Ascend - The Great Books Podcast

WE ARE STARTING PLATO! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast we are launching into our studies on Plato. We are kicking off with a roundtable of friends—a lawyer, two Phds, and an independent scholar—discussing the preliminary questions on Plato. Questions : Who was Plato? Why should we read Plato? Why should Christians read Plato? How should we read Plato? What Plato will we be reading? We’ll...

In this episode of the Ascend to the Great Books podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick welcomes back Grayson Quay to discuss his new book, 'The Transhumanist Temptation.' The conversation delves into the ideological roots of transhumanism, its implications for humanity, and the historical context that has led to its rise. Quay emphasizes the importance of teleology in understanding human nature and cri...

Today on Ascend the Greek Books Podcast, we wrap up our exploration of the Greek plays with a lively roundtable discussion. Our panel of friends delves into the key themes of the tragic plays, including divinity, eros, fate, justice, the cosmos, virtue, and suffering. We explore plays such as the Oresteia, Prometheus Bound, the Theban plays, and the Bacchae, with insights from Homer, Hesiod, and A...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, we are joined by Tsh Oxenreider to discuss The Frogs by Aristophanes. The play tells the comedic story of Dionysus deciding all the new tragic poets are terrible, so he travels to Hades to bring back Euripides to help save Athen’s from her moral decay. Once in Hades, Dionysus has several adventures, which includes hosting a poetry contest between Aeschylus...

In this episode, Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Chancellor and General Counsel of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Tulsa, welcomes Dr. Zena Hitz, a tutor at St. John’s College and founder of the Catherine Project, to discuss Aristophanes’ comedic masterpiece, The Clouds . The episode dives into the play’s biting humor, its critique of Athenian society, and its timeless questions about education, piety, and m...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast , we plunge into the second part of Euripides’ The Bacchae —a harrowing yet gripping Greek tragedy that leads us deeper into the mystery of Dionysian eros. We’ll observe the tragic descent of King Pentheus, the Bacchae as a parasite upon society, and the haunting themes of eros, justice, and the question of piety under an evil god. Check out thegreatbookspo...

Madness, piety, gore, and reason! Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, host Dcn. Harrison Garlick and the always insightful Dr. Frank Grabowski delve into the first part of Euripides’ The Bacchae—a chilling yet captivating Greek tragedy that explores piety, eros, the nature of the divine, and the fragility of societal order. The guys explore Dionysus, a god transformed from Homer’s jovial win...

Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Garlick and Mr. Eli Stone discuss the second and final part of Oedipus at Colonus —wherein Sophocles brings the horrific tale of Oedipus to a beautiful, redemptive end. Deacon and Eli discuss the dramatic zenith of Oedipus’ life, the theme of redemptive suffering, the binding power of love, and all the various ways this play comments on the relationsh...

In this episode of Ascend the Great Books Podcast, Deacon Harrison Garlick and returning guest Eli Stone dive into the first half of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus , the third play in the Theban cycle by publication order but the second in narrative chronology. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule. Check out Patreon page for written guides to the great books! Recorded in rura...

Aristotle said Oedipus the King was the best tragedy. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Eli Stone and our friend Josiah to discuss Oedipus the King (Oedipus Rex) by Sophocles - the second play in the Oedipus cycle or Theban plays. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule and more! Check out our Patreon for our written guides! Here is a letter Dcn. Garlick wrote to ou...

Does Antigone hold strong until the end? Is Antigone the hero? Today, Dcn. Garlick is joined again by David Niles and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the second part of Sophocles' Antigone . Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our Patreon page ! We appreciate all our supporters. From our guide: 15.      How does Haemon’s interaction w...

Antigone is the "dark sign from the gods." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. David Niles of the Catholic Man Show and Dr. Frank Grabowski to discuss the Greek tragedy "Antigone" by Sophocles. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! Check out our Patreon for our guide on Antigone! From the guide: This guide, like the podcast conversation, explores Antigone as a prof...

How would you respond to the will of a tyrant? Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jared Zimmerer of Benedictine College to discuss Aeschylus' Prometheus Bound - the first play in an otherwise lost triad. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for our reading schedule! WHY SHOULD YOU READ PROMETHEUS BOUND? From the guide: Prometheus Bound is the story of man and civilization. Within the cont...

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Thomas Lackey and Mr. Adam Minihan to discuss how to read the Bible like Jesus, St. Paul, the Early Church Fathers, St. Thomas Aquinas, and Dante! There are four senses: literal, allegorical, moral, and anagogical. The guys explain Divine Authorship, Dante's thesis that you read his Comedy like you Scrip...

Lying is a sterile act that impedes the purpose of the intellect. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Sean Berube and Shannon of Catholic Frequency to discuss "Lying as Contraceptive Speech." Dcn. Garlick gives several short talks pulling from Dante's Inferno, the Gospel of St. John, and liberalism with responses from Sean and Shannon from a live recording on X (Twitter). Check out thegreatb...

The frozen heart of hell. Today, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Mr. Evan Amato to discuss the frozen wastes of the 9th Circle of Hell - the damned guilty of treachery (or complex fraud). Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for other great books to read! A few questions from our guide to Dante's Inferno: 78.     What happens in the ninth circle of hell: Treachery (Comple...

We finish the 8th Circle of hell! Dcn. Harrison Garlick and Dr. Donald Prudlo of the University of Tulsa discuss pits 8-10 of the 8th Circle of Dante's Inferno (Cantos 26-31). Dr. Prudlo is an incredibly talented Catholic scholar! You'll want to hear what he has to say - especially about Odysseus, Troy, and the Garden of Eden. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more resources! From our guide: 64.&...

Seducers, Flatterers, Sorcerers, and more! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Noah Tyler, CFO of the Classic Learning Test, and Gabriel Blanchard, a staff writer for CLT, to discuss the first part of the 8th Circle: Simple Fraud (Cantos 18-25). Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Check out our written GUIDE to Dante's Inferno: 80+ Questions and Answer . FROM THE GUIDE: 53.&nbs...

We enter the circle of violence. This week Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Fr. Thomas Esposito, O. Cist., a Cistercian priest who teaches at the University of Dallas, to discuss the seventh circle of Dante's Inferno: (1) violence against neighbor (2) violence against self and (3) violence against God & nature. Check out our website for more info: thegreatbookspodcast.com . Check out our 80+...

Today, we finish lower hell. Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jason Baxter of Benedictine College to discuss cantos 6-11 of Dante's Inferno. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for other great books! Check out our Patreon for our 80+ Question & Answer guide to the Inferno. From our guide: 27.     The Third Circle of Hell – Gluttony (Canto 6)   Musa explains t...

Dante approaches the gates of hell! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jennifer Frey, the Dean of the new Honors College at the University of Tulsa, and Dr. Jessica Hooten Wilson, the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books at Pepperdine University, to discuss cantos 2-5 of Dante's Inferno. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com . Check out OUR GUIDE to Dante's Inferno: 80+ Questions and Answers . 13....

We are reading the Inferno together! Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Jeremy Holmes of Wyoming Catholic College to give an introduction to Dante's Inferno and discuss the first canto. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Reading Schedule for Lent 2025: Introduction & the Dark Woods 1. Intro & Canto 1 (3.4.25) with Dr. Jeremy Holmes (Wyoming Catholic) Vestibule of Hell...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the end of the Oresteia, the second part of the Eumenides. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com . Check out our guide to the Oresteia . The first half of the Eumenides demonstrates Aeschylus’ ability to dramatize philosophical questions. The old system of justice, bound to the Furies’ blood-soaked vengeance, has...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick is once again joined by Dr. Frank Grabowski and Mr. Thomas Lackey to discuss the first part of the Eumenides, the third play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Check out thegreatbookspodcast.com for more information. Check out our written guide to the Oresteia. The final play of Aeschylus’ Oresteia , The Eumenides , sets forth the transformation of justice from the familial mechanics of...

Dcn. Harrison Garlick, Mr. Thomas Lackey, and the Adam Minihan come together to discuss the second part of the Libation Bearers, the second play in Aeschylus' Oresteia. Visit thegreatbookspodcast.com for guides and more information. Support us on Patreon and get access to guides! The second half of the Libation Bearers moves decisively toward the climax of Orestes’ role as blood avenger, culminati...