In this episode of Sunday School, Patrick Flynn interviews Professor Rachel Fulton Brown, a professor of medieval European history at the University of Chicago, who specializes in the study of devotion and prayer, along with the works of J.R.R Tolkien.

In this conversation, Professor Brown, a lifelong Christian, and recent convert to Catholicism, discloses much of her spiritual journey, talks about how to develop spiritual discipline in a largely secular age (an analogy she ties beautifully into fencing), and how a proper understanding of the Virgin Mary is necessary to save the soul of Western Civilization–a statement which has gotten her into some recent controversy!

In this episode, we also discuss: How to step inside the beam of devotion to gain a greater understanding of God; how to think about–and respond to–corruption in the church; and her recent work with a rather interesting–and indeed, controversial–figure!

A deep and, at times, provocative interview, that comes with more than a few surprises, I hope you enjoy my conversation with Professor Rachel Fulton Brown.