In this episode of The Classical Mind, we dive into Walker Percy’s Love in the Ruins, a satirical yet deeply philosophical novel that explores the fragmentation of American culture, the tension between faith and modernity, and the collapse of both personal and national identity. Joining us for this discussion is Jesse Hake, Director of ClassicalU.com at Classical Academic Press. Together, we unpack Percy’s biting critique of American politics, his unique handling of race and social divisions, and the novel’s darkly comedic vision of a society unraveling at the seams.

We also explore Love in the Ruins as a work that straddles multiple genres—dystopian fiction, theological novel, political satire—and discuss its protagonist, Dr. Thomas More, whose Lapsometer attempts to diagnose the spiritual and ideological malaise of modern man. How does Percy contrast faith with scientific materialism? Is his portrayal of America’s decline eerily prophetic? And what lessons does Love in the Ruins hold for us today?

Our next book is The Journey of the Mind to God by St. Bonaventure

Endnotes:

-Junius: “Mr. Roboto” by Styx

-Jesse: The Hidden Wound by Wendell Berry

-Wesley: “The Fiction Writer and His Country” and “Some Aspects of the Grotesque in Southern Fiction” by Flannery O’Connor

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Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy with Jesse Hake