation] by Christopher Perrin, and John Amos Comenius: A Visionary Reformer of Schools [https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/john-amos-comenius-a-visionary-reformer-of-schools] by Dr. David I. Smith—the episode connects contemplative practice to a broader recovery of attention in Christian schooling. Manning engages contemporary voices such as James Lang in Distracted: Why Students Can’t Focus and What You Can Do About It [https://amzn.to/4u1LJVB], Matthew Crawford in The World Beyond Your Head [https://amzn.to/4d1BfiW], and James Williams in Stand Out of Our Light [https://amzn.to/3OHxKV6], while drawing on the spiritual wisdom of Simone Weil in Reflections on the Right Use of School Studies with a View to the Love of God [https://amzn.to/4rIcnRQ], Wilfrid Stinissen in Eternity in the Midst of Time [https://amzn.to/4ulznrV], and Sofia Cavalletti in The Development of the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd [https://amzn.to/4aI8OVU].  Through practices such as Lectio Divina [https://amzn.to/4rR7eaw] and the Ignatian Examen [https://amzn.to/4cnsxeU], he calls Christian schools to reclaim their heritage—not by retreating from excellence, but by rediscovering how stillness strengthens attention, deepens community, and renews the soul of education.

Episode 37: Education as Soul Craft: Three Leaders in Conversation as Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican Classical Teachers

In this episode of the ClassicalU Podcast, host Jesse Hake—joined by Scholé Academy Director Dr. [https://www.scholeacademy.com/instructor/dr-joylynn-blake/] Joylynn Blake [https://www.scholeacademy.com/instructor/dr-joylynn-blake/]—welcomes the leaders of Scholé Academy’s three Houses of Study: Monika Minehart [https://www.scholeacademy.com/instructor/mrs-monika-minehart/], Fr. Nathan Dickinson [https://www.scholeacademy.com/instructor/fr-nathan-dickinson/], and Presb. Maria Koulianos [https://www.scholeacademy.com/instructor/pres-maria-koulianos/]. As representatives of three great Christian traditions, Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican, these classical educators engage in a rich conversation on soul craft, or spiritual formation that is both personal and communal. Drawing from spiritual practices found in the Book of Common Prayer [https://amzn.to/49ZqQkX] and the Student Prayer Book [https://classicalacademicpress.com/products/student-prayer-book?_pos=1&_sid=0930d5db7&_ss=r], the Orthodox vision of theosis, and Catholic sacramental life, the guests reflect on how Christian education shapes the whole person. Informed by C. S. Lewis’s image of the Great Hall in Mere Christianity [https://amzn.to/3NEdXFl], the discussion explores how shared Christian foundations give way to distinct faith traditions where formation is lived out with depth and integrity. Throughout, the educators describe how The Great Hall and Scholé Academy’s Houses [https://scholeacademy.com/new-home/great-hall/?_gl=1*15pd7dx*_gcl_au*OTI3ODE0MzIxLjE3Njg4NjQxNzI.*_ga*MjA1NzE2MjM2Mi4xNzY4ODY0MTcy*_ga_ZYFC4YRMYZ*czE3NjkyNzQyNjIkbzE4JGcxJHQxNzY5Mjc0NjUyJGo2MCRsMCRoMjQ5NDI3NDEw]— Aquinas House [https://scholeacademy.com/aquinas-house-of-studies/], Canterbury House [https://scholeacademy.com/canterbury-house-of-studies/], and St. Raphael School [https://scholeacademy.com/st-raphael-school/]—cultivate theological clarity without dilution, honoring real differences while remaining united by the tenets of the Nicene Creed. The episode offers a compelling picture of classical Christian education as soul craft—patient, relational, and rooted in tradition—made tangible even within online classrooms. Explore courses at Scholé Academy [https://scholeacademy.com/courses/] where thoughtful attention has been given to the concept, courses, and the atmosphere that foster formative Christian education. ClassicalU courses closely related to this episode are School Culture Symposium: Top Presenters on Community and Virtue Formation [https://classicalu.com/course/244ba5a2-8a9a-446c-84de-5aa4bb905511] and The Scholé Way [https://classicalu.com/course/7e8a2f6d-651d-4af3-920d-cbc446bbf023].

Episode 36: Seeing with the Quadrivium: How Medieval Stories Reflect a Living Cosmos

In this episode of the ClassicalU Podcast, Jesse Hake speaks with Dr. Shannon Valenzuela about her new course releasing this spring on medieval literature and the harmonics of story. Beginning with Boethius’s Consolation of Philosophy [https://amzn.to/3Nj2NWd] and culminating in Dante’s Divine Comedy [https://amzn.to/44LY2dW], Dr. Valenzuela shows how medieval authors understood stories as reflections of cosmic order, proportion, pattern, and harmony—a “story math” that structures their designs and animates their themes. Her approach integrates literature with the the quadrivium of arithmetic, geometry, music, and astronomy. The conversation ranges across texts such as Beowulf [https://amzn.to/4pXV12I], Cædmon’s Hymn [https://amzn.to/4s7eG1w], The Dream of the Rood [https://amzn.to/4qwSVXy], and Judith [https://amzn.to/3MSRHqZ], revealing how Anglo-Saxon poetry unites heroic culture with Christian theology. Turning to Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales [https://amzn.to/49ciia2], including the General Prologue, Knight’s Tale, Wife of Bath’s Tale, and the comic Tale of Sir Thopas, the episode highlights medieval play, parody, and invention. Dr. Valenzuela also explores medieval drama through The Chester Play of Noah’s Flood [https://pls.artsci.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/chester4.pdf] and The Second Shepherds’ Play [https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.79197/mode/2up], alongside continental works like Christine de Pizan’s City of Ladies [https://amzn.to/4jiyLOj] and Chrétien de Troyes’s Knight of the Cart [https://amzn.to/3YU8RqJ]. Throughout, the discussion contrasts harmony with disorder by examining monstrosity, transgression, and imbalance, engaging thinkers from Aristotle’s Poetics [https://amzn.to/48XbKx0] to Hildegard of Bingen. The episode invites educators to recover a vision of reading and learning in which literature, theology, mathematics, and music together disclose a world that is meaningful, ordered, and alive. Watch for Dr. Valenzuela’s forthcoming ClassicalU Course “The Harmonics of Medieval Storytelling” in the early spring of 2026. Listeners may also be interested in other ClassicalU courses mentioned such as Junius Johnson’s “Teaching Medieval History: The Age of Light” [https://classicalu.com/courses/teaching-medieval-history-the-age-of-light/]and “Women in the Liberal Arts Tradition” [https://classicalu.com/courses/women-in-the-liberal-arts-tradition/].