In an age of misleading news articles, vicious discourse, and exponential ignorance, it is a curious fact that the skill of reading continues to take the backseat to other “practical” areas of study. Society, it seems, would rather have students master Microsoft Excel or how to program computers than they would become lectiophiles. Reading is discarded as an antiquated art, a skill for a bygone area, whose value is akin to a penny: sentimentalized yet basically obsolete.
At the same time, no one explicitly endorses the excision of reading from the curriculum as they would the penny from U.S. currency. We know deep down that reading is something we cannot do without. After all, how will the next generation read stop signs and Instagram posts? Yes, I am being somewhat facetious, but the point remains: society understands that it needs literate citizens to continue to function.
In this blog, I submit three reasons for society to embrace deep reading as both an immensely practical and inescapably moral skill to pass on to the next generation. By “deep reading” I mean more than reading for practical information or to enjoy the latest fan-fare novel. I mean the sort of reading that draws one into deeper opportunities for contemplation, discovery, and renewal. Recently, Dr. Patrick Egan made the compelling case for choosing to read old books over watching the news. This article will dovetail off of his work as it explores different facets of the human experience and how deep reading enhances each of them for the flourishing of society and its members.
Deep Reading is a pathway to creativity.
In our technological age, the opportunities for entertainment are endless. With smartphones in pocket and streaming services on the rise, people who claim they are bored are without excuse. Whether we are waiting in line at the grocery store or have an evening to ourselves, never fear, the harvest of Silicon Valley is plentiful.
But what if humans were created for more than entertainment? What if we are actually designed, not to consume, but create? While theologians continue to debate the doctrine of imago dei, certainly one implication is that human beings have the capacity to make new things. God has endowed humans in his likeness with the rational, moral, and social capacities to order, build, program, grow, and build, creating new instances of beauty and order within his creation.
In My Tech-Wise Life (BakerBooks, 2020), Amy Crouch, the daughter of author Andy Crouch, offers her thoughts growing up in a tech-wise family. As she reflects on boredom and entertainment, Crouch proposes that the cure for boredom is not distraction, but wonder (145). However, in order to experience wonder, we need to be undistracted. We need to experience boredom. It is only when our minds are given the freedom to not be inundated by external forces that it has the time to ponder for itself. This pondering leads to ideas, which in turn generate wonder and discovery.
Reading helps facilitate this process of wonder. Unlike screens, which captivate one’s attention from beginning to end, reading is an activity in which the reader remains in the driver’s seat. The reader can slow down at times to re-read a passage or give an idea more thought. She can pause to consider whether what she is reading is true. These moments of reflection allow the mind to wander and ponder, entering a flow of thinking and creativity. And lest we think that reading enhances creativity only in the humanities, this doctoral student in immunology at the University of Chicago would beg to differ.
Deep Reading preserves a free and moral society.
Behind the excitement about practical disciplines like business and engineering lies a dangerous assumption: contemporary society’s reading ability is “good enough.” We can move beyond the fundamentals of reading and writing because we have mastered them. After all, we live in a country where practically everyone goes to school and graduates “adequately” literate. But is adequacy the proper goal for a skill as foundational as reading?
Recently I have taken a deep dive into the writings of Wendell Berry and came upon an essay he wrote in 1970 entitled “In Defense of Literacy.” In this piece, Berry argues that the submission of literature to the practical is a perversion. He offers two reasons for this. First, the term “practical” is often synonymous with “immediate.” Once a thing falls out of short-term use, it loses its place in the world. This myopic thinking about time and place sacrifices long-term flourishing for short-term benefits.
Second, language preserves ourselves and our values. In a literate society, language is used both for good and for ill, but especially ill. Public discourse is premeditated and designed to achieve a proper objective. The surest way to confront language used for nefarious or deceptive ends is with language shaped by truth and goodness. Hence, Dorothy Sayers clarion call for the recovery of the liberal arts and the lost tools of learning.
Towards the end of his essay, Berry clarifies that “a better language” grounded in morality will be discovered across the span of history, not “just the environment of prepared language in which most of us now pass most of our lives.” In other words, Berry recommends we read old books. For, as we read books outside the transience of the present, we develop “a more accurate judgment of ourselves, and the possibilities of correction and renewal.”
Deep Reading prepares future leaders.
Parents and educators alike want their children and students to be leaders, not followers. This is a laudable aspiration. And while the term “preparing leaders” is a buzzword that is often overused and underrealized, the solution is not to abdicate from this goal, but to gain clarity on its true meaning. What do we mean by leadership? What are the traits of a godly leader? How can we prepare students to remain faithful to biblical principles of leadership, especially as headlines of fallen Christian leaders continue to break?
Interestingly, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, a leader of leaders in the latter half of the 19th century, heralded literacy as the pathway to freedom for African-American slaves. He understood that the ability to read and write empowered him to speak truth to power. Douglass would spend his life championing the cause of abolition as well as education for African-Americans during the Reconstruction Era. (For more information on Douglass and the liberal arts I recommend this brief article over at Circe institute.)
What is it about deep reading that prepares future leaders?
First, deep reading helps a young leader develop a thought life of her own. Leadership is rooted in the conviction to fulfill a vision for what the world could be, but is not at present. In order for these sort of visionary ideas to emerge, the mind must be fed with big ideas in the first place. But not only must the mind be fed, it needs to take part in this feast. In other words, young leaders need to spend time in thought about God, the world He created, and their unique place in it. While there are certainly plenty of successful leaders out there who have not developed a rich diet of deep reading, I would contend that those who do tend to be wiser, humbler, and more inclined to, in the end, finish the race.
Second, deep reading grants a developing leader glimpses of experiences they do not possess themselves. The greatest liability of a young leader full of potential is his lack of experience. He may have the academic qualifications, and even a couple notches on his belt, but he lacks that which a seasoned leader has in spades: lessons learned over decades of experience. While deep reading cannot replace these lessons, the voracious reader can make up for years, or lost years, by putting his head down in good books that illustrate key leadership principles. Learning these principles, and putting them into application on a daily basis, can put developing leaders on a fast track of wise and prudent leadership.
Conclusion
The art of reading, though not completely abandoned by society, needs a renaissance in education for the next generation. Deep reading, in particular, has the potential to shape young men and women to be more creative, committed to traditional morality, and capable of wise leadership.
Carl F.H. Henry, an American evangelical thought leader in the 20th century, once wrote,
Evangelical education stands on the brink of a pagan era in which men of faith can once more register a singular witness for God, and for objective truth and the name of Jesus Christ, and for man and freedom under God. God does not draft reluctant warriors for this larger conflict; they enlist as volunteers if they really count. And this is the hour for such volunteers. Tomorrow may be too late.
The God Who Shows Himself (Word Books, 1966), p. 119
Henry wrote these words over fifty years ago. Some would argue that the pagan era he predicted has arrived. If so, may his call for men (and women) of faith come to pass as well. If you are wondering what you can do to volunteer for the great cause of bearing witness to the name of Christ, perhaps a first step is to take some time to read a good book and let it do its work on you.
Enjoy this article? Check out Jason’s earlier article on the same topic: The Importance of Deep Reading in Education.