Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick welcomes Dr. Alex Priou to discuss Book 22 of the Odyssey, the Slaughter of the Suitors. Check out our LIBRARY of written guides to the Great Books. Check out Dr. Priou's new Substack: The Close Read . What happens in Book 22? Odysseus stands at the threshold of his home, cries out to Apollo, and lets loose an arrow straight through t...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are discussing Books 20 & 21 with Mr. Thomas Lackey and Dr. Frank Grabowski. NEW ARTICLE: Why Should Christians Read Homer? Check out our COLLECTION OF WRITTEN GUIDES . In this episode of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and guests Dr. Frank Grabowski and Thomas Lackey dive into Books 20 and 21 of Homer’s Odyssey, where the s...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive into Books 17–19 of Homer’s Odyssey, where the disguised king returns to Ithaca as a beggar. Check out our WRITTEN Q&A GUIDE TO THE ODYSSEY . Check out Dr. Grabowski's new Substack: The Porch and the Altar . The conversation explores iconic moments like Odysseus’s heartbreaking reunion with his loyal...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by returning mentor Dr. Frank Grabowski—Third Order Franciscan, diaconate candidate, and Dean of Faculty at Holy Family Classical School—and Latin teacher Jack Drury for a rich discussion of Odyssey Books 15 and 16. Check out all our resources on the great books ! Check out Dr. Grabowski's new Substack on the great books....

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Dr. Alex Petkas (host of the Cost of Glory) for a rich discussion of Odyssey Books 13 and 14. Check out all our resources on the great books! Check out the Cost of Glory ! Check our the Porch and Altar , Dr. Grabowski's Substack. Odysseus finally reaches Ithaca—sleeping peacefully through the voy...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick discusses Books 11-12 of the Odyssey with Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Luke Heintschel, the Academic Headmaster of Coeur du Christ Academy. Check out Ascend's LIBRARY of written guides and SOCIAL MEDIA . Check out Luke's Substack at CoCrucified and Dr. Grabowski's at Porch & Altar . Summary Listeners are taken on Odysseus’ harrowin...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the Dr. Gregory McBrayer discuss Books 9-10 of the Odyssey--the first half of Odysseus telling his own story and covering such famous narratives as the lotus eaters, the cyclops, and Circe. Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey --great for small groups! Follow us on X, YouTube, Instagram, and more ! Summary Books 9 and 10 of...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discussing Books 6-8 of the Odyssey discussing Odysseus' time with the Phaeacians. Check our our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey . 10 Reasons to Read the Odyssey (The Ascent) Why Odysseus Refused to Become a God (The Ascent) Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Odyssey and the Phaeacians 10:45 The Nature of the Phae...

Odysseus rejects becoming a god... why? Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Glenn Arbery of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK FIVE of the Odyssey--arguably one of the important passages in the entire Odyssey and in the Western canon. Check out Ascend on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Patreon ....

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski discuss the famous "Telemachy" or the coming of age story of Telemachus, Books 2-4 of the Odyssey. Check us our on X, Instagram, Facebook, and more ! Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Odyssey . In this rich second episode of our 12-week Odyssey series, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Frank Grabowski dive deep in...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Pavlos Papadopoulos of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK ONE of the Odyssey--one of the greatest texts in the Western canon. Check out our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY OF THE ODYSSEY . Follow Ascend on X, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, and more ! Be sure to use our WR...

For the first time since 2023, Ascend is reposting an episode--our introduction to the Odyssey with Dr. Patrick Deneen (6.25.2024) in anticipation of our NEW 12-WEEK STUDY of the Odyssey starting next week! We start BOOK ONE OF THE ODYSSEY next week! Check us out on X, Facebook, Instagram, and more ! In this special introduction to Homer’s Odyssey , Deacon Harrison Garlick is joined by three disti...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick explores one of the most striking features of Dante’s Inferno : why the poet places liars, flatterers, and the treacherous in the lowest circles of Hell — deeper than murderers, tyrants, suicides, and even blasphemers. Check out our new INSTAGRAM page! Visit THE ASCENT , our sister publication on Substack. We are reading the Odyssey...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick takes a popular article from The Ascent, a top 100 substack in faith and spirituality, and does a deep dive on CS Lewis, Dante, and the problem of evil (theodicy). Check out THE ASCENT - a top 100 Substack on Christianity spirituality. Check out "The Hidden Meaning of Narnia's Endless Winter " Substack article. Check out the NEW Insta...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison discusses the last two cantos of the Purgatorio (32-33) with Joshua Charles of Eternal Christendom and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School. We are reading the ODYSSEY NEXT! Check out our 12-week schedule . See our collection of written guides to the great books! Check out Joshua Charles' Eternal Christendom . Check out Holy Fa...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Michael West discuss the top of Mount Purgatory: The Earthly Paradise (Cantos 28-31). Check out our WRITTEN GUIDE to the Purgatorio. Check Ascend out on X, Facebook, Youtube, and More ! They explore the serene, uncultivated garden where Dante encounters the mysterious Matilda picking flowers, the two rivers (Lethe, which erase...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Fr. Patrick Biscoe, OP, discuss gluttony and lust in Dante's Purgatorio, Cantos 23-27. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Check out our LIBRARY OF WRITTEN GUIDES for the great books. Check out the Dominicans, the Order of Preachers . Check out Fr. Patrick Briscoe, OP, at Godsplaining Podcast . In this episode...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Sarah Berry of the University of Dallas discuss Acedia, Avarice, and part of Gluttony in Cantos 18-22 of the Purgatorio. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information! Check out our GUIDE to the Purgatorio ! Dr. Sarah Berry joins Deacon Harrison Garlick to explore Cantos 18–22, covering the terrace of sloth (acedia) and...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson of Pepperdine University discuss cantos 13-17 of Dante's Purgatorio --the purging of envy and wrath. Check out our 51 question and answer guide (35 pages!) to the Purgatorio . Check out our YOUTUBE page which has our episodes in playlists! Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson joins Deacon Harrison Garlick to discuss...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Garlick and Mr. Luke Heintschel, headmaster of Coeur du Christ Academy , discuss the rest of ante-purgatory and then the first terrace--the purging of pride. Check out our GUIDE: 51 QUESTIONS ON THE PURGATORIO . Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. The conversation explores the transition from Ante-Purgatory into the proper mountain...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo, the Warren Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa, discuss the Ante-Purgatory, the foot of Mount Purgatory (Cantos 1-5). Check out our guide on Dante's Purgatorio (out soon!) Visit Dr. Jason Baxter's website and use "Ascend" in the promo code for 20% off his Purgatorio audiobook. Thanks for the Cen...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dr. Jason Baxter and Dcn. Harrison Garlick come together to introduce Dante's Purgatorio and Dr. Baxter's new translation! We are reading Dante's Purgatorio for Lent. Join us! Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our LIBRARY of written guides to the great books! DISCOUNT: Check out Dr. Jason Baxter's website and enter "Ascend"...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Justin Jackson host a Q&A on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. They explore major themes such as the role of femininity, the moral dilemmas faced by Gawain, and the significance of the girdle. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our episodes on Sir Gawain and the Green Knight and our study g...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo explore the intricate relationship between Plato and St. Thomas Aquinas, examining how Aquinas's thought is influenced by Platonic philosophy while also being rooted in Aristotle. We are reading the PURGATORIO for Lent! Check out our LIBRARY OF GUIDES TO THE GREAT BOOKS . See Dr. Prudlo's books on St. Thomas, a...

In this episode of the Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick engages in a profound discussion with Dr. Thomas Ward from Baylor University about Plato's influence on St. Boethius. The conversation begins with an exploration of Boethius's life, particularly his role as a Roman statesman and philosopher during a tumultuous time in history. Dr. Ward highlights St. Boethius's seminal...