The Need for Father-Scholars

February 5th, 2026 | 14 min read

“It’s so boring.” This, apparently, is one of the main reasons Gen Z parents are not reading to their children. Only 41% of parents are reading to their children under five years old, down from 64% in 2012. While that’s the data we have and it’s specific to Gen Z, it isn’t a stretch to imagine that books on the whole have less of a place in young families than they did in the past.

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Ian Harber

Ian Harber is the Director of Communications and Marketing for Mere Orthodoxy. He is the author of the book, Walking Through Deconstruction: How To Be A Companion In A Crisis Of Faith (IVP '25). He has written for The Gospel Coalition, Mere Orthodoxy, RELEVANT, and more. Ian lives in Denton, TX with his wife and two sons.

Topics:

Family

Formation

The Need for Father-Scholars

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