Work as Soulcraft — Self-Guided Journey

Becoming Fully Alive as a Human Worker

The full 8-module course. Your pace. Lifetime access. An AI thinking partner trained on Luke's work, on call 24/7.

This is the entire Work as Soulcraft curriculum — the same course that's run through two full cohorts — offered as a self-paced journey you can take on your own schedule. Built on Wojtyła, Girard, Crawford, Bowen, Pieper, and Taleb. Designed for people who want to understand the nature of their own work and who they're becoming through it.

What you get

• All 8 modules. Structured written guides, exercises, and short video introductions from Luke for each module.
• The Work Profile Assessment. A diagnostic that names the dominant pattern in your work life right now — and shows what you're building toward.
• The Belief Paper assignment with the full framework. The central exercise of the course. You'll know what you actually believe about your own work by the end of it.
• An AI thinking partner trained on Luke's work, 24/7. Real feedback on every entry. Available whenever you sit down to do the work.
• Lifetime access. Come back to Module 2 in three years if you need to. The course will still be here.
• The Discord alumni community. Hundreds of people doing the same work, asking the same questions.
• The 8 Artifacts. One from each module — Pyramid, Election Card, Family Desire Map, Models Mirror, Mimetic Receipt, Position Statement, Generativity Inventory, Single Leverage Point. Yours to keep, post, print, return to.
• Graduates only: Earn a place in the Alumni Network — the global directory of people who actually finished.

The 8 Modules

1. The Nature of Work. What is work, essentially? Before efficiency, before output, before economics — what does work do to the person doing it?
2. The Election. Where does your wanting come from? Most of what we pursue is learned, not chosen. This module begins the work of sorting the mimetic from the genuine.
3. The Acting Person. Your family was your first school of desire. Before any career or calling, you learned what to want — and what to fear wanting — at home.
4. The Awakened Senses. Every serious person has models. This module asks: which of yours are opening the world, and which are closing it?
5. Reading the Real. Why do we lose ourselves in what others want? This module examines the crowd's logic — and what it costs to stand apart from it.
6. Against Acedia. Can you hold a position under pressure? The Belief Paper is the central assignment of this course. This is where you find out.
7. Reverence and Generativity. What does it mean to build something that outlasts you? This module examines generativity and the reverence that serious work requires.
8. Building the Real. The final module is a synthesis and a commitment: what does it look like to build something real — in your work, your relationships, your community?

What you walk away with

By the end, you'll have identified your Single Leverage Point — one concrete change in how you work — and a clear-eyed account of why it matters. You'll have language for things you've felt but couldn't name. You'll have models you actually trust.

What people have said

"Foundations of Agency was exactly what I would have wanted out of my liberal arts university experience. Intellectually and spiritually expansive. I cannot recommend it highly enough."
— Matt Kramer, Writer (Cohort 1)

"I expected a course about productivity or self-improvement. What I got was something closer to a philosophical formation. I came out a different kind of worker, and a different kind of person."
— A past student

About Luke

Luke Burgis is the author of four books, including Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life (translated into 15 languages) and The One and the Ninety-Nine (St. Martin's Press, June 2026). He is the founder and director of the Cluny Institute and a faculty member at The Catholic University of America.

"The go-to thinker on mimetic desire. Everyone with mimetic desire — in other words, everyone — should engage with Luke's ideas."
— Tyler Cowen, Economist, Mercatus Center

"Burgis shows you how to be authentically yourself and consider the impact you're having on others so you can do your best work and build your strongest relationships."
— Kim Scott, author of Radical Candor

FAQ

When does it start? Immediately. Module 1 unlocks as soon as you enroll; subsequent modules unlock as you complete each one's review-and-reflect exercise.

How long does it take? Most students complete the course in 8–12 weeks at one module per week. You have lifetime access — take the time you need.

What if I want more access to Luke? Consider the Enhanced tier ($699), which adds bi-weekly office hours, the Reader, the Cohort Annotation Tool, and a private Discord channel. For the full live cohort experience with hand-picked working professionals, see Premium Cohort ($2,500).

Refund policy? 30-day satisfaction guarantee. If the course isn't for you, write us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.

Questions? A member of our team is available at rook@cluny.org.