In this conversation with Joseph Pearce—internationally acclaimed author, Shakespeare scholar, and visiting professor of literature—we’re exploring something I don’t often discuss on the show: the depth of wisdom found in literature, philosophy, and the contemplative life, and what it teaches us about marriage, suffering, and formation.

Joseph doesn’t just write about great converts like Chesterton, Tolkien, and C.S. Lewis—he lives the truths they wrote about. After his own conversion from radical politics to Catholicism, he’s spent decades unpacking how love, sacrifice, and beauty shape not just stories, but souls.

And while his world of poetry and literary references may feel foreign at first, what emerged in our conversation is deeply practical: how we are formed—slowly, drip by drip—by what we choose, what we tolerate, and who we marry.

I’ll walk you through:

✅ Why marriage is not about two individuals finding happiness—it’s about three getting married (husband, wife, and Christ)

✅ The difference between caring about someone and feeling responsible for them (and why we confuse the two)

✅ How pride and feminism have made marriage competitive instead of complementary

✅ Why the acceptance of sorrow—not sorrow itself—is the secret of life

✅ What Joseph learned when his son was born with Down syndrome and a hole in his heart

✅ The healthy trinity Joseph lives by: intellectual, spiritual, and physical exercise daily

✅ Why disconnecting from devices so we can reconnect with reality is one of the most urgent needs of our time

✅ How every dollar we spend is a vote for a better or worse world—and why we choose convenience over conscience

Whether you’re a spouse struggling to accept your partner’s quirks, a parent wondering how to form your children for marriage, or someone hungering for beauty and truth in a world of artificial everything—Joseph offers a perspective grounded in 2,000 years of Catholic wisdom that feels both ancient and urgently needed today.

🔔 Remember: Formation happens whether we’re paying attention or not. The question is—are you being formed by the spirit of the age, or the Holy Spirit?

Connect with Joseph Pearce:

🌐 Website: http://www.jpearce.co

📰 St. Austin Review (Editor): https://staustinreview.org

📚 Ignatius Critical Editions (Series Editor): www.ignatiuscriticaleditions.com

🎓 Homeschool Connections (Senior Instructor): www.homeschoolconnectionsonline.com

Resources Mentioned:

📖 Poem: The Lime-tree Bower my Prison by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

🙏 Surrender Novena

🙏 Litany of Trust