Greetings Friends,
I’ve decided to begin a semi-regular ‘Weekend Whimsy’, or a little post containing a few resources I’ve come across and some snapshots of Oxford. They may coalesce around a theme, they may not. Hope it is useful and nourishing to you.
1. How to Become Fully Alive with Elizbeth Oldfield
The Sacred Podcast
Elizabeth Oldfield is hell-bent on resurrecting community life in our fractured and atomised times. Besides hoping to see people commit to rhythms, rituals, and a life of close proximity, she fiercely advocates for speaking across divides and taking a posture of good faith when listening to people with different perspectives than our own. Oldfield believes that these elements, along with the pursuit of ancient wisdom, form a recipe for healing our 'common life'—a term referring to our shared societal existence and historically linked to the communal practices of Christian monastic traditions. Her sincere and vibrant voice is worth following— this podcast delves into her recently released book.
2. Gaza and the Gods of Tribalism
Zealots at the Gate Podcast
This podcast, produced by Comment Magazine, is hosted by two thought leaders and friends: an American Muslim and an Evangelical. The conversation explores the human tendency of tribalism and how social identities form, especially how these dynamics have played out since the events of October 7th. It dives into the history and perspectives of both the pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel camps to foster deeper understanding, fruitful dialogue, and mutual empathy.
3. Women and the Common Life by Christopher Lasch
This book profoundly challenges both the right and the left by delving into the long history of women’s powerful influence on the virtue and productivity of society, thereby questioning the contemporary narrative of women’s blanket oppression until modern feminism came along. Lasch puts on trial America’s obsession with the nuclear family birthed out of suburbia, which resulted in heightened individualism and capitalistic consumerism, the rise of 50s housewife domesticity, and the advent of the therapeutic welfare state. He hearkens back to cottage economies and intergenerational households, where every unique role in the family was essential to maintaining the busy pursuits of collective life. This book prompts a rethinking of feminism, the ‘trad wifery’ trend, romance, education, and more. Ultimately, he asks us to meditate on what cultivates and nurtures social bonds. This book was a paradigm shifter, no doubt.
Drinking in all the beauties and oddities around me.
Warmly,
Carolyn