Seven characteristics of asuccessful reading groupMarch 2020, right in the middle of Lent, was the first monthin 16 years that a group of Catholic men in Eugene, Oregon,were unable to meet together to discuss books over some fineNorthwest beers. That unexpected “fasting” from our book groupwas a reminder of how meaningful such gatherings andconversations can be. This is especially true as they canenrich and deepen our spiritual lives in ways we don’t alwaysrecognize until they aren’t available, something I’mcontemplating this Lent.

The group, bearing the ambitious moniker “The Neo-Inklings,”first met in the spring of 2004 at a local brew pub, invitedthere by myself and Anthony (Tony) Clark. The inspiration forthe men’s reading group came from Tony, who at the time wasworking to finish his doctorate in Chinese history at theUniversity of Oregon.

Tony and I had met a few weeks earlier after Divine Liturgy atthe local Ukrainian Catholic parish, and we quickly discoveredthat our shared love for the Catholic faith also extended toreading and good books. “I need a couple of hours each month,”Tony said, “when I can be with men who share the sameinterests as I do, and we are able to freely discuss Catholicbooks and the Catholic faith.”

The plan was simple: invite some other men to join us todiscuss a book chosen beforehand. In hindsight, after nearly200 meetings, it’s a minor miracle it worked. So much couldhave gone wrong; so much should have gone wrong. But wequickly discovered a truth that G.K. Chesterton expressed sowell back in a 1904 essay on Shakespeare’s “A MidsummerNight’s Dream”: “The sincere love of books has nothing to dowith cleverness or stupidity any more than any other sincere

love. It is a quality of character, a freshness, a power ofpleasure, a power of faith.”

Love of books is obviously necessary for a book club, ofcourse, but there are other important qualities, includinggood character, a love of truth and a commitment to faith. Abook group that lasts for many years and consistently includesedifying insights and challenging discussions is a bit like agood marriage: It requires purpose, devotion, honesty,patience and, yes, sometimes forgiveness.

This Lent, consider starting a group of your own to dive deepinto some of the greatest books by Catholic authors. Here areseven characteristics that stand out to me as essential to thelongevity and quality of our group.

Clear purpose

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I’ve talked to several men and women over the years who haveparticipated in groups formed “to talk about books.” Most ofthose groups, unfortunately, had short lives. One reason, Isuspect, is that while “discussing books” sounds wonderful intheory, it is often too vague to sustain interest andcommitment. Inspired by Tony’s initial idea, we specificallyaimed to have a group of Catholic men discussing good Catholicbooks, with an emphasis on Catholic belief, practice,spirituality and history.

Yes, we’ve had some non-Catholic men in our group, and we haveread some books written by non-Catholics. But that core goalhas not changed, and it has been essential to keeping thegroup oriented to its larger goal, which is growth —spiritually, intellectually and otherwise — as Catholic men.This has always helped us in making decisions about what toread. For example, while we once read a book on Churchteaching about money and economics, we passed on a suggestedbook, written by a secular author, about successful businesspractices, as it simply was too far removed from the purposeof the group.

What about the “men only” approach? I think most Catholic menare rarely able to spend quality time — certainly not on aregular basis — with other Catholic men in a setting thatallows them to converse, discuss and debate freely and openly.Years ago, I was in a book group for about a year thatincluded both men and women, and while it was certainlyenjoyable and edifying, it had a more formal and reserveddynamic. Scott, one of our group’s long-time members, sums itup well in remarking that “what is special for me is thecamaraderie of Catholic men unabashedly discussing, learningabout and living out their faith.”

Stability and structureOur first meeting was in a typical Oregon pub — and it turnedout to be a very loud pub. It also didn’t have the sort ofrelaxed feel that encourages good — or easily heard —discussion. For a couple of years we met every month at adifferent home. That worked fairly well, but it had its ownchallenges, especially for men with young families. We’ve beenfortunate for many years now to meet in the home of one of ourlongtime members. Such stability has proven invaluable,especially when the meeting area has its own kitchen and well-stocked refrigerator. “Having a convenient location isessential,” says Joe, a college professor who has been part of

the group from the start, who adds: “I’d hope that any localparish would be able to offer some meeting hall or religiousschool classroom space for such a group. The onlyinconvenience would be the lack of an onsite refrigerator!”

Having a regular meeting place with a “home” feel establishesa comfort level that shapes the entire evening: There is anauthentic sense of routine and familiarity. In addition, wehave long had a simple and effective structure to our two-hourmeetings. The first 30 minutes or so are for greetings andinformal conversation — time meant, as Scott notes, “to buildrapport within the group.” We then open with prayer beforediscussing the book for about 90 minutes.

Good men of common mindChesterton mentions “quality of character,” and there’s nodoubt that a long-lasting reading group must have men of goodcharacter. Such men respect the goals of the group andparticipate for the right reasons — not to hog the floor,pitch a pet project, or be contrary about every sentence reador opinion expressed. Sometimes men who are invited to attendwill come to one or two meetings and then not return. In somecases, they apparently were looking for something different;in a few cases, it seemed they wanted to bend the group totheir own purposes, which simply wasn’t going to happen.

And in a couple of instances, they appeared unhappy with whatI think is the vigorous orthodoxy of our group. Not rowdy ortriumphalistic, but also not shy about believing and upholdingChurch teachings. My own pastor, Father Richard, who I haveknown for over two decades, says, “As a priest, meeting withthis group is nourishment for my faith. It is a blessing tosee fine, Catholic men seriously discussing good books andtheir faith and seriously enjoying the company and support ofone another, in contrast to a culture which often sees littleor no value in these things.”

Excellent (but mostly inexpensive) booksAn obvious point, but that doesn’t means it’s easy to figureout which books exactly. Or when to read them. Over the spanof nearly 200 months, we have read and discussed some 100books. The first was “God and the Ways of Knowing” by JeanDaniélou, followed by works from Joseph Ratzinger/PopeBenedict XVI, G.K. Chesterton, Peter Kreeft, Hilaire Belloc,John Henry Newman, Father James Schall and many others.

Several books have been about Church history: the earlyChurch, monasticism, Western culture, the Crusades, theReformation, the Enlightenment and modernity. There have beenbooks about Jesus Christ and sacred Scripture by Benedict XVI,Brant Pitre and Frank Sheed, and works about philosophy byKreeft, Aquinas, Josef Pieper and Dietrich von Hildebrand. Ahandful of fictional works include “Wise Blood” by FlanneryO’Connor and “Lord of the World” by Msgr. Robert Hugh Benson.In many instances, current events or anniversaries influencedbook choices. So, for example, in 2015, we read and discussedthe four constitutions (Lumen gentium, Dei verbum,Sacrosanctum concilium and Gaudium et spes) of Vatican II onthe 50th anniversary of the close of that council.

Some men in our group use e-books, but most prefer physicalbooks, which means price points are important. We try toselect books that can be purchased for $20 or less, and try toalternate more expensive books with books easily found forless than $10-$12. Although some very fine books don’t make

the cut because they are too expensive, there’s no lack ofexceptional, affordable books. Length is also a factor; onlyoccasionally do we take on books over 300 pages, and it isoften the case that we discuss those books for two, or eventhree, months.

Leadership

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This can be, without doubt, a tricky issue. On one hand, thegroup is quite democratic: It’s not meant to be a class, andit’s certainly not a lecture. But in order to carry on andstay the course, someone has to be at the wheel. After Tonyhad to move to taking a teaching position across the country,I took up the mantle of what I jokingly call “benevolentdictator.” Most of this is simply communicating well, lettingthe men know what day we are meeting, what book we arediscussing and so forth.

While I’ve always looked for input on book ideas, I’ve oftenmade the final decision about what book to read and discuss. Iusually ask for the opinions of men who have been in the groupfor many years, and I emphasize that the group is not mygroup, even if I take up the leadership mantle in some ways.Scott, the CEO of a large company, who has been a part of ourbook group for many years, advises, “Have a specific leaderthat has the respect and knowledge to guide the group.”Because I write and edit for a living, and have worked for

Ignatius Press for many years, I’m fortunate to be immersed inthe world of Catholic books on a continual basis. The rest ofit is a matter of being consistent, charitable and alwayswilling to listen to ideas and questions.

Communication/discussionThe combination of a dozen men, some beers and religion isbound (hopefully and usually) to lead to vigorousconversation. Boundaries are occasionally stretched; opinionsare sometimes strong or even heated. Even so, personal attacksare nonexistent, a direct result of good character and strongrespect. All the better, as Tony once put it, “for iron tosharpen iron.” Where there is a love for truth, charity isclose at hand, even if strong disagreements occasionally cometo the fore.

While the group is not supposed to be an echo chamber, itshould provide mutual support. Keeping discussions on track isoften simply a matter of refocusing on the text at hand: Whatdoes the author mean when he states this? Or how do you thinkthis argument or that claim by the author holds up to factsand scrutiny? In other words, the book in hand can — and evenshould — take the brunt of criticism on occasion. Yet, while ahandful of books have proven disappointing over the years, thevast majority have edified, informed and challenged the group,thus holding up their end of the discussion.

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Good beer! “Drink because you are happy,” wrote Chesterton,“but never because you are miserable.” In my experience, menwho come together to talk about their faith and good books arenever miserable. Not that everyone does drink (they don’t),but it’s also true that a good beer or other adult beverageamong friends is the sort of “irrational drinking” thatChesterton praises — paradoxically, of course — for not beingnecessary. It simply wouldn’t be quite the same if we were alldrinking bottled water. And, yes, because we are in Oregon, weare beer snobs. But, regardless, a solid pint and a good bookalways lead to a worthwhile conversation. And, in fact, weeven once read and discussed “The Beer Option” by R. JaredStaudt.

While COVID-19 interrupted our group this past spring — andhas affected how we’ve met since — the Northwest Neo-Inklingscontinues to turn the pages. And the focus and enjoymentremains the same.

“I thought I had been transported back in time,” Scott told mewhen I asked his thoughts about the reading group. “Catholicmen sitting around drinking beer and discussing the Summa —this was new territory for me! It has truly deepened my faithbeing part of this amazing reading group with these amazingmen.” I couldn’t say it better or ask for anything more.

Carl E. Olson is the editor of Catholic World Report.

Reading Group Book Recommendations

Theology/Philosophy• “God and the Ways of Knowing” by Father Jean Daniélou: Our first book and a fitting start to a group focused on truth and reality.

• “Credo” by Hans Urs von Balthasar: A short, accessible, and masterful introduction to the Faith by the famous Swiss theologian.• “The Second Vatican Council,” a compilation of the four constitutions of Vatican II (Sacrosanctum Concilium, Dei Verbum, Lumen Gentium, Gaudium et Spes): These key

(and often unfairly maligned) texts are full of riches and surprises.• Veritatis Splendor by Pope John Paul II: A landmark papal encyclical on moral theology that is more timely now than even in 1993.

• “Knowing God: God and the Human Condition” by Frank Sheed: Few writers can match Sheed’s clear prose and warm style in explaining the mysteries of the Faith.• “After the Natural Law” by John Lawrence Hill: A most helpful guide to various philosophical errors and the need for natural law.

Scripture and Christology• “Holy People, Holy Land: A Theological Introduction to the Bible” by Michael Dauphinais and Matthew Levering: One of the best introductory works on Scripture,

succinct and yet filled with numerous insights.• The first two “Jesus of Nazareth” books (“Jesus of Nazareth: The Infancy Narratives” and “Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration“)

by Benedict XVI: Not only are these fine works of Christology, they aptly reveal the heart and mind of the pope emeritus.• “Christ the Bridegroom: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told” by Brant Pitre: A lively and educational popular work by one of the finest young Catholic Scripture

scholars writing today.• “The Everlasting Man” by G.K. Chesterton: Many consider this to be Chesterton’s masterpiece, a sprawling work and never dull.

• “Christ in Eclipse: A Clinical Study of the Good Christian” by Frank Sheed: Written four decades ago, Sheed gets to the heart of many problems in the Church today.Spirituality

• “The Spirit of the Liturgy” by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: One of Ratzinger’s most famous works, this provides invaluable Scriptural context and theological

elucidations. • “For the Life of the World” by Father Alexander Schmemann: Short, strong and often startling, this classic by the Russian Orthodox theologian was a very popular

read in our group.• “God or Nothing” by Cardinal Robert Sarah: A modern-day spiritual classic that mixes autobiographical notes with profound reflections on belief and discipleship.• “The Noonday Devil: Acedia, the Unnamed Evil of Our Times” by Dom Jean-Charles Nault: A book for our times in many ways, this is a powerful critique that offers

real encouragement.• “The Lenten Spring” by Father Thomas Hopko: An Orthodox theologian provides 40 short but deep chapters on the Eastern Christian understanding of Great Lent.

• “Leisure: The Basis of Culture” by Josef Pieper: The great German Thomist’s best-known book, this is a call to contemplation and reflection in a world gone mad.Church history

• “The Dividing of Christendom” by Christopher Dawson: One of the finest Catholic historians of modern times explains the Reformation with calm clarity. • “Destroyer of the gods: Early Christian Distinctiveness in the Roman World” by Larry W. Hurtado: The late New Testament scholar shows what was so unique about the

early Christians, focusing especially on their understanding and worship of God.• “The New Concise History of the Crusades” by Thomas F. Madden: A lucid and balanced work that corrects a multitude of misunderstandings and misrepresentations.• “The Love of Learning and the Desire for God: A Study of Monastic Culture” by Jean Leclercq: A study that is both challenging and rewarding, especially regarding

how medieval monks read and understood Scripture.• “Through Their Own Eyes: Liturgy as the Byzantines Saw It” by Father Robert F. Taft, S.J.: An excellent introduction to early Eastern Christian worship and liturgy.

Culture and controversies

• “Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures” by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger: Few Catholic thinkers have contemplated culture as deeply as Ratzinger, and thisshorter book is a good place to start.

• “Lost in the Cosmos: The Last Self-Help Book” by Walker Percy: The brilliant novelist’s “self-help” book is sarcastic, irreverent, and surprising in the bestpossible ways.

• “Making Gay Okay: How Rationalizing Homosexual Behavior Is Changing Everything” by Robert R. Reilly: Not an easy book to read, but essential to understanding whatthe past few decades have wrought–and what the next few might look like.

• “Now (Not) to Be Secular: Reading Charles Taylor” by James Smith: A “Cliff Notes” guide of sorts to Charles Taylor’s massive “A Secular Age,” this is bursting withfood for thought.

• “Orthodoxy” by G.K. Chesterton: A classic work of apologetics that doesn’t read like any other work of apologetics, with shining prose and sparkling wit.Biography and autobiography

• “St. Francis of Assisi” by G.K. Chesterton: Not a proper biography of the famous saint, but a profound one, as only Chesterton could write.• “Rebel in the Ranks: Martin Luther, the Reformation, and the Conflicts That Continue to Shape Our World” by Brad Gregory: This book on Martin Luther and the birth

of Protestantism, by an exceptional Catholic historian, is both page-turning and eye-opening.• “Into the Deep: An Unlikely Catholic Conversion” by Abigail Rine Favale: One of the most raw and beautiful conversion accounts you’ll find, this was a favorite for

many in our group.• “Confessions” by St. Augustine: The most famous conversion account of all — and for good reason, with something for every reader.• “Apologia Pro Vita Sua” by John Henry Newman: Often dense and never trivial, this is beautifully written and often awe-inspiring.

Fiction and literature• “Wise Blood” by Flannery O’Connor: This first novel by the brilliant Southern writer will shake up the reader, but always to good end.

• Poems by T.S. Eliot: The poetry of Eliot might not be for everyone, but his post-conversion poems are essential reading.• “Lord of the World” by Robert Hugh Benson: The famous dystopian novel by the noted convert from Anglicanism is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

• “The Merchant of Venice: Ignatius Critical Editions” by William Shakespeare: Not as famous as other Shakespeare plays, but filled with wit and verve. This criticaledition has excellent essays and notes.