Episode 464: Jen Pollock Michel
In this episode, Jen Pollock Michel and I talk about A Rule for the Rest of Us and what Saint Benedict might offer people who will never live in a monastery. We start with the anxiety of optimization and the strange burden of unlimited freedom, then ask what happens when we're left to manufacture our own meaning. Jen explains what a rule of life actually is, why small daily habits can do what ambitious goals can't, and how we learn to hear God's voice through Scripture and community. We also talk about keeping a rule from becoming self-help, and about discipleship that fits the life we actually have.
A dual citizen of the United States and Canada, Jen Pollock Michel is an award-winning author, speaker, and podcast host living in Cincinnati. Her sixth book, A Rule for the Rest of Us, releases on September 8th. Jen holds a B.A. in French from Wheaton College, an M.A. in Literature from Northwestern University, and an M.F.A from Seattle Pacific University. Her writing has appeared widely in print and online publications, and her popular weekly Substack posts publish most Mondays. Jen also serves as the first-year writing mentor in the Whitworth University low-residency MFA program in Creative Writing. You can find out more about Jen at jenpollockmichel.com.
Jen's Book:
