The Great Books Reading Group will take on Paul Kingsnorth’s book Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity starting on the first Thursday of February, the 5th, 7-8:30 p.m. US Central Time, on our Patreon platform at the Trainee ($1) level or above, and we invite you to join us! Laurie Johnson and Kent Shultz will take turns leading the discussion. Reading is encouraged, but not required.
We will soon be announcing our early Spring classes on our website, including one on Jacques Maritain and Anti-Modern Progress, and one on Giorgio Agamben’s Homo Sacer (Bare Life), on how modern states strip individuals of political rights, reducing them to “bare life.” For now, I’d like to ask, for those of you who can help us, will you help us by either becoming a paid follower of the Academy on Patreon, and/or by giving a one time tax-deductible gift before December 31 to help us keep going in 2026. Your support and encouragement, no matter whether you can help us financially or not, is deeply appreciated.
Tonight, October 21, 2025 at 7 p.m. US Central Time, I’ll be having a conversation on Zoom with Stephen Paff, author of the Ethnodata blog and host of the new podcast Democracy Demythologized. See the bottom of this post for information about how to join.
The Maurin Academy’s monthly Communio group will meet this Saturday at 4 p.m. US Central Time, live on Zoom, to discuss Chapter 4 of Hans Urs von Balthasar’s book Mysterium Paschale: The Mystery of Easter. We will post the Zoom link for Maurin Academy patrons on the day. As always, reading is optional–don’t be shy to come if you just want to listen, or want to take part based on your own questions.
On Thursday, October 2, at 7 p.m. US Central Time, David and Laurie will be back to discuss Chapters 3-5 (finishing Part 1) of Neil Postman’s Amusing Ourselves to Death. This is a classic originally published in 1985 which is all too relevant today. We are now living in the full-blast of what Postman was trying to describe and warn about back in the ’80’s. It’s a good time to reflect on what he said, in the context of what we know now.
We have a regular check-in with our Patreon supporters once every month or so. Our next one is Monday, September 29. To come to this and all our classes, reading groups and lectures, head to the Maurin Academy Patreon and follow us there. Also, check out more of our website: pmaurin.org