The Sower · The Ciceronian Society

EPISODE 32 - The Benedictine Book Binder

February 23, 2025·50 min·4 clips

Josh Bowman welcomes Matthew Michaels, a Benedictine bookbinder, to discuss tradition and spirituality in his craft.

This episode of The Sower features host Josh Bowman in conversation with Matthew K. Michaels, a professional bookbinder, writer, and Benedictine oblate. Michaels owns Black Cowl Bindery and frequently comments on monastic spirituality for laypeople. The discussion explores the intersection of his craft, faith, and intellectual life. Michaels details the physical process of bookbinding, from folding paper signatures to sewing text blocks and constructing covers. He connects this meticulous craft to the Benedictine monastic tradition of manual labor, or *ora et labora*. The conversation references Saint Benedict's Rule, which prescribes daily periods for both sacred reading and physical work. Michaels explains how binding books, particularly religious texts, becomes a form of prayer and intellectual engagement. He describes specific projects, like creating a breviary, which involves understanding the liturgical text's structure and use. His military service as an infantry officer is presented as another formative experience in discipline and order. Michaels argues that tangible, well-made books foster a deeper, more contemplative reading experience compared to digital screens. A key insight is that the binder's craft physically embodies and preserves the intellectual and spiritual content of a text. Michaels suggests the rhythmic, repetitive nature of binding mirrors the liturgical rhythms of monastic life. He finds theological significance in transforming disparate materials into a unified, functional, and beautiful object. The discussion posits that dedicated manual work can be a path to holiness and intellectual clarity for laypeople outside monasteries. Michaels claims the current cultural moment, with its digital saturation, creates a renewed hunger for tactile, enduring artifacts. He sees his work as a small act of cultural resistance against disposability and distraction. The tone is conversational and reflective, with an educational focus on both practical craft and spiritual philosophy. The style is thoughtful and draws deeply from Christian, particularly Benedictine, intellectual and liturgical tradition. Listeners interested in monastic spirituality, traditional crafts, or the philosophy of physical objects would find this episode compelling. Those seeking fast-paced debate or purely academic theological discourse might find its deliberate pace less engaging.

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from The Sower