In this episode, Rachel leads Sarah, Erin, and Bri in a recap discussion of the latest Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club selection: Gene Edward Veith Jr.’s The Spirituality of the Cross: The Way of the First Evangelicals.

Why would a Christian author at the height of his career choose a pagan setting (replete with false idols and human sacrifice) for his most mature novel? Why would a man known for both his historical erudition and his devotion to traditional gender roles retell Greek mythology’s greatest love story from the perspective of a single woman who is also a reigning queen? What’s with all the veils and mirrors (actual and metaphorical) in this book? And what does “till we have faces” mean, anyway?

What is so refreshingly distinctive about the way Lutherans understand the concept of vocation? How does the Lutheran doctrine of Two Kingdoms offer us a different way of thinking about what it means to be "in the world but not of the world"? How does a Lutheran view of Christology help us counteract the misguided “prosperity gospel” and reframe the way we understand and experience our own earthly suffering?

At the end of the episode, the Ladies choose their next book club pick from a list of lesser known classics by beloved lady novelists:

• Persuasion by Jane Austen
• An Old Fashioned Girl by Louisa May Alcott
• The Blue Castle by L. M. Montgomery

Which book will the Lutheran Ladies read next? Listen to the end of the episode and find out!

Click to learn more about Gene Edward Veith Jr.’s The Spirituality of the Cross, to see a complete list of Lutheran Ladies’ Book Club picks and runners up, or to revisit past online book club events in the Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook group.

Connect with the Lutheran Ladies on social media in The Lutheran Ladies’ Lounge Facebook discussion group (facebook.com/groups/LutheranLadiesLounge). Follow us on Instagram @lutheranladieslounge, and also follow Sarah (@hymnnerd), Rachel (@rachbomberger), Erin (@erinaltered), and Bri (@grrrzevske).