Long before I married a pastor, I was steeped in the fellowship of pastors’ wives. Mrs. Allan taught me that beauty is a wonderful apologetic. Mrs. March taught me to combat anxiety by keeping active. Mrs. Collins taught me that contentment is a matter of choice. Here’s the twist, though: these women don’t exist—at least, not beyond printed pages and the imaginations of countless readers. The pastors’ wives who populate novels such as Anne of Green Gables, Little Women, and Pride and Prejudice are some of my oldest companions. From reading and rereading their stories, I’ve gleaned true and timeless wisdom that I draw on again and again in my life and ministry. Theirs is a fellowship I cannot recommend highly enough. Pastors’ Wives in Literature Books such as On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior and Recovering the Lost Art of Reading by Leland Ryken and Glenda Faye Mathes emphasize the formative power of reading fiction. Great novels offer examples to emulate and avoid, advice to apply, and insight into human nature that helps us understand and navigate relationships. While we may tend to rely on nonfiction for mentorship and guidance, we shouldn’t be afraid to read stories that both minister to our imaginations and contribute to our character. While we may tend to rely on nonfiction for mentorship and guidance, we shouldn’t be afraid to read stories that both minister to our imaginations and contribute to our character. When facing difficulties or simply day-to-day life as a pastor’s wife, I know countless resources are available to me. Nonfiction books and ministry communities abound, for which I’m thankful. However, when I simply need encouragement and refreshment, I often return to novels in which pastors’ wives figure as characters. In Pastors in the Classics, Leland Ryken, Philip Ryken, and Todd Wilson explore the literary canon and share wisdom for pastors derived from their fictional counterparts. I’d like to offer a few reading recommendations for pastors’ wives that I’ve found at once enjoyable and edifying. 1. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery Mrs. Allan, the wife of a young minister, is a background character, yet she leaves an indelible mark on the story’s heroine. Mrs. Allan stands as an example of gentleness and intentionality. It’s bittersweet, though, to read this story knowing that the author later married a pastor and didn’t find the same joy as her characters. 2. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott Margaret “Marmee” March holds down the fort while her husband serves as a Civil War chaplain. Her motto “Hope and keep busy” wards off many a moment of anxiety or anger for her daughters and readers alike. Although the book mostly focuses on the March daughters, Marmee’s empathetic and pragmatic wisdom proves essential to their development and renders her a worthy mentor for readers. 3. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen As Austen was a clergyman’s daughter, it makes sense that many of her books include clerical couples. This novel includes three clergy wives, each of whom has a besetting sin that masquerades as a virtue. Mrs. Norris is a frugal lover of money. Mrs. Grant is an amiable enabler. Even the protagonist, Fanny Price, is prideful; what appears to be humility may be crippling self-obsession. Populated with complicated characters, this book offers an exercise in self-examination. 4. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Mr. Collins is one of the most unlikable yet well-known characters in literature. Bumbling and obsequious, he’s not exactly an ideal husband or pastor. However, Charlotte Lucas sees value in him that others don’t. Through decisive action, she makes them a happy home and enjoys a sense of peace that eludes characters driven by passion. Charlotte teaches readers that contentment is often a matter of choice. 5. North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell Gaskell, also a minister’s wife, reveals that a pastor’s wife has the power to make her husband’s burdens bearable or unbearable. When Mr. Hale leaves the ministry over a crisis of conscience, his wife does her utmost (by doing her least) to make matters worse. Mrs. Hale is worth examining as a cautionary tale, particularly when compared to her steadfast daughter, Margaret. 6. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson In this memoir-style novel, an aging pastor faces the end of his life and worries about leaving his young wife behind. Shy and uneducated, Lila Ames doesn’t host Bible studies or potlucks. However, she models gentle determination as she fulfills and cherishes her foremost ministry: encouraging her husband. My list of pastors’ wives in literature continues to expand, but these six novels are a wonderful entry point. As we navigate life and ministry as pastors’ wives, we must prioritize real relationships. Still, I hope you’ll also take advantage of the rich fellowship available to you on your bookshelves: the authors and characters who sit ever ready to offer advice, warnings, humor, and comfort.

To bear with one another in love includes respecting others’ sensitivities and reservations, even when we disagree with their conclusions. In this episode of You’re Not Crazy, Ray Ortlund and Sam Allberry help to reframe this difficult task by challenging us to consider our brother or sister’s sincerity to the Lord, noting the beauty of a conscientious Christian and the power of disagreements to bring about our sanctification. They warn pastors of the danger in leading congregants to violate their consciences, and they commend dependence on the Lord as we navigate challenging relationships within the church. Recommended resource: Everyday Gospel: A Daily Devotional Connecting Scripture to All of Life by Paul Tripp (Crossway)

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Foreign Affairs Summertime Blues in Old Europe? America’s freedoms remain its greatest strength; Europe is falling behind. Credit: image via Shutterstock Traveling in Europe as an American citizen, one is never far from the echoes of history. I was reminded of this during a weeklong visit last month to four Central and Eastern European nations – the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia. My organization, The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), organized this trip through the heart of Europe to explore relics of the Second World War and Cold War, while also gaining insight on preserving the future of European civilization. Coinciding with our visit, the 2024 calendar contains many reminders of what Europeans, united in liberty, can accomplish. This November, the continent will celebrate the 35th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, when Europe was finally free after 28 years of division by the Iron Curtain. This year also saw the 75th anniversary of the founding of NATO—crucial in upholding a shared Atlantic and European commitment to security against encroaching authoritarianism—following the Second World War. Unfortunately, we’re also reminded that this month marks 85 years since Germany invaded Poland, presaging the future division of Europe, first by the Third Reich and soon after by the Soviet Union. And just like that unwanted reminder of past wars, Europe is once again at risk of democratic decline and creeping statism—two trends we once hoped we’d consigned to the ash heap of history—and in dire need of a rebirth in leadership that turns the continent back towards political and economic freedom. A recent report by Sweden’s V-Dem Institute outlines these troubling trends. While the report shows that democracy has been in a 15-year retreat against autocracy worldwide—a troubling international trend in its own right—this “democratic backsliding” is actually most stark in Central and Eastern Europe. In fact, the report now considers countries like Hungary and Serbia to be “electoral autocracies”—places where elections are neither fair nor free, and where fundamental rights like freedom of expression and freedom of association are too weak to promote a free and flourishing society. Other nations like Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia have also witnessed lesser, but still concerning, democratic declines in just the last three years—after more than 20 years of maintaining strong traditions of political liberty. Unfortunately, Europe’s uncertain future extends beyond the guarantee of political freedom. The continent also displays less commitment to classically liberal economics than it has over the past decade or longer. As a result, Europe is increasingly at risk of economic stagnation. The Heritage Foundation’s 2024 Index of Economic Freedom notes that Austria, Slovenia, and Slovakia have all experienced declines in economic liberty in just the last five years. Each is now considered only “moderately free”—far from the level of freedom enjoyed by the U.S. and other nations with strong economies. The Czech Republic, often considered a bright spot in Central Europe, has also experienced a similar decline in economic freedom over the past half-decade. Such academic studies mirror real-world outcomes. In 2008, the European and U.S. economies were about equally sized. Today, the U.S. economy is almost twice as large. Average European incomes are 27 percent lower than the U.S., and average wages are 37 percent lower. It’s no wonder that the former European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi recently warned that the E.U. is falling behind rivals on economic competitiveness due to Europe’s failure to innovate or train skilled workers. None of this is to argue that the United States is perfect. We face our own self-inflicted challenges in maintaining the freedoms that have made America what former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright called “the indispensable nation.” Nevertheless, I’d like to think we will continue to set the example with regard to economic freedom and liberty, particularly for our Europe. The economic and political ideals we’ve championed helped reshape a continent and the lives of millions for the better. Ultimately, my summer trip through Europe was a reminder that history is never really at an end. I spoke with one European official who explained to me that he was a socialist, “because he wanted people to have quality health care, a good education, and decent employment.” I told him those very outcomes were the reasons I rejected socialism and favor economic freedom. I wish I could say I was optimistic about the future of European liberty. It is likely up to the next generation—many of whom have attended TFAS programs in Prague that have been exposing young people to the ideas of individual rights and economic freedom since 1993—to ensure that Europe’s turn away from liberty is reversed. The post Summertime Blues in Old Europe? appeared first on The American Conservative.