Chasing Leviathan

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. Yuval Avnur, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities Institute at Scripps College. They dive into Dr. Avnur's new book, Why Read Pascal Today?, and explore why Blaise Pascal remains one of the most vital voices in the philosophy of religion. Dr. Avnur challenges the traditional understanding of Pascal's Wager. Ra...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ sits down with Dr. Michael Sawyer, Professor of African American Literature and Culture at the University of Pittsburgh. They dive deep into the philosophy behind Dr. Sawyer's latest book, The Door of No Return: Being as Black. Dr. Sawyer challenges traditional academic boundaries, arguing that Black aesthetic practices—from the novels of Toni Morrison and...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Paul Moser to discuss his book, God on Trial: Testing for the Divine. They explore why traditional philosophical arguments often fail to reveal the true nature of God and why the search for the divine requires a shift from intellectual spectacle to moral participation.  Dr. Moser challenges the "spectator" approach to theology, arguing that...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ is joined by Dr. Barbara Rosenwein to discuss her book, Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600 to 1700, and the decade-long research process required to bridge the traditional academic silos of the medieval and early modern periods. Dr. Rosenwein introduces her concept of "emotional communities," explaining how groups throughout history, much li...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined once again by political theorist Dr. Chris Yeomans to discuss his recent work on republicanism, political participation, and the legacy of Hegel. The conversation centers on why republicanism has reemerged as a serious framework for political thought and how Yeomans traces its development from contemporary neo-republican theory back through...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan , PJ is joined by Dr. Eric Jacobsen, senior pastor of First Presbyterian Church in Tacoma, Washington, to discuss his book Three Pieces of Glass: Why We Feel Lonely in a World Mediated by Screens . Together they explore how modern life, shaped by smartphones, automobiles, and screen-mediated environments, quietly reshapes our relationships, our neighborhoods, a...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry is joined by philosopher Dr. Adebayo Oluwayomi, assistant professor of philosophy at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, to discuss his book Foundations of Black Epistemology: Knowledge, Discourse, and Africana Philosophy . The conversation examines how philosophical canons are formed, who is recognized as a knower, and how Black thinkers have of...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Kalliopi Nikolopoulou discuss the intersection of ancient tragedy, justice, and cosmology. Drawing from Dr. Nikolopoulou’s book Hunting for Justice: The Cosmology of Decay in Aeschylus' Oresteia , the conversation explores how the relationship between nature and justice has been severed by modern political thought. Together, they examine Aeschylus’...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Jin Park explore the idea of marginality and why it matters for understanding power, identity, and social change. Their conversation is grounded in Dr. Park’s book, Marginality: Solidarity, and the Fight for Social Change , which brings together philosophy, Buddhist thought, ethics, and lived experience to examine how societies organize themselves a...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan , PJ and Dr. Harris Bechtol discuss the death of the other—and why Western philosophy has largely failed to take it seriously. Drawing from Bechtol’s book A Death of the World: Surviving the Death of the Other , the conversation explores how grief, mourning, and loss are not merely private emotions but world-altering events that rupture time, memory, and meanin...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ talks with Dr. Jens Zimmermann about Christian humanism and what it means to understand humanity through Christ. Their conversation explores the dualism that often divides faith and reason, how Neoplatonism shaped Christian thought, and why Bonhoeffer saw the incarnation as the key to recovering a truly human life. Zimmermann examines the limits of modern s...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Rev. Andrea Ferrari—Reformed pastor, theologian, and author of The Fall and Redemption of Conscience: A Reformed Biblical Theology —to explore one of the most neglected yet foundational topics in Christian thought: the nature of the human conscience. From John Calvin’s sensus divinitatis to Thomas Aquinas’ intellectual approach to...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Lambert Zuidervaart discuss his book, Adorno, Heidegger, and the Politics of Truth, tracing how his decades of work on Adorno led to a deep exploration of truth, art, and society. Dr. Zuidervaart explains why Adorno believed art reveals forms of truth that science and philosophy often miss—and how these insights expose what is “untrue” in modern cap...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. David Bather Woods to explore the remarkable life behind one of history’s most influential—and misunderstood—thinkers: Arthur Schopenhauer. Drawing from his new book, Arthur Schopenhauer: The Life and Thought of Philosophy’s Greatest Pessimist, Dr. Bather Woods reveals how Schopenhauer’s turbulent biography shaped his philosophy, wh...

Can knowing ever be neutral, or are we always shaped by history and culture? PJ and Dr. Carolyn Culbertson explore how Hans-Georg Gadamer’s hermeneutics challenges both Enlightenment objectivity and postmodern relativism, showing that understanding itself is an event of truth. Their discussion weaves through Gadamer’s critique of neutrality, the fusion of horizons, and the relevance of feminist an...

In this episode, PJ sits down with Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky-Forster to explore parasocial relationships—the one-sided connections people form with media figures. They discuss how these relationships have evolved since the 1950s, their role in emotional support, and how social media has reshaped the way we connect with content creators. Learn about common misconceptions, the benefits and dangers of...

In this episode, Dr. Matthew LaPine joins PJ to discuss The Logic of the Body: Retrieving Theological Psychology —a groundbreaking exploration of how theology and psychology intersect. Drawing from his own experiences with mental health, Dr. LaPine examines how emotions, embodiment, and reason work together in shaping our spiritual lives. He unpacks the historical divide between theology and psych...

In this episode, Dr. Jarvis McInnis, author of Afterlives of the Plantation, joins PJ to explore the deep cultural, intellectual, and historical legacy of Black life in the American South. Focusing on the Tuskegee Institute and the complex legacy of Booker T. Washington, McInnis reveals how Black communities transformed the plantation’s afterlives into spaces of creativity, education, and empowerm...

Join us as Dr. Roosevelt Montás, author of Rescuing Socrates, explores the transformative power of a liberal education. In this conversation, Montás critiques the current state of American higher education and advocates for a holistic approach that fosters self-reflection, empathy, civic engagement, and character development. He shares insights from his personal journey, highlighting how great lit...

In this episode, Ray Madoff, author of The Second Estate, breaks down how the U.S. tax code has enabled the wealthiest Americans to avoid paying their fair share, creating a modern aristocracy. She explains why understanding taxes is essential for every citizen and highlights the strategies the wealthy use to minimize their tax burden.  The conversation explores the role of inheritance, the shortc...

What makes music more than sound? Glenn McDonald, data engineer, author of You Have Not Yet Heard Your Favorite Song , and former Spotify “genre taxonomist,” joins host PJ Wehry to explore the transformative power of music. From shaping Spotify’s genre mapping system to creating the interactive discovery project Every Noise at Once, Glenn reveals how algorithms, data, and human curiosity come toge...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ sits down with Dr. Roger Chickering, Professor Emeritus of History at Georgetown University and author of The German Empire, 1871–1918. Together they unpack the rise of modern Germany, the role of Bismarck and Wilhelm II, and how debates around the Sonderweg thesis shape our understanding of the First World War and the path to WWII. Dr. Chickering explores...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Alexander Rosenthal-Pubul discuss his book 'Crown under Law: Richard Hooker, John Locke, and the Ascent of Modern Constitutionalism.' Dr. Rosenthal-Pubul contrasts Hooker's views with those of Hobbes, delves into the historical context of Elizabethan England, and examines how Hooker's ideas influenced Locke's political philosophy. The discussion hig...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Santiago Zabala discuss his book, 'Signs from the Future: A Philosophy of Warnings.' They explore the intriguing concept of warnings as philosophical tools, discussing how they address the absence of emergencies and the role of philosophy in society. The conversation touches on the importance of listening and interpretation in tackling global challe...

In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, PJ and Dr. Christopher F. Jones discuss his book, 'The Invention of Infinite Growth,' exploring the historical and intellectual evolution of economic growth theories. Dr. Jones highlights the tension between economists and environmentalists, the historical context of growth, and the implications of our current obsession with growth. Dr. Jones argues for a reth...