What if I told you that reading well could actually help make you a better steward of language on Twitter? Welcome to Curious, a five-part series of conversations inviting all tired Christians to rediscover and reclaim their God-given gift of curiosity. In this continuation of Episode 1, I’m joined by Dr. Karen Swallow Prior, author of On Reading Well, to talk about how being curious in reading literature is necessary preparation for navigating our culture of polarized thinking. Dr. Prior reminds us that Christians are “people of the Word” and that as Outsiders, we have the responsibility to own and steward the language we speak, type, and interpret every day. Episode Highlights 0:00 Reading as a virtue? I set us up for Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Karen Prior 0:25 My reactions to what The Great Gatsby teaches on the virtue of temperance, as discussed in On Reading Well 1:57 “On Twitter, you have become a target for extremists on both sides.” Dr. Prior explains why studying virtue through literature equips her for navigating our polarized culture 3:31 “When we try to avoid one error that we should avoid, we swing to the opposite side and commit another error.” Dr. Prior on what she’s observed from extreme stance-taking in both the classroom and the church 5:54 What allegory and Pilgrim’s Progress has to teach us about the language we use (and interpret) on social media 9:36 Why I believe Dr. Prior’s theory on virtue in literature is a framework for faith leaders everywhere 10:40 You could call us modern-day monks. Why Dr. Prior says it’s the responsibility of Christians, the people of the Word, to preserve literacy in our decaying world 13:15 Where you can find Dr. Prior and how you can contribute to the Reading Well movement 14:30 Now it’s Dr. Prior’s turn: her question for me about reading and writing Episode Resources Part One of this episode On Reading Well Dr. Prior’s Twitter Dr. Prior’s Speaking Engagement Schedule The Great Gatsby A Tale of Two Cities Pilgrim’s Progress The Outsiders