First published 2017
This issue of Plough Quarterly examines how spiritual inwardness forms the foundation for authentic community and social action. The publication argues that our screen-dominated culture creates a false reality that damages hearts and minds. Facebook harms mental health, advertising manipulates consciousness, and polarized politics dehumanizes us. The cure lies not in external solutions but in returning to our souls. The issue presents figures from medieval Beguines and Benedictines to Gerard Manley Hopkins, Simone Weil, and Fannie Lou Hamer alongside contemporary voices like Robert Cardinal Sarah and three persecuted Syrian priests. These mystics and activists demonstrate that inwardness protects against demagogues and false gospels while enabling genuine service to others. The quarterly includes poetry from Hopkins and Malcolm Guite, insights from Meister Eckhart and Marguerite Porete, and a forum on the Benedict Option featuring Rod Dreher and Ross Douthat. Artwork spans from Fra Angelico to contemporary artists, illustrating the real world beyond our cultural distractions.
Genres: religion, non-fiction, 21st-century, christianity, activism, academic
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, social-commentary
Period: Medieval, Modern
80 pages · Paperback · Plough Publishing House