released 5/21/2025

Classicist and philosopher Paul Woodruff (1943–2023) discusses the importance of reverence as a virtue that enriches relationships, elevates civic life, and helps leaders to wield power wisely. Though practices and behaviors vary from culture to culture, Woodruff argues that reverence is a universal and pre-religious virtue that permeates every aspect of our lives. It begins in the home, as families engage in small “ceremonies” — traditions that communicate honor for each family member and for the family as a whole. Woodruff examines the reasons for and consequences of modernity’s value of irreverence, and he offers distinctions between reverence, faith, and justice. Finally, he explains the place and power of reverence in art, music, poetry, hospitality, and education. Woodruff is the author of Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue (Oxford University Press, 2002).

To enrich your reflection on this topic, we recommend this Sound Thinking post with thoughts from Romano Guardini on reverence.

53 minutes

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