Showing results by author "Ron Dart" in All Categories

Mountain and Valley: The former represents serenity, contemplation, and insight; the latter toil, struggle, and pain. Both are necessary and complementary aspects of our existence, and yet our tendency is to elevate the one and downgrade the other. Either we romanticize the peak and its focus on the inner life or “inscape,” or we lose ourselves in the hustle and bustle of the valley, never withdrawing from the fray to get a fresh perspective on life.

After an insightful introduction on Tolstoy and his writing, Part 1 begins with Bradley Jersak's essay on Tolstoy's Confessions, a nonfiction memoir of Tolstoy's faith journey. Jersak (author of Out of the Embers: Faith After the Great Deconstruction, 2022) presents what he describes as an "Anatomy of a Great Deconstruction." He offers a description of each bend on the Tolstoy's spiritual path, along with some reflection questions that ask listeners to ponder their own spiritual progress or regress.