“ Responding to the claim that not just reading but high culture in general is morally improving, Terry Eagleton points out that, during World War II, many people were indeed deep in high culture, but .… Alan Jacobs
“ We should affirm the great value of reading just for the fun of it. . . . In my experience, Christians are strangely reluctant to take this advice. We tend to be earnest people, always striving for se… Alan Jacobs
“ Christian writers, whether they like it or not, do not simply write for themselves; for good or ill, readers will see their work as reflecting Jesus Christ and his church. And if only for this reason… Alan Jacobs
“ Those who will never be fooled can never be delighted, because without self-forgetfulness there can be no delight, and this is a great and grievous loss. Alan Jacobs
“ The Virtue and unpretentiousness of the wise man, which I am talking about, goes unnoticed because of its transparent ordinariness. Alan Jacobs
“ We cannot understand the Higher Wisdom. Later, well after the event, we may see the lesson contained in the event, and be truly grateful. We must, however, submit to what happens, accepting all that u… Alan Jacobs
“ When we talk today about receptiveness to stories, we tend to contrast that attitude to one governed by reason - we talk about freeing ourselves from the shackles of the rational mind and that sort of… Alan Jacobs
“ Socrates: Yes mercy and grace are all linked with Love. Let your tears of gratitude wash away the dark dirt of ignorance obscuring your own dear Self which is Love.Charmides: So Love has nothing to do… Alan Jacobs
“ I would not be practicing love toward God OR my neighbour if I were to smile benignly on an unjust social order. It is not charitable to refrain from moral judgment: when Jesus says 'Judge not, lest y… Alan Jacobs
“ Read what gives you delight—at least most of the time—and do so without shame. And even if you are that rare sort of person who is delighted chiefl y by what some people call Great Books, don’t make t… Alan Jacobs
“ Peter Brown, that great historian of early Christianity, has given the most cogent explanation for the arising of the cult of the saints in the late Roman world. He explains that the emphasis of early… Alan Jacobs
“ The book that simply demands to be read, for no good reason, is asking us to change our lives by putting aside what we usually think of as good reasons. It's asking us to stop calculating. It's asking… Alan Jacobs
“ Great books are great in part because of what they ask of their readers: they are not readily encountered, easily assessed. Alan Jacobs
