A Breastplate of Stillness and a Book of Thanksgiving: The Fruits of Patience in the Face of Boredom – Prof. Carl Vennerstrom

Prof. Carl Vennerstrom explores how perseverance, prayer, ordered work, and thanksgiving transform boredom and the temptation to acedia into opportunities for deep spiritual growth, joy, and resilient virtue in an age of digital distraction.This lecture was given on April 12th, 2025, at Dominican House of Studies.For more information on upcoming events, visit us at thomisticinstitute.org/upcoming-events.About the Speakers: Dr. Vennerstrom specializes in eastern patristic theology. Of particular interest are monasticism, scriptural interpretation, and the writings of Evagrius of Pontus. He earned his PhD in Early Christian Studies at the Catholic University of America and teaches courses in church history, theology, and Greek at the Augustine Institute Graduate School in St. Louis, Missouri.Keywords: Acedia And Boredom, Desert Monasticism, Digital Distraction, Evagrius Of Pontus, Liturgical Order, Patience And Perseverance, Prayer And Scripture, Spiritual Growth, Stillness, Thanksgiving And Joy