Soldier Preachers, late-life love and Soapy the cat in Marilynne Robinson's Gilead

Gilead, from 2004, by the American writer Marilynne Robinson, is a smash-hit novel about Calvinism, three generations of Congregationalist minister and a cat called Soapy. Unlikely trifecta through this is, Gilead is a gorgeous, life-affirming tale that has the distinction of being one of Barack Obama’s favorite books. The Gilead tetralogy - the four novels that make up Robinson’s Gilead cycle, were Oprah’s Book Club pick in 2021 and Robinson is beloved by intellectuals and celebrities alike.Despite all the Calvinism - or maybe because of it - it is a beautiful novel about fatherhood, intergeneration struggle, the legacy of the Civil War, appreciating the everyday beauty of life, about mortality and letting go.  Robinson is on public record speaking about the humanity and compassion inherent in puritan theology, its role in leading us out of our global political crises, the conversational, engaging genre of the sermon as a literary form, and why – like Sophie – she thinks the Protestant Reformation is right up there with the invention of cinema and the internet as one of a handful of the most impactful and transformative cultural events of human modernity.-- To join the Secret Life of Books Club visit: www.secretlifeofbooks.org-- Please support us on Patreon to keep the lights on in the SLoB studio and get bonus content: patreon.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast-- Follow us on our socials:youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretlifeofbookspodcast/shortsinsta: https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast/bluesky: @slobpodcast.bsky.socialFurther Reading and Listening:Marilynne Robinson, the Gilead novels: Gilead, Home, Lila, Jack.Conversation between Robinson and Obama:https://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/11/05/president-obama-marilynne-robinson-conversation/?srsltid=AfmBOoq8ggGJ-bnyvBupbhzTEzu0XzgRR2kSqVWxk2RlHDjvUCaIGLyDPodcast with Marylinne Robinson about Calvinism:https://conversationswithtyler.com/episodes/marilynne-robinson/Support the showProducer: Boyd BrittonDigital Content Coordinator: Olivia di CostanzoDesigner: Peita JacksonOur thanks to the University of Sydney Business School. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Every book has two stories: the one it tells, and the one it hides.The Secret Life of Books is a fascinating, addictive, often shocking, occasionally hilarious weekly podcast starring Sophie Gee, an English professor at Princeton University, and Jonty Claypole, formerly director of arts at the BBC. Every week these virtuoso critics and close friends take an iconic book and reveal the hidden story behind the story: who made it, their clandestine motives, the undeclared stakes, the scandalous backstory and above all the secret, mysterious meanings of books we thought we knew.-- To join the Secret Life of Books Club visit: www.secretlifeofbooks.org-- Please support us on Patreon to keep the lights on in the SLoB studio: https://patreon.com/SecretLifeofBooks528?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkinsta: https://www.instagram.com/secretlifeofbookspodcast/youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@secretlifeofbookspodcast/shorts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.