In this episode of The Athenaeum Book Club, host Jeremy Ryan Slate is joined by Jeremy Tate for a reflective discussion on Willa Cather’s Death Comes for the Archbishop.

Together they explore the novel’s quiet power, following Bishop Latour’s mission in the American Southwest and the deeper themes of faith, friendship, and vocation that shape his journey.

Tate offers insight into Cather’s restrained style and her vision of spiritual life lived through daily devotion rather than dramatic events.

This conversation reveals why this understated classic continues to resonate, offering timeless lessons on purpose, leadership, and building something that endures.