Diana Butler Bass On The Radical Act of Rest
The popular writer, historian, and theologian is celebrating her 65th birthday with a six-month personal sabbatical
In this week’s conversation, I was joined by Diana Butler Bass, Ph.D., an award-winning author, historian and public theologian. also writes the popular Substack publication The Cottage.
Diana Butler Bass is one of only a few modern Christian writers who can absolutely blow me away with both spiritual insight and beautiful writing. She is a brilliant scholar and a wonderful storyteller, charming and devout, erudite and deeply human.
Diana is turning 65 on Monday, so be sure to wish her a Happy Birthday! She will be celebrating this milestone with the radical act of REST.
With a lot of planning, saving, and cutting back on expenses, Diana was able to gift herself a personal sabbatical, which will mean six months off from a job that typically has her on the road most of the year. Diana can also take this time to rest and reflect because of the financial support she receives from the readers at Substack, who value the love and labor she puts into The Cottage.
So, whoever you are, bless you!
We covered a lot of ground in our conversation, but one thing Diana told me really struck me. Many of us know that in the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Sabbath calls for a day off from work for rest.
But Diana highlighted another purpose of the Sabbath: to break corrupt economic practices that trap people into overwork.
Diana explained that a Sabbath is "meant to get people off the gerbil wheel of production and being just one more cog in somebody's corporate machine. That's not just a problem of contemporary capitalism. It was a problem, even a spiritual temptation, and a real social problem for thousands of years."