Living in Wonder: A Conversation with Rod Dreher

The world is not what we think it is. It is far more mysterious, exciting, connected, and adventurous. But we have a hard time perceiving this truth because we have become “disenchanted”—closed to the idea that the universe contains the supernatural, the metaphysical, or the non-material. 

In this conversation, Wayfare editor Zachary Davis speaks with author Rod Dreher about his new book, Living in Wonder: Finding Mystery and Meaning in a Secular Age. The book offers practical ways to regain a sense of wonder and awaken your sense of God’s presence—through prayer, attention, and living by spiritual disciplines.

The 45min-1hour of this conversation will be a conversation between Zach and Rod and the remainder of the time will be for questions and interaction from the audience.

Questions we’ll explore include:

• What does it mean to experience the world as “enchanted,” and how can we move into that mode of perception?
• How is talking and thinking about God different from encountering God?
• Why morals and doctrine are insufficient to revive Christianity in the West.

Rod Dreher is a journalist and author of six books, including the New York Times bestsellers The Little Way of Ruthie Leming (2013), The Benedict Option (2017), and Live Not by Lies (2020). His work covers the intersection of religion, culture, and politics. Dreher has worked as a columnist for the New York Post, the Dallas Morning News, National Review, the American Conservative, the European Conservative, and other publications, and his work has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and Time. He is an Orthodox Christian. A native of Louisiana, Dreher lives in Budapest, where he is a senior fellow at The Danube Institute.

Zachary Davis is the Executive Director of Faith Matters and editor of Wayfare Magazine. He is also the host and executive producer of the podcasts Writ Large, Ministry of Ideas, Making Meaning and Illuminations. He lives in Camberville, Massachusetts.