Ep. 106 | Why Christians Should Be Liberally Educated

About this episode

The episode discusses the importance of a liberal arts education for Christians and the value of reading in understanding the human condition.

Why is it important for Christians to read—from the great classics to contemporary works? What does it mean to embrace a broad, liberal arts education from a Christian perspective? Providence Managing Editor James Diddams is joined by Nadya Williams—Contributing Editor at Providence, Books Editor at Mere Orthodoxy , and Interim Director of the MFA in Creative Writing at Ashland University—to explore these questions and to consider why, in an age of AI and increasingly dehumanizing technologies, reading texts that illuminate the human condition as a reflection of God may be more important than ever. Articles referenced: Nadya Williams. "A People Without Culture: What the End of Reading Truly Means." Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy , June 6, 2024. https://providencemag.com/2024/06/a-people-without-culture-what-the-end-of-reading-truly-means/ . Nadya Williams. "Christopher Lasch, Plain Writing, and Democracy." Providence: A Journal of Christianity & American Foreign Policy , July 2, 2025. https://providencemag.com/2025/07/christopher-lasch-plain-writing-and-democracy/ . Nadya Williams. "To Read Is Human." Providence: A Journal of Christianity &…

People in this episode

Host: James Diddams

Guest: Nadya Williams

Topics covered

• Christian education
• liberal arts
• reading
• human condition
• AI technology
• spirituality

Keywords

• Christian education
• liberal arts
• reading
• human condition
• AI
• spirituality
• Nadya Williams

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Providence, Mere Orthodoxy, Ashland University

Books & works: A People Without Culture: What the End of Reading Truly Means, Christopher Lasch, Plain Writing, and Democracy, To Read Is Human, The Conservative Christian Literary Ecosystem

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