Theological Thursday: Why Reading Great Literature as a Family is Powerful… Written by the Hobbit (with some thoughts by the Elf)
One of the more interesting books I read in 2018 was On Reading Well: Finding the Good Life Through Great Books by Karen Swallow Prior. Many authors have addressed the power of reading literature. Swallow takes this a step further – it is not just reading a book, but reading the book well that is specifically impactful and powerful.
First, the act of reading well creates, in itself, virtue. Prior notes that “There is something in the very form of reading-the shape of the action itself-that tends toward virtue.” To read well one must practice diligence, discernment, and patience- all desirable virtues. It can have lifelong impacts on the reader.
Second, by reading well we see what strong, virtuous, characters do (and do not) look like. You can learn from others mistakes while also learning from the characters successes. Being able to analyze those characters and character traits together as a family is engaging and interesting. But even more than that, analyzing characters together gives you the ability to speak into your kids about morals, virtues and things you desire for them in a way that might be otherwise brushed off.
Third, (not based on this book) in a lot of great stories you can find allegory for Christian themes and ideals. You can compare the characters and stories to Biblical ones. This might even make some Bible characters and stories seem more relatable!
Last, but not least, reading (and discussing) together can help make reading a fun habit for your kids. Taking your time and reading well is a skill that will be valuable their entire lives. And while reading anything together can be fun- reading classic, great books, together is really impactful.
Plus- reading the greats can be useful on other levels as well. I definitely pulled out some Lord of the Rings when my girls were in elementary school to put them to sleep at night 😉
In Prior’s book, Part One focuses on the cardinal virtues: prudence, temperance, justice and courage. The word cardinal derives from the Latin word for hinge (yea Latin – you should do Latin with your kids too – but I will leave that for another time). According to both classical philosophers and early Christian theologians, all other virtues are based on these four. Part Two looks at the theological virtues: faith, hope and love; and Part Three looks at the heavenly virtues of charity, temperance, chastity, diligence, patience, kindness and humility (charity – love, and temperance have already been covered, so there are five remaining for part three). A total of twelve. While it would be WONDERFUL to read twelve pieces of great literature in a year, I think a more reasonable goal is Part One – completing the first four. Prior focuses on the first four with these books. (Plus age range from the Lexile web site):
- The History of Tom Jones, a Founding by Henry Fielding (prudence): 8th grade and up;
- The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (temperance): 13yrs. and up ;
- A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (justice): 12yrs. and up ; and
- The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (courage): 3rd grade and up.
And while these four are definitely more focused towards the teenage crowd- there are lots of wonderful books to read with younger audiences too where you can find these virtues together. We might suggest looking into books by Roald Dahl, E.B. White, and A.A. Milne to start. And there are wonderful series to read together if you have a variety of ages- like The Chronicles of Narnia or the Little House on the Prairie series. Your local librarian can help you figure out where to start based on your kiddos ages and interests. So I invite you and your teens to read with me as I look at these four virtues, as found in On Reading Well. I will also post thoughts in Fantasy Friday and other posts looking at some other books (for various ages) and diving into how to read well.
James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.
What was your favorite book or book series to read as a kid? What was your favorite book to have read to you?
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