Christians Reading Classics – Details, episodes & analysis

Nadya Williams and Evie Solheim discuss Wuthering Heights, what makes it a gothic classic, why Emily Brontë's moral ambiguity still provokes, how the novel speaks to a generation starved for romance, and why the new film adaptation trades subtlety for TikTok-style spectacle. Also: Anna Karenina, Virginia Woolf, and Greta Gerwig's Narnia.

—

Get the Mere Orthodoxy ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, at http://mereorthodoxy.com/family

Mere Fidelity is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.

Get 30% of the Baker Book of the Month, R30 Key Moments in the History of Christianity: Inspiring True Stories from the Early Church Around the World, by going to: http://bakerbookhouse.com/pages/mere-fidelity

Apply for Beeson Divinity School's Ph.D program by April 1 for Fall 2026 admission here: https://bit.ly/BeesonPhD

—

Chapters

• 00:11 – Opening reading from Wuthering Heights and intro to the Brontë sisters
• 01:54 – Welcome to Season 2 of Christians Reading Classics; introducing Evie Solheim
• 03:25 – What makes a classic? Timelessness, breaking the mold, and the canon
• 06:35 – Plot summary: key characters, places, and the structure of the novel
• 08:43 – The gothic genre: origins, elements, and its American descendants
• 10:22 – Southern Gothic: Flannery O'Connor, Faulkner, and True Detective
• 13:12 – How we first meet Cathy — and the unreliable narrators telling her story
• 16:28 – Advice for first-time readers: Emily Brontë's biography and creative world
• 19:43 – Virginia Woolf's essay on Wuthering Heights and what it means to write like that
• 22:56 – Why Wuthering Heights resonates with Americans today: romance, apps, and longing
• 27:21 – The new film adaptation: competing with TikTok, not other movies
• 31:43 – Comparing Wuthering Heights to Gone with the Wind: land, love, and star-crossed tropes
• 36:28 – Good cinematic adaptations: Greta Gerwig's Little Women vs. Emerald Fennell's Wuthering Heights
• 41:10 – Is Wuthering Heights amoral? Reading Heathcliff's fate through a biblical lens
• 47:29 – Closing question: the classic Evie wishes she had written — Anna Karenina

Nadya Williams and Obbie Tyler Todd explore Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin as part of season two's focus on classics American Christians should read for America's 250th. They discuss the Beecher family's influence, the Fugitive Slave Law as the book's impetus, Stowe's deeply scriptural approach to critiquing slavery, the Christ-likeness of Uncle Tom, and why the novel's theological vision — not merely its abolitionism — gave it such enduring power.

—

Get your copy of Mere Orthodoxy's ebook, Spiritual Formation for the Family, by going to http://mereorthodoxy.com/family

Christians Reading Classics is a podcast from Mere Orthodoxy and is listener-supported. If you would like to support this work, become a Mere Orthodoxy Member today at http://mereorthodoxy.com/membership.

Apply for fall 2026 admission to Beeson Divinity School's MDiv (or M.Div., your choice) and be considered for a full-tuition scholarship.: https://bit.ly/OurRisenLord

—

Chapters

Nadya Williams and Carolyn Weber explore the literary significance of Dorothy L. Sayers' 'Gaudy Night', discussing its themes of women's roles in academia, the intersection of murder mysteries and theology, and the nature of what constitutes a classic. They look into Sayers' complex character, her contributions to literature, and the broader implications of her work in the context of 20th-century society. 

Chapters

Nadya Williams and Jon Parrish Peede discuss the literary legacy of Flannery O'Connor, exploring her impact on American literature and the theological themes present in her work. They highlight the Southern Gothic genre, O'Connor's unique storytelling style, and the reader's engagement with her stories. It also touches on her reception over the years and personal reflections on her most significant works.

Nadya Williams and historian Daniel K. Williams examine Sinclair Lewis's 1935 novel "It Can't Happen Here," analyzing its treatment of democracy, authoritarianism, and religion's political role. Their discussion covers what qualifies a work as a literary classic, the historical circumstances surrounding Lewis's writing, and how his observations about democratic institutions' vulnerability and the manipulation of religious sentiment for political ends continue to resonate with contemporary American political debates and concerns about authoritarianism.

Chapters

Nadya Williams discusses C.S. Lewis's novel 'That Hideous Strength' with experts Philip Bunn and Ronni Kurtz. They explore the themes of the book, its place in Lewis's Space Trilogy, and the significance of literary classics. The theological implications of Lewis's work, character analysis, the role of academia, and the ethical considerations surrounding technology are discussed as well. The conversation highlights the relevance of Lewis's ideas in today's context, particularly regarding the nature of humanity and the purpose of fiction.

Chapters

Nadia Williams speaks with church historian John Wilsey about Alexis de Tocqueville's "Democracy in America," marking its 190th anniversary. They explore what makes this political work a classic, Tocqueville's aristocratic background and surprising observations about American equality, religion's central role in preserving democratic freedom, and why American conservatives should appreciate his insights about the balance between individual liberty and community responsibility.

Chapters

• 0:00 - What Makes a Classic
• 7:30 - Tocqueville's Aristocratic Background
• 23:17 - The Prison Reform Pretext
• 26:16 - Structure of Democracy in America
• 39:56 - Religion's Surprising Role in Democracy
• 55:24 - The Book's Reception Then and Now
• 57:53 - Why Conservatives Should Read Tocqueville
• 1:06:19 - Freedom Requires Responsibility
• 1:09:20 - The Book John Wishes He'd Written

Nadya Williams talks with theologians Coleman Ford and Shawn Wilhite about the Nicene Creed, marking its 1700th anniversary. They explore what makes a theological work a "classic," the historical background of the Council of Nicaea, the meaning of key Christological terms, and how to "think Nicenely" in the Christian life. The discussion blends history, theology, and practical discipleship, showing how the Creed shapes Christian identity and worship.

Chapters
00:04 – Introduction and Reading of the Nicene Creed
02:18 – Guests' Backgrounds and Book Collaboration
02:57 – What Makes a Theological Classic?
07:19 – Defining the Work of Theologians as "Doctors of the Soul"
17:18 – Historical Background of the Council of Nicaea
22:47 – Why the Debate over Christ's Relationship to the Father Mattered
28:21 – Constantine's Role and Political Context
32:23 – Structure of the Creed and Differences Between 325 and 381 Versions
38:25 – Christology in the Creed: Begottenness, Substance, and "Light from Light"
49:50 – Visual Imagery and Theological Language
54:32 – Thinking "Nicenely" and Why It Matters Today
01:00:18 – Writing Together as Friends
01:04:21 – Classics the Guests Wish They Had Written

Links

Nadya Williams talks with theologian Kirsten Sanders about J.R.R. Tolkien's The Return of the King, exploring its vision of good and evil, the tragic imagination, and the "faith of hobbits." They discuss why classics endure, the theological depth of Tolkien's world, the moral resonance of small acts of faithfulness, and the book's bittersweet ending.

Chapters
00:03 – Tolkien's life, The Hobbit, and the birth of The Lord of the Rings
02:44 – What makes a book a classic?
05:19 – A reluctant Tolkien reader finds unexpected resonance
10:53 – The quest, the ring, and the nature of evil
14:11 – Evil's hunger and the metaphors of light and darkness
17:56 – Frodo's smallness and the anthropology of humble creatures
20:49 – The tragic tone of The Return of the King
23:02 – Denethor's despair and Gandalf's call to do good
28:30 – The faith of hobbits and resisting nihilism
30:38 – Tolkien's gift for character and detail
31:42 – Gandalf, Tom Bombadil, and the mystery of the unaffected
34:27 – Elves, tradition, and the long memory of history
36:46 – Everything is theological: why the story works
39:03 – Sanders' current and future book projects
41:21 – The faith of hobbits in daily life
42:40 – The power of tangible care and the visible good
44:06 – The devastating beauty of Kristin Lavransdatter
44:59 – Rethinking feminist novels and facing "big books"

Links